Home

Just a few hours ago we were driving on the Hummingbird Highway, passing men riding bicycles to work, old bleach bottles become water bottles hanging from their handle bars, machetes tucked against their backs. Palm trees, orange groves, banana farms and warm moist air kept us company.

We cleared security in Belize easily, and the flight to Houston where I'm writing this on my iPad was uneventful. Going through customs involved long long lines, and our carry on luggage was heavier than when we were traveling the other way (we had to lighten our checked baggage by five pounds, plus the extras we were already carrying). When the customs officer stamped our passports and said welcome home, I felt tears start, and a sense of both pride and relief.

This vacation was the best we've ever had for reasons it will take me some time to articulate. I loved Belize. I loved who I was there, who we were there, and every experience we had there.

And I am so happy to be home surrounded by loud and friendly faces, a wild array of skin colors and accents, and an awareness, much deeper than it was a couple of weeks ago, of how incredibly blessed I am. I'm happy beyond measure to have easy access to the Internet again. I enjoyed my first Starbucks green tea in 16 days like it was Christmas morning. I can hardly wait now to see our puppy and the obnoxious old cat and to sleep in our bed.

When we were ordering dinner the guy behind the counter said he'd heard we were together and wondered how long we'd been dating. Walt laughed and said 25 years. This trip was a perfect celebration of who we are as a couple, and how far we've come since August 16, 1987. Two adventurers, excited to explore the wide world, and just as happy to return to the home we've created together. A home we carry with us in many ways. We're already talking about whether to go to Africa or Australia next, and the saving for the next excursion begins as soon as the dust has cleared from this one.

They're calling our flight in a few minutes. The last leg is about to begin.