oh albuquerque airport

On our way home from Lubbock, Burke and I had a layover in the Albuquerque airport. As we walked toward the flight observation deck to watch planes land and take off, I had all sorts of funny stories to tell Burke. Maybe it's the emotional quotient, but I have a strange attachment to the Albuquerque airport and the memories it brings back for me.

See, Albuquerque is the closest (bigger) airport to my hometown, so I've done a lot of flying out of that airport. And since most of those flights were pre-9-11, I also have a lot of stories (with lots of emotions) associated with those flights and that place.

Burke and I walked past the gate where dad and I left for Grove City College in August of my freshman year, and where I bid oh-so-tearful goodbyes to my family many times following that (did I emphasize oh-so-tearful? I was usually still crying in the St. Louis airport, which is where I usually flew through on the way back to school).

I showed Burke the gate where we waited and waited and waited for Jordi's homecoming from her year as an exchange student in Argentina. There was a whole party of us and a huge, glittery, yellow "Welcome Home," sign. Unfortunately, she missed her flight from Miami, but we didn't know it (oh the days before cell phones), so we were waiting for her for hours. And how sweet it was when she finally appeared at the door...

One year, we took our Ludwig family picture on the flight observation deck. Jordi was leaving for Argentina that very afternoon, so it was sort of a teary picture. I should find it for y'all. And we welcomed our exchange student, Ivannia, from Costa Rica at the Albuquerque airport that same day. Whew. Like I said, emotional.

Anyhow, while Burke and I were watching the planes, I snapped a couple of pictures of the flight observation deck (above)... Funny stories, funny place, funny that I love it so much.