Joyful reunions take place at Colorado Springs Airport ahead of Thanksgiving

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving marks one of the busiest days of travel and it’s no different at the Colorado Springs Airport.

For many people traveling for the holidays, it can be a long, tiring day.

“I got up at two this morning,” said David DeRoos, visiting from Sacramento.

“I’ve been up since about 5, 5:30 a.m.,” said James Smith, visiting from Utah.

In the end, the early wake-up call is worth it to spend Thanksgiving with loved ones.

“Awesome, relieving, exciting!” said one traveler from San Diego.

With holiday travel comes some overdue reunions. Some of which can be emotional, while others can be exciting.

“I’m coming to meet the parents for the first time,” said Autumn Kilsh from Utah.

And for everyone who travels, there’s someone waiting to pick them up. In this case, it’s Becky Bryant who couldn’t contain her excitement picking up her daughter from San Diego.

Other times it can be a dad like Pat Paterson, who waited in the same spot for nearly an hour.

“It’s nice because I hang out with him and my daughter hangs out with my wife,” Paterson said.

The moment he and his daughter saw him, they went straight for the hug, the first of many over the long weekend.

“I’m excited to see my family, I haven’t seen them in a while,” Brandon said.

Even though they’ll only be together for a few days, it’s something they’re thankful for.