August 2, 2014, 11:57am, Barcelona Airport, on the Runway

We are headed home. Me sitting again in Business Class while my Sweetie sits just behind me in a bulkhead seat. At least we are close together, no? We are like 123rd in line for take off, I think, since we have been sitting here for about 10 minutes. Part of me wonders if we will have to stop over the “pond” to refuel if we sit here much longer. But I am ready, for the very first time on a trip, to be home.

I think this time there are several reasons:
1. I miss my new house. We only got to live there about two weeks before we left for two weeks in Europe. I didn’t plan it that way; it was merely happenstance. We unloaded boxes and hung pictures for the whole two weeks, so it will be weird going home there and seeing everything in place again.
2. I miss my dog. She is my fuzzy girlfriend. She has been in “camp/jail” for two weeks. I’m sure she is about to go insane. Next time I travel I must get a house sitter or find somewhere she can stay.

And off we go! Landing in about 9.5 hours in Miami.

3. I am eager to see how much mail we got. It always fascinates me.
4. I wonder how many work emails I received? I haven’t turned on the stupid work phone since the night before we left for Europe. My guess? 373. We will see how close I am.
5. I want to sleep in my comfy bed again and use my super cool new shower and my wonderful closet.
6. I want a taco from On The Border. I don’t know that I can wait until next weekend, so we may have to stop there tomorrow on the way home from the airport.
7. I am eager to see all my photos and get my skylines printed.
8. I’m ready for regular 110-volt power again, without any converters.

Note: return to work is not among these. I think that for most traveled it rarely is.

I will retain the sights, sounds, and smells of old world Europe for a long while. There are many things about Europe that I will miss: the fountains, the food, the statues and sculptures, the old world charm of the architecture, the easier way of life it seems, the beaches on the Med, and the many different nationalities who all made it ok to be me in a swimsuit.

Until next time, we bid the beautiful countries we visited goodbye. We will be back.