My windshield was speckled with water as I drove along the road toward Clearwater Lake.  The cool air felt so good after being on a long road trip down south.  We spent a week in the intense heat.  It was a wonderful trip.  We traveled down familiar roads and visited places I used to live.  We saw relatives and lifelong friends.  We visited schools I attended.  We celebrated my father’s 91st birthday.  We swam in the ocean.  It was wonderful, as I said.  Nothing is as wonderful as coming back home.

I don’t need to go away to appreciate this place.  When I travel, I long for home.  This is where I belong.