Galveston, thoughts on 'home leave'

Troy earns 'home leave' on top of regular vacation.  What a hard life we have, having to burn up 3 months of vacation. 

It would be hard if we didn't have a home to go to. Some Foreign Service families don't have family to go back to, or the family they have can't accomodate them for more than lunch out at a restaurant. 

We are incredibly blessed to be welcomed with open arms everywhere we go. 

We took the ferry in Galveston with friends last month. 

Bolivar was completely flattened, down to empty streets, by Hurricane Ike, but seems to have recovered. There are new beach houses and traffic cruises on the beach like it always has. Cars driving on the beach was normal in Oman, but unthinkable in Europe. 

Troy's new best friend is Elisabeth. 

Thank you, everyone, for making America home.