The fascinating thing about long distance travel is how you can pack a bag, cue up in line, enter a veritable cylinder for a ride in the sky and hours later the door opens to an entirely different world. The language, the architecture, the smells, even the pace of life around you. It is a bit surreal, especially after a long flight -- or two or three -- and being awake 30+ hours, but I always love that moment. It feels like re-entry to the world or time travel, and I'm hooked on the experience. Long distance travel is grueling, but the reward is definitely worth it.

On our last night in Paris Scott and I took a boat ride on the Seine, just as we did on our visit together back in 2003. Paris was crystal clear and the views of the city were amazing from the vantage point of the river. After sundown, we ended up at a picturesque café in Saint Germaine for a caprese salad and a carafe of rosé. We enjoyed lively conversation with new friends from Argentina, Switzerland, and the US under the moonlight, and didn't even think about the time until midnight. Time escaped us again!  Thankfully we had already packed for our trip home the next day since we had to be up at 3:00 am to catch the shuttle to Charles de Galle and enter that cylinder in the sky.

We made the trip home safely, following 29 hours of travel, and are digging out from mountains of laundry, piles of mail and all the usual. It feels good to be home and sleeping in our own bed again. That's the fascinating thing about travel... it all feels a bit surreal. I'm still dreaming of the beautiful places we visited on this trip, and I'm looking forward to sharing more on Italy and Paris. Despite all the beauty, and a desire to return as soon as possible, we are again reminded that there is no place like home.

What have you been up to this summer?