That's all folks...

Berkeley, USA

July 3, 2008

Picture:  Love Ducks takes a last dip in Whittier (that's Rachel, my niece, in the picture);  Reunited in front of our welcome home sign-we got two of them.  One from the Woolsey kids and one from Sasha Hood.  Plus balloons and herbs.

Good:  Seeing Rinda!  Seeing friends!  Sleeping in our beds!  The food!  New cell phones!   A clean house!  A marriage license!!

Bad:  Multi-tasking.  Boy do we do a lot in one day.

Surprising:  How quickly it seems so normal to be home again.  We just slid right in. Woolsey Graduation was last night.  So we arrived home and went directly to the party.  It was a great way to connect with folks actually.  Today was unpacking (a bit), getting cell phones, a marriage license and long talks with neighbors.  

It is hard to believe it is over, but after such a long time of planing, our trip is now behind us.  It was amazing.   An experience of a lifetime.  

Looking back I am amazed at how smoothly it all went.    We had two 'bad' hotels and lost one clothes line.  Not bad for 5 months.   

 I am so glad that we had this adventure as a family.  I can feel the girls racing away.   I am so grateful to have had this time to really connect, to be with one another, and to make shared memories.  Thanks for reading about our journey.  It has been great to do this out loud.

Last night

July 1, 2008

Whittier, USA

Good:  Last day of the trip

Bad:  Last day of the trip

Surprising:  How mixed I feel about the last day of the trip.

I am so thrilled to be going home.  So are Maya and Kalin.  But I also realize that I am very sad that the trip over.  I have been working on a photo album, so I have been reliving the past 5 months through pictures.  It really has been amazing.  After so many years of looking forward to, and planning for this experience, there will definitely be a vacuum in my life.  I realize I am also going to miss this as well-posting about my/our life.  So often I do not know what I am feeling until I start to write it down.

Maya, Rachel (my brother's daughter), and I spent the day at Knott's Berry Farm.  We went because Rachel had a one year pass that was about to expire.  It's no Disneyland, but it was a great way to spend the day.  An odd, yet fitting, last full day on the road.  I know I am weary because I could not be bothered to bring the camera.  What a contrast to the bazillion picture we took at Disneyland.

Tomorrow we land at SFO at 3:50 p.m. (in sha'allah).