...I'm on the last leg of my trip home. I have a lot of back tracking to do, to finish up the trip! Friday morning, Jen and I had our last delicious breakfast at Hotel Plaza Maria, savoring every last bite. There may have been some plate licking. We spent a couple more hours at the clinic, for some additional training, and had to visit the Predisan gift shop. To be completely candid, this was our fourth visit to the gift shop. It became a running joke with Johnny (one of our translators) and Laura. This tiny little gift shop had everything from t-shirts and jewelry to coffee and machetes. Yes, I said machetes. Machetes encased in hand crafted leather sheaths, with tassels and trimmings. I'll have to remember to bring a bigger suitcase next time. Our training was only for a couple of the original group, the others were in a lecture for their Masters program. I managed to catch a few of the Dr's, for a hug goodbye, when they had a break from class. I've agreed to monthly phone conferences, with the lead Physician of the Culmi clinic, in order to help continue their training once I've left. They're a close knit group, who often consult with each other on cases, so I've encouraged them to continue doing so with ultrasound as well. Johnny was going to Tegucigalpa with us, so we said goodbye to Laura at the clinic. Have I mentioned lately how wonderful she was? So...the ride to Tegucigalpa. How do I describe it? Hair raising? There was another gentleman riding with us, who had to catch a plane that day, and our driver was concerned about him getting to the airport on time. The double yellow lines on the (supposedly) two lane main road to the big city are more of a suggestion, and just because there are two lanes, doesn't mean you can't fit three cars. Predisan gave Jen and I a questionnaire about our experience and one of the questions was something along the line of when did we see God's presence during our trip...I told Johnny and Jen it was during our drive to the airport! Which got a good laugh out of both of them. :) We spent the evening at the beautiful Hotel Maya, in Tegucigalpa. At the top of one of the many hills in the city, is a half circle of nice hotels and restaurants, protected by gates and guards. The view was quite stunning and I told Jen there was no way I was going to post pictures of the hotel lobby and grounds or I would never get another donation! Jen and I sat outside at one of the restaurants, rehashed our favorite moments from the trip, and talked about world travel. I feel really lucky to have had her on this trip with me. She was invaluable for the hands on training, but also fun to have around. These trips, and life in general, have the potential to be amazing or awful. Our combined flexibility and sense of humor just made the trip that much better. The next morning, we headed to the airport, with more hugs for Johnny and each other, and started our prospective flights home. Jen had to do some running to catch her flight, thanks to crazy long lines at Customs, but we both made it. I spent last night in Houston, one step ahead of Hurricane Patricia. Houston is getting a lot of rain, and flood alerts lit up my phone all night long, but I managed to catch my flight without delay. I met a fellow traveler, when I was having dinner at the bar last night, who was in Houston on business. He talked about his wonderful wife and sons, their love of travel, and the world in general. He asked about Haiti and Honduras, the people, my work there, and how I think it's changed me. I asked him where he and his wife were planning on traveling next, what his son was studying in college, and how being a father had changed him. It was a great conversation and a nice way for me to transition back into my life in the states. It's one of my favorite things about travel, meeting nice, interesting people. As in the past, these trips have a profound impact on my life, as they should. Coming home is difficult and comforting. I become motivated and restless, more compassionate and less tolerant, more grateful and less satisfied with myself. I already know from my previous trips, that some people can't wait to hear about what I've been doing and others are not even remotely interested. I spend the first few weeks back home making plans and setting personal goals, thinking of ways to improve myself, and become more useful on these trips. I'm a list maker. The only thing I like more than making a list, is crossing things off on the list. My monkey brain is full of lists, ideas, goals. Winter is coming, and before I know it, I will be traveling to Milwaukee for business in early December, spending Christmas with my family, and packing for Haiti at the end of February. Time will pass, whether I do something or nothing, so I might as well do something wonderful. I'll start by trying to get my training photos organized this week, so I can share them with you all. After all, your support made it happen and helped more people than you can imagine. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.