So here we are, 9383 miles-and-change later ... Something I couldn't possibly have fathomed five years ago ... A 16-day trek From New York City to Seattle to Fairbanks, Alaska, cruising through the inside passage, holding glacier ice as it melted in my hands, petting puppies destined for the Iditarod, and surviving it all to tell the tale.  Invigorating and mind expanding and exciting and interesting, filled with gratitude and awe almost beyond words.

There is a world out there, my dear friends, and regardless of how safe and warm and inviting our koi-ish lives can be when locked away inside our prison of weight or eternally confining states of mind, embrace, enjoy and experience this incredible universe to the best of your ability.  The air is likely to never seem so fresh and the incredible beauty of God's creations so inspiring. 

Don't hesitate a second or let the fears control you.  It really IS okay to live life to its fullest and even though there may be some limitations to the scope (like right now I draw the line after climbing the mountain but remain hopeful that ziplining will be an option someday).  Breaking through our old concepts of life or who we think we are didn't stop when I reached goal weight and I hope it continues until I suck my last breath.

All this being said, I must admit it's great to be home and to be hugging and walking the adorable Havanese puppy we got only a month before we left.  Our Little Lucy is about as adorable as they come (check out some of her adventures on You Tube by clicking here) and she grew considerably while we were gone.  A couple of weeks at Camp Shih Tzu with my sister and her kids even resulted in her being almost completely housebroken!  But she certainly added to the appeal of settling back into our "normal routine."

BTW, DSers ... Alaska is a wonderland for us.  They seem to use twice as much fat in their food preparation as the lower 48 and the donuts alone on the Fairbanks Riverboat Discovery tour were worth the trip! 

For the most part, I ate very comfortably, stretching my normally restrained boundaries but not my stomach, and the size 2 jeans I wore before I left fit just as easily when I returned.  Now if this doesn't make it a doubly successful vacation, I don't know what does!