Finally...Home!

Being back in Escanaba is amazing! The lack of Internet is a bummer tho...the blog can't be done on Sundays because the library is closed! I am finding a balance of taking care of as much as possible before Naomi arrives and relaxing. Being here is most enjoyable. I wish time would slow down!

The trip here went quite well. Naomi and I went to Brussels and spent the night there. The hotel was incredible - Naomi found it and we only had to pay 70 Euros! It was right downtown and if we make it back to Brussels some day we will stay there again. The city itself was a bit disappointing - fairly modern and dirty. It had a few amazing places though.

Staff entry way to our hotel's front desk.

The staircase leading up towards our room.

The courtyard.

Our room.

The breakfast room.

Brussels skyline.

On the main square.

Old architecture - paid for by colonies?

The cathedral on a hill overlooking the center.

The backside of that cathedral.

The street in front of our hotel.

A joke about the Manneken Pis - the 400 year old statue that has become a symbol of Brussels.

Manneken Pis - dressed up like the Dalai Lama. He was in town.

I got on the plane without any trouble and made it to JFK which was a nightmare. Worst airport I have ever been to. Filthy, disorganized, falling apart, and expensive. Everyone was rude - even the people driving those stupid carts honked whenever someone thought about stepping onto their path. Welcome to New York I guess.

Cape Cod.

Arriving in Detroit was like a breath of fresh air. The city itself might be in shambles, but the airport is top notch. My friend Jake picked me up and I crashed at his place. A beautiful spot overlooking the lake. I was struck by all that open space.

Detroit.

In the morning, my friend Ashley picked me up. We spent the morning in Ann Arbor which was incredible. If I could live anywhere in the States it would be Ann Arbor. The time was too short, but when she dropped me off at the airport, it turns out I had missed my flight. Delta sent me an 'updated itinerary' showing a 2pm departure - originally noon. I guess they switched it back without telling me. It ended up being a bonus, because I called Ashley back to the airport and we got to spend the rest of the afternoon in Ann Arbor! Glad the airline didn't hassle me about the flight change.

Leelanau & Grand Traverse Counties.

I made it home in time for my mom to clean up the house a bit, so she was happy, and they were actually at the airport to get me this time! The house was a bit of a mess because of the new wood floor.   Still is. That is quite the project, but it is going to be beautiful. I am happy to help out with it a bit. Glad I came in toward the end though.

Since being home I have been busy arranging all sorts of odds and ends. The floor has taken up time, but I also found some nearly new bikes (as a surprise for Naomi), got the car cleaned and fixed up, and did a bunch of wedding stuff - we got all the glasses yesterday! It is amazing all the details that need to be worked out.

Tonight I get to drive the Cougap which is now looking and running beautifully up to Marquette to pick up Naomi. We used to spend months apart, but now a whole week seems like such a long time! I can't wait to see her. For now I need to get home and put another coat of wipe on poly onto those base boards.

Surprise!