On leaving NJ and heading for Bali...

As promised, I'm writing a little bit before I leave. I'm being watched, so I better be careful...lol. I plan for this to be my final blog posting until I'm in Bali. I leave for Bali on Thursday the 22nd. I don't know how much Internet connectivity I will have in the home where we will be saying, but I will make sure to get on. We will be met at the airport by the people who will be hosting us, as well as leaders from the organization.

I'm flying home tomorrow. I can't believe how quickly the time has passed. It seems like only yesterday we were being were picked up at the airport, greeted with the smiling, warm welcome from friends we love so much. Although the flight was late, there was never a word of complaint about flight schedules or traffic. When we finally got our luggage, I had hoped that our stay here hadn't begun on a downer. But this ended up being a truly positive experience in spite of the minor pitfalls, and we were home before we knew it.

I have been saying that this has been one of my top ten vacations of all time, and I can honestly say that it is near the top of the top ten. I've been rushing through a lot of things during the past few months, such as visiting my father, spending more time at my brother's, and of course, spending time with my friends. I won't be seeing any of them for four months, possibly longer. I've done all I can to tie up loose ends, and to deal with all that was important. I didn't have a lot of time to blog, but I know that you all understand, and I appreciate it.

I have done so much here. I am taking with me a lot of wonderful memories. This is such a fun place, and our friends make it that much more fun. Mom and I never needed a thing. It was always there. We don't do anything. Our task at hand was to relax and enjoy, but I was brought up to help out whenever possible.

I was so honored to be able to share in Jeff's 28th birthday. As hard as it has been for him to get used to my being 22, I'm getting used to his being 28. And Devin, my blood brother of the heart, is going to be 25 on Christmas Day. So you see, I am EVERYBODY'S little brother...:).

There's a certain relaxing effect just in listening to the constant activity that goes on in this town. We sat on the deck and I could hear the cars, the trolley bell, people, horns, and other sounds associated with a tourist beach community. I've heard them before, but there is something strangely different here. I was able to relax because I didn't jump every time the phone rang. I didn't jump when I heard a car horn outside the house. I turned my cell off as soon as I got here, and only turned it on in the evening to talk to a certain person who wanted to make sure I was having a good time.

As I had said, my friends are here with me right now. I get sad thinking about how much I'm going to miss them tomorrow, but there won't be any time to be sad. I'll reflect at some point over the Pacific at 38,000 feet. Goodness knows there will be plenty of time to reflect. I'll think of Mom, and how she'll be missing me, and of how I'll be missing her. There will only be a quick good-bye for Alex. I'll hold and kiss Ethan, and I'll remind him how much I love him. Four months can do a lot, and I'm hopeful that I won't have to reintroduce myself to my nephew. I am going to miss him more than anyone or anything else in the entire world! Christine has been too busy to worry about anything else, but that's another story for another blog time.

Two weeks went by very quickly. Four months will go by very quickly. I could be home for Thanksgiving. I definitely will be home for Christmas, and who knows what wonderful plans can come up between now and then?

In closing, I want you to know that I lived up to my philosophy of never passing up the opportunity to tell someone I love them. I love these people. I told them and I showed them. I love you, too. My number of blog readers has dropped almost out of sight, but I plan to continue writing. I might not have the chance to do it every day, as I might have a few years ago, but I will continue to write. I'm sure there will be a lot to tell over the next few months. I can't imagine that it will become a boring routine. There is a big unknown in the near future. It's like a gift that's wrapped in beautiful tropical paper. I can't wait to open it.

I'm going to spend the last few hours of my stay here enjoying everything that surrounds me. I'm not looking forward to leaving, but I am definitely looking forward to that unknown that awaits me.