I just got home and am happily on my bed watching Jon Stewart. Just popped a light sleeping pill and am hoping to get a good nite's sleep. Poor Dianne needs to fly from Washington on to Portland. She will be traveling for well over 24 hours - door to door. She is stronger than me.
Usually I am eager to get home after a trip - particularly one this long. But for some reason, I was in no real rush to leave Japan and go back to DC. I am not sure why. I think one reason is that unlike most of my business trips, I had family and friends with me the whole time - starting in Europe with Miguel and Philippe and their friends and then in Japan with Shu and Dianne. It makes a big difference.
The whole trip was packed with moments of delight. Miguel's bachelor party roused me from my jetlag. Wow! His wedding to Philippe moved me to tears – their love and happiness and the legality of a gay wedding in Belgium was incredible. The three-day celebration of their wedding exhausted me. It took days to recover! Shu’s generosity with his time and knowledge made my stay in Japan exceptional. It was wonderful to spend so much time with him. I am hoping he will visit Washington one day soon - maybe Thanksgiving. My mother’s adventurous spirit was an inspiration. She traveled for 24 hours to get from Augusta, Maine to Tokyo, Japan and she made sure to experience everything she could – from eating cow intestines and chicken cartilage to bathing nude with a group of Japanese women. Well done Dianne!
It’s been a remarkable September!