While in Maryland, I enjoyed cycling Talbot County again though I was sad to find my favorite bike shop is gone. Best of all, I spent time with dear friends who were happy to see me, and made time for conversation and laughs amidst their busy holiday schedule. I'll admit I drove past my last house a few times (trim the hydrangea!), but it was a relief that it was no longer mine.
Onward to New England for Christmas which was a lovely day with too much food and too many folks ignoring my rant of "no gifting!". It wasn't until the 27th that the temperature dropped, and the 28th when the snow started to fall, that I realized that I had stayed a little too long. Suffice to say that I spent my last three days of this glorious year in my new pajamas, locked indoors peering at the cold, gray sky. Winter in the northeast beats me up in oh-so-many ways.
Before I close on the year of roads-greatly-traveled, I'm compelled to share one more thought. I visited 4 locations this year that I've called home -- Delray Beach (7 years), Portland (9 years), Easton (9 years), and Fall River (18 years). While I didn't feel any pull to return to life in any of these places, they all felt like home because family & friends welcomed me back with open arms. It's been a great year.