We are still reeling after our delightful experience visiting Joe Soucheray and the crew for our podcast a few days ago. Even now, as we reflect, it feels like one of those rare moments in life that lingers just a little longer than expected. The kind you carry with you as you move through the next days, smiling to yourself each time it comes to mind.
If you didn’t have an opportunity to listen to it, please click here for our post with the link. It was such a joy to be there, to share our story, and to feel so welcomed by Joe and the entire team. There are no words to fully express our gratitude for the warm and wonderful responses we received afterward. Messages poured in from our loyal readers, along with countless new readers who discovered us through the podcast and took the time to explore our website.
We did our best to respond to every comment, every message, every kind word that came our way. If we missed you, please accept our sincere apologies and know how deeply we appreciate your support. Each note meant more to us than we can adequately describe. It is this connection, this shared sense of curiosity and kindness, that keeps us moving forward, writing post after post, day after day, year after year.
As it turns out, we recently marked our 5000th post since we began this journey on March 15, 2016. Click here for that first post! Seeing that number stopped us in our tracks for a moment. If we had written every single day since we started, we would have reached 5196 posts by now. But in those early years, as we were finding our footing in this new way of life, we did not always write daily. There were also times when life intervened, as it so often does. Medical issues slowed us down, long travel days left us too weary, and in those earlier times, unreliable WiFi sometimes made posting impossible. Thankfully, some of those challenges have become less frequent, but they are still part of the story.
Last night brought another special moment as we met up with Tammy, Vincent, TJ, Sarah, and Jayden at Texas Roadhouse in Shakopee, Minnesota, just a short drive from here. Walking into the restaurant, hearing familiar voices, and sharing a meal together felt like stepping into a pocket of comfort and joy. There is something so grounding about sitting around a table with people you care about, laughing, catching up, and simply being present. We had a fantastic time and are already looking forward to seeing them again on our final night here, Monday, at TJ and Sarah’s home for a barbecue.
And now, today holds yet another long-awaited visit. For the first time since we arrived, we are finally making it to Billy’s Bar and Grill in Anoka, Minnesota, for Tom’s weekly family gathering at this fun bar and restaurant. On the way, we will stop in Blaine to pick up two of Tom’s sisters, Colleen and Patty, who will ride along with us. This will be the first time we have seen Tom’s siblings and other family members since we arrived on May 16. It is hard to believe how quickly time has passed, especially considering how much of it was spent recovering from being sick with pneumonia.
Unfortunately, we will not have the opportunity to spend more time with them after today. In just four days, we will be boarding a flight to South Africa, beginning the next chapter of this journey that continues to unfold in ways we never could have imagined.
Wow. Even writing that feels surreal. We had better get packing.
We will be back with more tomorrow.
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, June 5, 2016:
