FINAL THOUGHTS:

America is beautiful!  I have been to many places but travelled by plane for the most part.  Driving these thousands of miles by auto and exploring small towns, large cities, Indian Reservations, abandoned communities and a mix of every culture, I realize how fortunate we are to live in the most beautiful places on the face of the earth.  I will treasure all the differences forever.

Friends are the greatest gift ever.  While I loved the beauty of the lands, the true joy came with the friends I had the chance to see and the new people I met on the way.  I wish I could have seen so many more friends but my trip would have taken many months had I attempted to reach others.  Our family members, friends new and old, business associates, and neighbors and church members from the past were the real gift of this trip.

Last week, you will recall I was in Russell for my birthday and celebrated the full circle back to where it all began.  But I also spent the afternoon and evening with my sister Sylvia, her husband Stan, and their oldest son Chris.  It was very special and none of us had any idea that a few days later Stan would die.  It was a shock but I will treasure that last time we all spent together.  Our memories with Stan will remain with us forever.  In a couple of days I will return to Russell for Stan's service.  I wish it could be repeat of last week.

We live in a time of great change.  In 1966 when Judy and I went to Ouray, we had no AC in the car, no navigation system, no adaptive cruise control, no sirius radio, no cell phones, no Kindles or MACS.  Today we take all of those for granted and they have made our lives much simpler.  But when I visited the winery in Paso Robles and asked about the reasons the vineyards are grown out of limestone on the steep hills, I was told it was to build stronger vines with riches fruit for better wine.  Perhaps we need to have a little stress in our lives too and make us stronger and sweeter to those around us.

While this journey is over, I was constantly reminded of the incredible opportunities in life that lay ahead of us.  I am thankful for the past we have all shared but excited for the future that opens up new possibilities we can't even imagine.

Thanks to all of you who contributed to this journey.  You are so appreciated.

Shalom, Denny