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All That You Leave behind - Home At Last October, 2008

30,000 miles and 20 countries, we’ve accomplished something I only dreamt about while growing up – taking a year off to travel overland around the world. Cobbling together a potpourri of public transport, we somehow managed to make it around this wonderful globe and muddle our way through the lumpy visa procedures. 372 days later, I’m nervously tapping my feet 32,000 feet above America’s heartland as we cruise across washboard currents of air while composing our final blog, headed back to sunny California on the final leg of our amazing journey. Sometime after midnight we’ll arrive in Petaluma and triumphantly walk the final two blocks to our humble little abode on Myrtle Court, our memories emblazoned with a lifetime of stories and an inventory of many wonderful and delightful characters we met along the way.  Mayun, who taught and drilled us on the finer points of the Balinese language, the wonderful group of students who treated us to a communal hot pot dinner up in the mountains of China, RaRa the teasingly delightful elephant, the persistent and lovable DVD man of Yangshuo, charming Gabriela in Znojmo and Miss Joy in Soppong, Will and the gang in Gilly Twawangan, Captain Iwanowski and the crew of the Isadora, the informative and helpful Mr. Cheng of Huang Shan, Ubud’s most gracious host xxx, who thoughtfully replenished our hot water throughout the day, we could go on and on with all the people who have enriched our lives the last twelve months – know that you’ll always be in our thoughts. Having spent the last two weeks in Wisconsin, we’ve come to realize the value of family ties, those connections so frequently taken for granted, something to be cherished and nurtured along the road of life. Bittersweet to spend time in our old house, once so full of life as the nine of us contended for space and privacy, I was moved by the sudden discovery of hidden nails and an assortment of fishing lines above the living room door, an enchanting remnant left there by my father, evidence of so many Christmas trees which adorned our living room, tied every year to prevent an accident. Emotions flooded me as I recalled the many joyous Christmas evenings crowded together in a celebration of love, our dear mother in her red holiday sweater dispensing her cherished cookies and trademark ham, with family and friends dropping by to toast the new year.   It was a rewarding two weeks in Wisconsin, a fitting ending to our long journey. Visiting our nephews in Notre Dame, celebrating Nathan’s big high school football upset, sorting through centuries old scrapbooks and piles of photographs, culling personal souvenirs from a room of mementoes, meeting brother Pete’s new girlfriend Betty, we managed to squeeze a lot of family time into our schedule while we helped to clean up and paint the old house. This morning, giving longtime neighbor and forever best friend George a final hug, I left behind more memories than any one person ever deserves, reverently passing through each room for perhaps the last time, every nook and cranny so familiar and intimate.   Chiseling off the Pfeffer nameplate from the front doorbell, we grudgingly threw our bags in the car, not at all ready to leave but knowing that we must, and with one last look around, waved goodbye to the folks, sure to be proudly standing behind the windows as they always did when we drove away. We’re the luckiest people in the world right now as we head home, with great families and an optimistic future. Fulfilling a lifelong dream, we wish you all the best, and leave you with some of the wonderful people who enrich our lives, some who hopefully will be around for many years to come, others from the past, left behind but not soon forgotten. Finally, we’re proof that you can do anything that you put your mind to.

The hardest part is the decision is undertake a trip like this. Then, it's a matter of getting of getting your ducks in a row. Once on the road, you can pretty much wing it and make plans as you go. What are you waiting for?

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