2 years ago today, Shawn and I woke up at 4:00am in a tiny hotel room in Honolulu. We scurried in the dark, hardly saying a word to each other as we got ready for what the day would bring. We nervously sat in the hot humid hotel lobby as we waiting for the airport shuttle to arrive, listening to Hawaiian Christmas music but not actually hearing it. Once we arrived at the airport we met other couples, who would not only become life long friends but who were about to embark on the same journey with us. We were about to board a plane and change our lives forever.
2 years ago today, we landed on a tiny strip of land in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. We were shuffled into an open air airport and we watched as the airport baggage workers unloaded our bags from the plane, drove over to a metal "slide" and dropped our luggage down to us. It was hot and humid and extremely sunny for 10am. The sky was a vibrant blue and matched the water that surrounded us. We grabbed our bags and headed out the door to meet Bwritwon (Mr. Majuro) and the social worker who would become our best friend on the island, helping us with everything from language to cultural differences. Bwritwon drove us to the MIR, telling us all about the island on the way and pointed out important buildings to know, like the US Embassy, the Long Island Hotel and the tuna canning plant. He helped us unload and even carried our bags to our room. We found out later that that was not part of his job, he just enjoyed helping everyone he met.
2 years ago today, we walked into a hotel room that would become our home. It was painted beige with few furnishings and island paintings on the wall. We tried unpacking and setting up our home but we were so nervous, we mainly paced around the room, moving things from one place to the other in an attempt to keep calm. Shawn was much better at it then I was. I resorted to recording our surroundings to calm my nerves. Then at 1:50pm, the phone rang.
2 years ago today, we met you. You were just as beautiful then as you are today. Shawn held you first and you looked up at him with your big brown eyes and daddy was hooked forever. At that moment you became our life, our reason for living and our sole purpose. We loved you before we had even met you but that moment erased any doubt, anxiety or fear we had had. We held you and have never let go.
We love Noemi Emita Nilsson. Happy Nice-to-meet-you Day <3
