September 7: Sarasota

We left Amsterdam for the US via Aer Lingus. We had a short stopover in Galway, Ireland, and then a 8.5 hour flight to Orlando, FL. There were many babies on the flight. and it seemed as if they were in a crying competition–the din gave Dennis a headache.

There was a pre-clear US Customs and Immigration in Galway that eliminated Customs in Orlando, making disembarking from an international flight so much easier there than in Miami, where, in 2011, we spent more than an hour in line to go through Customs; the non-citizen travelers were delayed even longer in queues that did not move quickly.

Thanks to the streamlined Customs, we drove out of the airport in a rental car within minutes of arriving. Two-and-a-half hours later, we surprised my parents. As the unknown car pulled into the yard, my mom wondered who was visiting. When she saw us, she started crying–shocked, but as delighted to see us as we were to see them.

After 140 days away, it felt wonderful to return to our Sarasota home.

Thank you all for following Dennis and me on our journey. It was a pleasure writing for you and receiving your comments and words of encouragement.