Sunny Skies, Mountains, and My Son!

The streets are clean. I can put toilet paper in the commode. And the man driving into the intersection as I cross apologizes. Plus the sushi is pricey at lunch!

No, I am no longer in South America. This is the U.S. I am in Denver. And when traveling again I am so aware of my surroundings. I am thinking about the pluses and the minuses of being home in the north. You may be wondering "so where is her home anyway?" And as I spoke with Shaun over sushi yesterday that old saying "home is where the heart is" rang true. What that means for me is that geographically I am not restrained and will likely be taking my heart around the world and touching down in places that intrigue me for as long as my body will cooperate.

Denver is high energy and the people with weathered skin are the outdoors kind. I like it here, and as I walk along the Platte River I think that less ten days ago I was walking along the Rio de La Plata in Buenos Aires. My neighborhood is expanding and though it may take me a bit of time to get from one favorite restaurant to the next it is so possible.

Welcome home, maam...she says.

Yes, I walked through customs and entered the line for U.S. citizens. And when I heard those words I actually felt happy. It was tough to say good-bye but I made the transition on the plane. Seated next to a New York plastic surgeon who was born in Argentina and home visiting family we compared notes on the sushi in Buenos Aires versus New York. Though Argentine by birth he is convinced that none of the food can compare to New York. I am thinking about my upcoming trips to Denver, Chicago, etc. and future meals I will eat in other metropolitan areas. But for tonight it will probably be pizza at Silver Beach and the oportunity to gaze at that beautiful lake that is right in my front yard.

I must add that I no longer feel naked. You may remember that I had a new passport this journey. Now my passport is adorned with a few entry and exit stamps from Argentina, plus a pair from Bolivia, and a pair from Uruguay. It was a productive shopping spree.