Firsts on landing on US soil (/tarmac)

First touch: hyper-air-conditioned airport

First smell: uber-sanitized, chlorine-squeaky-clean airport floor

First sound: Spanish sans-Argentine accent; George Winston's "Winter" album on the PA system

First sight: the mega size of the airport in Miami

First thought: CHRISTMAS!

First thing that made me smile: God giving me lost-suitcase complications to fill the four-hour layover, then having the suitcase show up on its own in Chicago when I arrived, four hours later