We began with high spirits in one state, crossed two more, and cheered as our home state welcomed us back. The familiar smells – the stink and the sweet – greeted me as we danced to old music in the front seats and rested our eyes in the back. The enormous river guides us home to our lovely green valley. I appreciate both the water and the green even more. 

Even as we gained our hour back crossing time zones, we rolled into the driveway in the wee hours of the next day. We lay our sleepy children in their beds for the first time in – we say too long, they say too short – days on days. My body finds its way to sleep as a cat-shaped locomotive purrs at my feet. We are truly home and what a journey it has been. I now look toward a path toward healing what has been too long broken – me.