Last Post?

It's been a while since my last post and with good reason...I've been busy.  After struggling with exams, I had the pleasure of hosting Mom and Dad for a week in Trieste followed by more than a few celebrations, the best of which involved sipping cocktails at eight in the morning with surprise pancakes with smuggled Vermont maple syrup (thanks Mom).   

I'm staring at a packed bag and looking for words as I head home after what seems like a lifetime in Europe. I'm not sure how I will adjust to returning to buffalo wings instead of buffalo mozzarella, shorts instead of speedos, and a 24 hour news cycle instead of no news at all.

The only conclusion I can possibly come to at the moment is the fact that it's not the places we go that make travel so fulfilling, but the people we meet along the way, so thank you to one and all that made this year unforgettable.  Goodbyes are difficult, so rather than get emotional, I am going to think about what Groucho Marx would say to me if he were here:

"Go, and never darken my towels again."

I couldn't have said it better myself.