Homeward Bound

I left Matt, Melissa and Ozu's home this morning, bound for home.  I am so grateful for their hospitality and for that incredible sushi experience!

I went to the Berkeley Bowl before I left the Bay Area.  It is an independent grocery store renowned for its extensive produce section.  I was looking for tamarinds but I couldn't find any.  So I bought three different kinds of pluots (they had at least 6 varieties of pluots) and a peach for my drive home.  It was six hours of driving time home and I stopped only for gas and restroom breaks.  I hit the LA area right at rush hour.  I didn't miss traffic in LA while I was gone.

I was home by 5:30 p.m. and I spent the entire evening unpacking, doing laundry and taking an initial look through my mound of mail.  

It is amazing how much of snail mail is from corporate America trying to sell me something I don't want.

I used to bring my suitcase in at the end of a vacation and let it languish in the corner for several days.  Bryan hated that we didn't immediately put things away.  He wasn't obsessive about most things but he liked to unpack and put things away as soon as we got home.  So I am in the habit of doing that now and I prefer it.  When I get up tomorrow I won't be searching for my comb or my razor.  But I did notice that I felt anxious to get everything cleaned up and in the right place.  I am guessing this restlessness is muscle memory -- the need to have everything washed and put away so that I can jump back in to work.  

The good news is that I am retired.  I don't have to do anything tomorrow.  I can sleep in and stay in my pajamas all day if I want.  I can decide to look up a recipe in Bon Appetit and spend the day cooking.  I could drive to Laguna Beach and sit next to the ocean.  I could read a good book.  I don't have to produce anything!

I left on this journey 6 weeks ago.  I put 8,199 miles on my car.  I didn't have an accident or get a ticket.  My car ran fine -- except the air conditioner seems moody.  I am so grateful that nothing untoward happened. 

I will be spending the next several weeks processing this trip and what I learned, who I got to see and what I loved so much I want to do again.  But for now I am grateful to be home.  I look forward to waking up in my own bed; making a cup of coffee exactly the way I like it; riding my e-bike; tending my roses; cooking for myself; not living out of a suitcase; washing clothes when I want to without having to make sure I have enough quarters; watching my favorite shows; taking a walk in my neighborhood; and seeing friends.  I loved every adventure and experience I had on this trip and I love being back in Claremont.