The alarm was set for 4:00 am! The kids marveled at how lit up the city was and how many people were on the streets as we made our way toward the airport.
Our kids have become expert travelers over the course of this trip and they acted together as a well oiled machine as we went through the baggage and check-in process. That is no easy task with 12 large and heavy bags containing our clothes and camping gear for the last 3 weeks in addition to our carry-on backpacks.
Those backpacks have been almost permanently affixed to our backs during daylight hours over the past 22 days. We were chatting about how strange it will be not to have them around us all the time. I joked that I might keep wearing mine so that I have my water tube handy during the day as I work 😉
The flights went smoothly and quickly as we spent time reading and sharing movies together on our tablets and phones.
We all noticed immediately how much more green New York was compared to our surroundings in the southwest over the last 3 weeks. Nevada, Arizona, and Utah we expected to be red and brown, but California was more yellow and brown than normal due to the extended drought there.
I was thinking on our drive back about putting together some “tips” or suggestions based on our experience and posting that sometime soon.
Overall- It was an amazing trip! Seeing beautiful places and having new experiences was awesome — but by far the best part was the company! I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to spend this time with such wonderful, funny, and smart traveling companions 🙂
Traveling is fun but there is also something wonderful about coming home after being away. This is by far the longest we have ever been away from home.
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