FE. What a long wonderful trip it has been. I am starting to settle down and am really happy to be back in Cape Cod, among our friends and in our home again. My initial reflection is on how grateful I am for so many experiences the last three months.

Grateful first for traveling with the amazing Rae, we truly shared the adventure, and argued only a little. Second for spending time with our daughters, the happy wedding of Kazumi and Evan, the return of Midori and Alex to Vermont, third, Rae’s wonderful family (Naomi and Bill, Albert and Nancy, Mom), fourth all the great friends we (re)connected and stayed with, and fifth, all the folks who shared their time and experience with us.

I am also impressed at the outstanding cultural and regionally varied experience the US offers, from small towns preserving their history, old main streets and bars, steam locomotives and other kinds of Americana, to the large and amazing art museums we visited.

I am amazed and the varied geology and the sheer natural beauty we enjoyed, from the many rivers and divides we crossed, the treasures of the National Parks we hiked in, the extent of the Great Lakes and waterfalls we experienced.

It really is this whole tapestry of human interactions woven together with the cultural and outdoor experiences that make this trip so special. Thank you all for sharing our adventure.