The door from the garage into the house was locked. We hadn’t had a key to this door for years. Don’t ask. Which is why we never turned the little thingie on the inside knob to the locked position. How had that happened? I shook the doorknob again. No luck.

I looked at Son, aged nine, beside me.

I love being home and resist embarking on any journey, even if only to go to work. Though once I’ve broken free of the nest’s tractor beam, I enjoy getting away. It’s fun and challenging to see new things, eat new foods, make do with what I have on hand, problem solve getting from here to there. The pleasure of a pleasant chat with an interesting stranger can’t be underestimated.

All that excitement provides the necessary contrast for the peak of the trip—