When did I enter a stage where being at home felt like a vacation... When my travels keep leading me back to the ones who have always been there...When I am actually able to relax and appreciate each moment? When did I start caring about the all details in the lives of friends and finding joy in their happiness without feeling jealous? When did this all happen because I feel different and it feels really, really good.

Counting down the days until Ryan leaves for his final army training and deployment. I've been home long enough to enjoy family and friends without feeling the stress of limited time filled with "so what have you been up to's" and "how have you been's". We've been able to be real with eachother and just enjoy the company.

Laughter has been a big part of my life since being home. There's something about home that feels safe enough for a belly laugh. Except for when my dad tells me that my belly laugh hurts his ears.

Tucker, Tanya, Jeff, Margaret, Celia and I went to the Phillips Master Works Collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art. We all walked around pretending to know what we were looking at and throwing around phrases like, "I love the interplay of light and dark in this peice (compliments of Margaret)." Fortunately I did learn a few random facts about the artwork so that I can impress people at parties.