Spaghetti Western: Epilogue

Our wheels have been at rest for about 10 days now, long enough for us to feel both like it's time to move on again and like it's great to be back at home.

After more than two months on the road, we became accustomed to the nomadic lifestyle in many ways. Thanks to generous friends and family, we enjoyed well-outfitted, comfortable, and often luxurious accommodations. In San Francisco, we had the added benefit of getting into a cohabitation routine with our good friends Matt & Sarah, and Luca had a built-in playmate (co-toy thief) in the delightful Alexandra. In Newport Beach, we got to spend time with family and really enjoyed the beach.

In many small ways, life was more manageable while we were on the move. We ate out a lot (burritos, burritos, burritos) and only bought the groceries we truly needed because we couldn't leave anything behind. Without the responsibilities of home, we found ourselves with extra time to read and exercise, and to enjoy California in the best of seasons.

At the same time, we got the itch to get back home. I started to run out of steam when it came to unpacking and repacking the suitcase, and relished the thought of selecting an outfit from my closet rather than from a pile of clothes on the floor. Luca was a champion traveler, but towards the end we grew eager to give him the stability of waking up and playing in his own house. And of course we couldn't wait to lay eyes on our Minneapolis friends and family.

Our collective wanderlust is far from finished, though. In six more weeks T will resume the traveler's lifestyle when he starts work with Deloitte, with two training trips already planned for his first two weeks. Before that, we're going to celebrate Kasi & Dan's wedding in Portland.

For now though, we're thinking less about packing/unpacking and more about Thanksgiving turkey & wishing for a white Christmas. Have a happy holiday!

Home.

After a couple days at Disneyland/California Adventure and a few really long days on the road, we arrived back in beautiful (but freezing) Minneapolis late on Friday night. More to come later, but here are a few pics/Iphone pics:

SF visit with Aunt Renee, Cousin Brett, and Aunt Marijo (pictured: Renee's glasses and right hand...oops):

Disneyland/California Adventure (who LOVES the teacups?)

Lil' Ryan Seacrest

Note the stranger sitting next to A because her husband felt that riding California Screamin' once was enough. Lily, on the other hand, would have stayed on in a continuous loop if there weren't rules preventing such things.

Rest Stops

Spaghetti Western: Part VI

Today is our final day in San Francisco. Tomorrow we return to Newport Beach where we'll meet up with Omi and the Mazzoccos for Luca's first trip to Disneyland...then we head back to Minneapolis. In honor of our sojourn in Northern California, T put together a slide show of some of the highlights. Enjoy!