Click Your Heels Together Three Times...

There comes a point while I am away, no matter how much fun it may be, that I just want to go home. Some trips it may not happen till I'm touching down on a runway or the last few turns away from the front door. But it always comes, "I just want to get home."

In this one aspect, I am a true Cancerian. There is no place like home. I would never have had adventures in Oz because unlike Dorothy, who had to have a house dropped from the sky to learn, I have always known that.

No, my development has come through growing the courage to discover exactly how big the world is, instead of making it small enough to be easily contained within the four walls of a house or the familiar boundaries of a neighborhood. I've always had moments of mild panic after I agree to travel.

I didn't fly until I was well in my 20's. My maiden flight was '83 when Doog and I went to Seattle to visit Pammy. What an experience. It wasn't a fear of flying that kept me ground bound; in fact, I'm always thrilled with the moment when you feel the plane break the bond of gravity. There's nothing like that sensation for me. (However, the fact that our car was stolen the night before my first flight didn't help my emotional state at all!) I didn't fly or travel simply because the opportunity didn't present itself.

I have some very intrepid friends. Coke jumps at any chance to have life experiences. He was immediate in his acceptance to become a five year ex-pat for Deutsche Bank and went to live in Frankfurt. Me? I have to carefully consider the notion of going to the beach for five days.

That's one of the reasons why, when asked to go to St. Petersburg for Towson University, I went into a tail-spin of mental calisthenics. If it hadn't been for the voices of those I trust telling me in various ways, "Holly, you can't pass up an opportunity like this," I would never have had that life expanding experience. Never. I don't seek things like that. And, now that I've had a few, I wonder if I haven't missed out on many things- which seems a bit of a shame.

So, as it relates to Russia and other trips, I need to thank Eileen and my other friends who talked me through my thinking out-loud in order to come to the right conclusion. And, Doog & Jen who happily agreed to take Yoki and Meggie to their home in Silver Spring, while Al & Mary took my bird, Angel. Just like I have to thank Cindy & Allen for having Rory & Fiona come to visit so we could go with a clear mind to San Antonio.

Like most big events in life, we don't go it alone. There is the support team who make it possible. The friends who chip in to watch the house, get the mail, help you pack, watch the animals. The ones who make sure that life back at the ranch flows on uninterrupted so you can have your adventure. I've always been so very grateful for them. And, when asked, I happily agree to be part of the ground crew for my friends.

We are home again. And, Evan is in Wichita Falls at tech school learning what it takes to be part of the ground crew that keeps all those C class planes moving and doing their jobs for the Air Force. He's on his way to being a crew chief, I'm certain. And he will be an outstanding one. Someone asked when I said he was going into the Air Force, "Oh, so will he be a pilot?" I answered, "No, he's going to be the guy that makes sure the pilot can fly safely." Taking absolutely nothing away from those training to be pilots, to my mind, Evan's training seems a huge responsibility. And, I can't think of a guy who I'd trust more as a wingman or part of a tech crew than Evan.

I am home again. Glad to be here. Well, except for the piles of laundry that now require my attention! I want to thank all of those who have ever played a part in my adventures. If not for you, I wouldn't have had them. You've helped me go and come back safely again. Just as Evan will do every day he is in the Air Force.

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly