We were surprised on the gangway with welcome home hugs from our friend and SAS CEO, Scott Marshall, before we entered a terminal bustling with voyagers gathering luggage, meeting family and hailing cabs. Mom and Linda were just outside waiting for their van to Bremen, so we got to give them one more hug and as we left, the rest of the lifelong learners chanted a “Bing Bong! Bing Bong!” farewell. We walked with Bob to our hotel where we rested before going to dinner with the home office staff and Voyage Leadership Team. We were grateful for time together to try to begin wrapping our minds around what we had done. As we reminisced, a taxi drove by and Luke jumped out, running across the street to say good-bye on his way to the airport. Feeling deeply how much I would miss my field office partner and friend, the reality of the end began to set in.

We watched the sun set into the North Sea with the student life team who were also staying the night in Bremen. Taeko and I danced the “foot shake” one more time, and we said more good-byes. The next morning, Liz, Brian and their sweet dog, Farlo, took us to the train station in their van. Bound for England, we were off on our next adventure.

We scaffolded our re-entry beginning with a week at Olivia’s home in Exeter. We walked around campus, down to the Quay and to a new pub along the River Exe called Double Locks. We exercised, ate scones and clotted cream, and took the train on a daytrip and picnic to Dawlish, a sleepy coastal town that is “home to the black swan.” Together with friends Joel and Tierry Henry (the sweetest little French Bulldog on the planet), we traveled to Newton Abbot to watch Tierry’s mom, Zoe, play football for the Exeter City Women and celebrated when she was named player of the year. Later in the week we watched two Exeter City men’s matches. In a sold-out stadium next door to Olivia’s apartment, fans erupted when the team won and was promoted to the next level.

On a whim, we boarded the train to St. Ives, a charming seaside village in Cornwall. Here, cobblestone streets lined with artist studios and fishing cottages climb steep hills above sandy beaches and a boat lined harbor. We stayed in an Air B and B, walked for miles along the shore, ate freshly caught sea bass, and celebrated our remarkable daughter over cocktails at a bar overlooking the sea.

We ended our time in England with tickets to Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre near Buckingham Palace. The show was beyond extraordinary, the setting magical, and the company delightful! The next morning, after yet another scone, we rode the Heathrow Express from Paddington Station to the airport where we boarded a plane for Iceland.

During our SAS voyage, we perfected the art of traveling without a plan, and Iceland in April was a perfect “no plan” destination. Beyond its incomparable natural beauty, it is simple and uncrowded. We rented a car and with Chris behind the wheel, Olivia riding shotgun, and me navigating from the backseat, we drove, using the Google Maps app to find highly rated restaurants and attractions “near me.” When something looked good, we adjusted our route. It didn’t always work, but most of the time we were awed by the next breathtaking sight or delicious meal.

During our first evening we ate fish and local appetizers in Hafnarfjorour at a small family-owned pub called Von Mathus before checking into the Hotel South Coast in Selfoss. At the recommendation of the hotel clerk, we drove to nearby Hveragerdi where we found the trailhead for Reykjadalur Hot Springs. We hiked the steep and winding trail past spectacular waterfalls tumbling down rocky outcroppings and boiling pools that expelled plumes of steam. After about three kilometers, we changed into our suits and melted into the soothing hot river, still light as day at 10 p.m.

During the next two days, we saw key attractions on the Golden Circle. We followed a path above the Kerio Volcano bed, peering down into its crisp and clear blue water, marveled at the Strokkur Geysir that erupted up to 100 feet in the air every 5 to 7 minutes, and walked around the powerful Gullfoss Waterfall that plunged down two tiers into the River Hvítá below. We explored in Thingvellir National Park, walking across two continents between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, and strolled along the black sand of Thorli Beach. We snacked on Icelandic specialties like greenhouse grown cucumbers and chocolate covered licorice and enjoyed the most amazing breakfast buffets.

Driving back to Reykjavik, we wandered upon a small attraction called Krýsuvík. Described as a geothermal area, this beautiful hike accentuated the “otherworldly” feel of Iceland. As we climbed to a beautiful view at the top of the hill, bright yellow, red and green rocks intermingled with black mud, while bubbling pools of hot water emitted steam and the smell of sulphur.

We spent one day in Reykjavík where we ascended the observation tower in Hallgrímskirkja church, shopped along Rainbow Street, and opted not to explore beyond the lobby of the Icelandic Phallological Museum. We ate an Icelandic hotdog from the Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (The City’s Best Hotdog) Stand made famous by Bill Clinton’s visit in 2004 and tried a sampler plate of traditional Icelandic food at the iconic Café Loki. The smoked trout and rye bread ice cream were both delicious, but we all agreed the fermented shark and mashed fish will likely never cross our lips again.

Relieved after one more negative COVID test that was required to fly home, we spent our last morning at the Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa with water rich in silica and sulphur which is supposed to be good for the skin and all kinds of ailments. Together, the three of us lounged in the steamy warmth of the pools while sipping mimosas, applying silica face masks, and feeling so much gratitude for time together in this stunning country. As time to depart approached, we slowly inched our way toward the exit pausing to soak in the warmest spots, when a familiar face emerged. Reinforcing the truth that our SAS family is never far away, Anika, one of our ship daughters grinned in disbelief through the steam. We hugged, compared travel notes and promised to connect back in the states.

At the airport with several hours to spare, we savored the time with Olivia eating Icelandic chocolate and searching for souvenirs. With no more ports of call and the completion of her dissertation looming, this good-bye was the hardest. We walked to her gate and lingered until the last call, sending her off with hugs and a silly dad joke. As we walked back across the airport, we heard the familiar call, “Hey Dean Bing Bong!” from two more SASers who would be on our flight to Denver.

And before we knew it, we were home. Jonah and Lianne met us at DIA, and we sorted through the fog of re-entry. A giant yard card from Christy Marshall welcomed us back, and Cache and Juniper reminded us that we were missed. Like Pooh says, “How lucky [are we] to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard,” and coming back so wonderful.