HomeAgain

It's so good to be back in the US, catching up with friends and eating my way through all the American junk food and watching all the TV that I've missed. I signed a one year lease on a house in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with plenty of room for visitors. Move in date is June 3 and I'll be sending out my new info to friends shortly. As good as it is to be home, I can't help but think about World Trip III and the free train trip I have for Africa. But for now, it will be good to be settled again with my cat and stuff around me. There is no place like home - wherever that is.....

Sunday Sunshine Draws the Cafe Crowd in Utrecht

You Know You Are In Holland If You See.....

Canal-Side in Utrecht Holland

Canal Houseboats in Utrecht

Canal Side Restaurants in Utrecht Holland

Hotel Heaven in Amsterdam

I was one of the "volactioners" stuck in Amsterdam because of the volcanic
dust. A plus was the Heiniken and Ben & Jerrys vending machines, standing
side by side in the hotel lobby.

Want me to also check the oil?

My New Zealand Partner in Crime

The people I met on the train trip through southern Africa were wonderful
and the most hard-core travellers I have met. It was an amazing experience
spending all that time on a train with so many travel addicts.

The Tin House in Mozambique

Yes it is made completely of tin and yes, it is like an oven inside....

Shopping in Mozambique

Stores are outdoor stalls, while the beautiful provencial buildings left by
the Portugese, sit in ruins - unused and ignored.#

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Mozambique Cathedral

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Homecoming

It's so good to be home again. My first stop in the US was visiting friends Sandy, Adrian, and Diane in Florida and also eating my way through all of the American junk food that I've missed over the last 6 months. One universal about travelling is that it does make you more appreciative of the thousands of things that you take for granted at home. Back in Santa Fe, I'm looking for a place to live and trying to reintroduce myself to my cat. Hopefully we will be settled in by June 5 and starting the unpacking phase.
In the meantime, I look back on the trip and realize what an incredible experience it was. The places I've seen and the people I've met have made my life so much richer. As much as I can't wait to get settled, I have to admit that I have already started planning "round the world" trip 3 (one of the side effects of having early onset travel addiction.)
Finally, it is so important to acknowledge the team of people who made it possible for me to make this extraordinary journey - my friends Renae from new Hampshire, Diane from Florida, and Lynn from Santa Fe kept me sane, safe, and on the road. I don't think anyone can make a trip like this without a support team back home. My sincere thanks to you and to the wonderful friends (including my Brother Eddie) who reminded me that I wasn't alone and that there were people caring and encouraging my not-so-temporary insanity. I love this quote and I dedicate it to both my old and new friends-
"The journey home is never a direct route; it is in fact, always circuitous, and somewhere along the way, we discover that the journey is more significant than the destination, and that the people we meet along the way will be the traveling companions of our memories forever."