Being back home...

I have finally come to terms with being home. Don't get me wrong - being home is not bad at all. My place on Hidden Valley is awesome, hot water 24/7, new cats, and the Brady's next door always keep suburban life interesting. My bike still runs. My friends still remember me. The mail lady waves. The hot-tub is HOT. What more could I want?

Valerie and I fully came to terms with being home last weekend while we were on our way to the delta for a camping weekend. On the way up we felt like we were on the road again, and it felt so good to be moving, moving towards some unknown place where we would be challenged and face some wicked unknown... But...

Everyone at the campground spoke English (except our Laotian neighbors) and every task from buying fishing bait to weenies and paying for the site was alarmingly simple. It just worked. We all spoke the same language and knew without words what was required.

Easy communication was the hardest part to get used to about being home. We had come to subliminally enjoy the daily struggle to be understood, linguistically and physically; the daily struggle to make friends and tell our stories; The ego-centric joy of being the center of attention in a small village - On our tour of the bay area we were nothing more than a car on the road, bodies in motion in yet another late model green Ford Explorer with dents; monkey-wrenches in cogs.

Our trip to the delta was inspiring, though. It reinforced all of the positive, and, more than I ever expected, "negative" experiences of traveling. Only when I was home, in my "element", was I able to fully appreciate the sweltering heat of Central America and Mexico, the painful struggle to find accommodation and the ever present quest for food that invaded every moment of our journey. When we were on the road it was all work, but in our memories it has transformed into gold. I will never forget anything or any place we have been. It is all inspiration for our next trip.

Thanks to everyone who has been following our journey. Without you it wouldn't have been nearly as memorable or worthwhile.



Adam