There's No Place Like Home

When I retired, I thought that travel would be a large part of new life.  But it turns out that although travel is exciting it is also tiresome.  I enjoy seeing new things and visiting family, but I also enjoy the familiar.  It's nice to step away from the everyday for awhile and break out of routine and sameness; but it's also nice to return to the comfort and security afforded by sameness and predictability.

We traveled north this weekend to visit family.  Some of you who are reading this may live in the Midwest or near the Great Lakes.  Please don't take offense at this.  It is darn COLD up there!!  The husband and I spent some days wearing as many layers as we had with us and still found it cold.  The wind was bitter, the sun went into hiding and it seemed that even indoors people tended to keep the temperature lower than we were accustomed.  One of our activities was a visit to see The Hobbit movie in 3D.  It was great.  The special effects in 3D were really entertaining, but the theater was COLD.  I wish I had brought a blanket with me to wrap up in.

Travel itself can by weary.  We drove to our destination(about an 8 hour trip), then I flew home while the husband went on for some more business travel.  Both methods (flying and driving) require quite a bit of sitting.  Air travel has it's share of walking, but it's usually more like rushing, afraid you won't find the proper gate or be late for boarding.  But, everything went well and I arrived home just before the weather turned bad.  Unfortunately, my DH is still in the Midwest and dealing with some snow.

When I arrived at the airport I was treated to a surprise - one of those unexpected things that travel offers.  The airport had a display of Lego buildings.  Lego has received many of my dollars buying sets for the Sons throughout the years and I've joined the Sons in building Lego creations through the years  So I'm very familiar with the medium. It was great to see the display.  I immediately took pictures of each building and marveled at the work that went into them.  Here are some examples: 

                                     

 Travel is still something I like and hope to do more of, although Alaska may be scratched off my list of places to visit.  (Again, apologies to those of you who live there.  If you can warm the place up a bit I might reconsider.)

But I understand why Dorothy wanted so much to leave the splendor and wonder of  the colorful Land of Oz to return to dreary predicable Kansas.  When it comes right down to it, there's no place like home.