After Japan, we headed back to the USA! It was lovely to see family, and a strange combination of feeling like not much changed and also that something enormous happened. Some asked about the first thing we wanted to do, but mostly we missed people (family and friends) and knowing exactly how everything works (and where to find things say headphones or a charger, for example).
Most everything is a tradeoff however, and while we missed waiters checking in frequently as they do in the USA, we also couldn’t sit at a table as long as we wanted (we’ve played cards at a table for hours in other countries). In addition, we were returning from Japan which was some of the most amazing food we experienced (the best burger AND pancakes)!
In Colorado, we first visited Bob’s parents in Highlands Ranch, spent some time in Frisco, and visited Amber’s family in Ouray. We also stopped in Ridgway to see family (and run at the reservoir), Evergreen to see friends, Cedaredge for cousins and pups, as well as a number of other friends and couples in Denver. It was delightful!
During our time, we enjoyed playing cards, cooking, and connecting with our family and friends. We also considered what new gear we wanted for our next portion of traveling and we’re trying out backpacks this time (leaving the roller bags in storage)!
From Colorado, we headed to Maryland and visited both of our previous workplaces. It was so much fun to catch up and see what they’re all doing! We realized that a year is a while, but also not too long! In addition, we dropped off things in storage and picked up our scuba gear. We also took a few more trips to goodwill to get rid of some extras we threw in at the end (you know those few boxes when you’re tired and a bit indecisive). It felt very successful! Our final USA stop was a quick visit to NYC where we saw our niece, Cliona. It was a delightful (though brief) visit filled with matcha and food!!
Much of our time wasn’t documented, it was more about connecting and enjoy others. We had a fun time and thanks to everyone we visited!