Home (Day 25)

I took my time leaving; for once, I wasn't in a hurry to get checked into a hotel or do any sightseeing. I'll admit, it was kind of a weird feeling when I pushed the button on the GPS that says "Go Home." The last 25 days have been a complete whirlwind, and in some ways I still haven't absorbed all that I've seen. I can't believe that after all the months spent planning this adventure, it's coming to an end.

The drive home was blessedly uneventful; I took I-80 the whole way through Pennsylvania, which is a pretty drive through mountains thick with trees. When I entered New Jersey, I began to feel some sense of excitement building, as the realization that I was finally going to be back in NY began to sink in. Incidentally, I've never entered New Jersey from the west before, and it really is a beautiful drive in, much different than coming up on the turnpike. I made very few stops on the drive, except of course for the essential gas fill up; and with every mile I grew more anxious to get home. By some miracle, I hit absolutely no traffic going over the George Washington Bridge, and only very minor slow downs on the Cross Bronx. Coming over the Throggs Neck was almost surreal, and at around 5:00pm I found myself parking the car. Home, at last.

I'm still a little overwhelmed. I haven't finished unpacking and I have quite a bit of laundry to do, but when all that is done I look forward to re-reading this blog, going through my pictures, and beginning to absorb all that I've seen. Before I do, though, I feel like it's important to say something to those of you who've been reading this travel journal: THANK YOU! Writing this has been just as big a part of my experience as the sightseeing has been. I feel like you were all with me on my vacation; whatever I was seeing, wherever I was, I was thinking about what I was going to tell you all about it. Your comments made me laugh, and more importantly, they made me feel really supported, and because of you I never felt alone on my journey.

Taking this trip hasn't satisfied my urge to travel; instead, it has only made me want to see more. I'm already thinking about what my next adventure will be, so if you're interested, stay tuned! Meanwhile, thanks again for being a part of this.

Goodbye for now,

Peggy Mac