(almost) Half the team is home

Tom here:
Just a quick note to let everyone know that Tom, Reba and Diane landed safely in Roanoke yesterday (July 12) and our luggage made it about 7 hours later. It was a long journey, about 34 hours from the time we left the Kathmandu Guest House, where we were sent off by our friend Sunil, who bestowed the silky katas, or prayer scarves, around our necks to help ensure a safe journey. Our wait in the Delhi airport was much shorter this time, and we were able to assume the role of travel veterans for a Nepali heart surgeon who works for the Mayo Clinic named Pete (he's changed his name since moving to the US) and an NGO worker from Boston named Katie. Both of them were surprised that the airport workers in Delhi took our passports away to get us boarding passes, but we were helped by the same nice young Indian man who had done the same for us on the way to Kathmandu. I'm not sure what kind of Dr. Suessian luggage system they have in the Delhi airport, but it worked to perfection and we were relieved to see our luggage arrive at Customs in Chicago. When it didn't make it to Roanoke we were reassured to know that it was only lost somewhere between Roanoke and Chicago, and we were confident we'd see it again.

This morning I woke up in my own bed next to my beautiful wife (who, by the way, had my old Volvo PAINTED TO LOOK LIKE NEW while I was gone!) and had good coffee from my own mug and ate a pimiento cheese-slathered english muffin for breakfast. I'm going to work soon, but something tells me my jet-lag addled brain won't be of much use to me today.

Jane and Jenna and Sherrie and Jason, have a blast in Upper Mustang, and shoot lots of great video and stills. We who have come home are a little jealous but glad to be back in the loving arms of our families. I think I speak for all three of us when I say we are forever changed by the journey.
Namaste,
Tom