Back Home!

Hi everybody,
We just wanted to let you all know that we are back in the states, safe and sound. Our trip ended in New Zealand with our friends Walt and Jules, along with their two adorable kids, Gabriel and Amelie (we thought about stuffing them in our packs to bring them back with us). We ended our trip by getting spoiled by friends with home-cooked meals and in a comfortable home. Perfect for the holiday season. Gabriel entertained us by identifying every tree and plant on their block, constantly "burrowing" holes inside and outside, and speaking in the darn cutest little kiwi accent.

We had three flights to get back to Chicago, but we felt already at home by the time we got to Los Angeles. It took about fifteen minutes for us to have a Starbucks in one hand and a burrito in the other. That felt more official than the passport stamp. As we landed in Chicago we saw snow on the ground, and it truly felt like Christmas. Anthony's mom and Aunt Terry braved the cold and the late arrival time to meet us at the airport, and our journey officially ended. We took some last snaps, and, as if on cue, the memory card on our camera filled up (3,000 pictures later.)

We talked on the last plane ride about how we would try to sum up our trip as we excitedly catch up with family and friends in the weeks to come. If you have the time, we would love to sit down with you, tell stories, and go through the pictures. But we know that most people aren't going to have the time. And there will be some stories that will be hard to convey. And we'll probably by nature omit some of the more challenging and scary moments from our time abroad. I think we settled on this starter sentence: "We had alot of fun." We really did. We hope this blog and the pictures spoke to that. We're so happy that we did it.

It was also great to share our trip with people as we were experiencing it, so whether or not you checked this blog once or dozens of times, thanks for checking up on us. We missed people quite a bit, and we look forward to hearing what you all have been up to. Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

Love,
Anthony and Michelle

P.S. I think we're ready to start discussing Russia. Maybe.