Last Leg

Writing from the Toronto Airport as I wait for the final flight into Grand Rapids. It seems so anti-climactic after being gone for so long and having had so many unusual experiences. I just had a cup of tea and a cookie and bought some time on-line to fill you in on the latest (maybe the best, too!) part of the journey. I spent the last three weeks in Whistler, as I said before. The construction in preparation for the 2010 Olympic in Whistler/Vancouver is in full swing. A week ago, Grace, Jon, Dan, Virginia and Sadie all arrived at the condo in Whistler. On Friday, David and Angie arrived from Washington D.C. They overlapped for about 24 hours with Jon and Grace who flew out from Bellingham (WA) to Detroit on Saturday night.

During our time together, we hiked, biked, ate lots of great fresh fish: tuna, salmon, scallops, discovered a few good B.C. wines, got lost again in Brandywine Falls (no kidding!) and found one sizable bear at the bottom of Creekside that we respected from a distance. We forced ourselves to go out for breakfast at Crepe Montagne one morning, which were pretty impressive. Most of us were able to ride the gondola up the mountain to the peak on one really clear day. I just learned from a woman who sat next to me on the plane from Vancouver, that we could have had a tour of the Olympic Village if we'd wanted too. Sorry, guys, I didn't know, or we could have done that instead of playing another round of "Sequence."

Then last night, after a great anniversary celebration at Anthony's in Bellingham, David and Angie took off from Seattle with a direct flight to Baltimore. I spent one more night with the Houstons last night, got one last big hug in from Sadie and left about 6:00 am this morning from Vancouver, not however, before getting a little scare that my seat was not confirmed. Dan kindly let me use his office internet before we left Lynden to see that the travel agent had sent me my e-ticket last night. Everything ran very smoothly through the various hoops entering the Customs and Immigration section of the airport here.

When I get to Grand Rapids, my little red Honda Accord should be waiting for me where Grace left it in the parking lot. I'll drive to Spring Lake and (hopefully!) sleep, then turn around tomorrow morning for GR where I will begin a part-time job with the Literacy Center of Western Michigan. I am being hired as a teacher/trainer for various manufacturing companies in western Michigan. As some of you might remember, I did some of this teaching last year, before I left, however, I was hired "by the job" rather than in a salaried position. I'm ready to jump into this after being a nomad for a month!

What about the blog? I think I'll keep it up and see how it goes. There are still photos I'd like to post and stories that continue to come out. And, in case you didn't notice, I'm not home yet...and as I have discovered, anything can happen!

Thanks for listening! Till the next time!

Photos: 1)The BEAR; 2)Sadie Grace, Jon and Grace; 3)Sadie Grace celebrating her 1st birthday with Uncle David; 4)Grace, Jon, Dan, Virginia, Sadie Grace, David and Angie.