Unpacked and Home

And so, one hundred and fifteen days, twelve thousand photos, forty-seven buses, thirty trains, twenty-five boats, twenty-four cars/taxis, twenty airplanes, fifteen tuk-tuks, four motorbikes, three kayaks, two bicycles, two inner tubes, two bamboo rafts, one rowboat, one oxcart and an elephant later we came home and unpacked.

Almost four months later. Here we are back at home (almost) exactly as we had left it. It was even cold and raining the day we returned just as it had been the day we left. Thanks for following us around the world. We may post a few more "best of" pictures after we find time to sort through all the many thousands of them. Until next time, take care. We'll leave you with a verse by T.S. Elliot.

We shall not cease from exploration

and the end of all our exploring

will be to arrive where we started

and know the place for the first time.

New York, USA

Ash got to meet Grandma Plonsky - a great visit.

Brothers bonding over a flaming skull, naturally.

Central park on a beautiful day.

The Guggenheim and Ashlei, together at last.

The Dublin airport on a layover between Madrid and NY and yes, they're both for me

Well, back in the USA... And we know that this trip is so, like, two-and-a-half-months-ago-

so-why-would-I-still-look-at-their-travel-blog-cause-they're-not-travelling-anymore? Because it's not officially over until it's over on the Internet! Actually it's just been hard to motivate myself to finish this since the return.

A trip around the world in one hundred and fifteen days may take only four months to complete, but it's going to take many subsequent years to process. Only now after being home for a couple of months do I feel like I can even begin to look back on it and to try to start understanding who I was in January and how I returned in May.

Anyhow, this is the post for our last week of the trip spent in New York. It was a really relaxing end to the journey. We got to hang with brother Andrew and see where he works at Trinity - and even attend a faculty soiree. We got some good time with cousin Dave, and with him drove down to Pennsylvania to visit with both Grandma Plonsky and Kay's parents too. We went to the Guggenheim, saw some live music, strolled Central Park and Manhattan, went to the Metropolitan Museum hung out with Trish and her girls and tried to pretend that our travels were not all coming to an end.

Hey, let's pretend it's not over! OK? So, you'll have to wait for the next exciting post to find out how it ends! Did they go home? Or continue on riding the winds of caprice on odd jobs and credit cards? The exciting conclusion - or continuation coming soon!