International Arrivals

"Arriving at one point is the starting point to another." -John Dewey 

Last week, I stood here at the International Arrivals gate at SeaTac and waited for my life to change.

And so it did.

The automatic doors whooshed open and out walked a young woman pushing a gigantic cart of luggage. She looked tired, as only one who has just traveled from the other side of the world can look, but when she saw me, her face lit up.

I stepped forward and we met in a wordless hug. 

And then we began our exciting task of learning to live together.

This young woman is the daughter of the Malaysian family I visited in Cuba, sister of a University of Washington college student who's near and dear to my heart.

She's come to stay with me - with my family - for an extended visit.

Neither one of us knows exactly what this time will look like, in what ways we will adjust, how this will change us as humans.

But now that the door to the International Arrivals gate has opened, I believe it's going to be great.