HOME FOR RESPITE

We are home in Anchorage, Alaska. Already at 6,400 miles TheGreyPanther has completed ¾ of her maiden voyage. The trip will be complete when we fly back in June to WY to pick her up and drive the ALCAN hwy. She is tucked in with friends until we return. We thought about driving up the ALCAN—but with unscheduled wintery weather and weak bodies, we knew it wasn’t safe. For all our adventures, we lack the feeling of immortality of the younger generations. While it was a wonderful, wonderful trip enhanced even more by spending time with friends along the way, home is so much—letting down, beloved routines….and peace.

It’s hard to remember everything is not tucked behind us in the Sprinter and gathering our belongings and wits to fly again took a little bit. Good news was that I only needed one wheelchair for airline transfer (in Seattle) instead of 3!! But for the kindness of strangers, I would be missing a few things, my special cushion I must use, I left on the Billings plane. More importantly my trip journal with notes of many things, I left on a plane—a woman from Salt Lake City called saying she had picked it up on an Alaska Airlines plane and would mail it back.

Like it or not, it is a time of medical appointments. Time for Jim’s series of tests one year post bone marrow transplant. For me, getting help addressing ongoing medical problems, including knee problems brought on possibly by foot and ankle out of wack?, screaming nerve pain in right foot, paralysis altered walking and rosa the stoma hernia getting bigger, but oh the joy to be home.

DustyKitty was beside herself with surprise when we came in the door. So surprised she forgot to be aloof and purred and purred. I had to carry her around for hours and of course she was right in bed sleeping with us purring away. Who was happier, Dusty or us?

Hang on though. The stories are not done. We still must share Moab and WY. In addition the real stories will be written: “Traveling in a Sprinter van with altered body functions,” “Post-lymphoma treatment side effects on the road”; “Loving, loving life, the world, the people, Nature and each other;” “The new normal—accept or fight?”; “Longing and wishing”; “We used to……”; How does the Mercedes Sprinter rate after 6400 miles” and much more.