We began the long trip home yesterday after sleeping in again in Calgary. Calgary is about 2.5 hours north of the U.S. border so again, it was enough time to get Caki worried about going across, even though we were coming back to the U.S. She was right though; there is always something about going through customs or crossing a border that leaves you a little uneasy. Maybe it is the vast array of questions posed by the border guards, (where have you been, how long were you there, do you have any firearms, did you commit any crimes, etc.) Maybe it is the heightented security after 911. No matter who you, where you have been and even if you have nothing to hide, you are still worried that you do.Â
After an uneventful crossing back into the U.S we were back on our way to Bozeman to see Allan and Jen one more time. The highway from Calgary to Great Falls, MT is a lonely stretch of road, although we did see one lifetime road-tripper with a great license plate. I am sure we will see many other small things like this that make us laugh on our way around the world.
After one last night in Montana and after much thought and debate, we decided to pass up on another day of skiing at Moonlight Basin and drive the 10 hours back to Denver. It was time to get back as Steve and I both had work piling up on our respective desks. All in all, it was a great trip. We saw some old friends, met some new ones, skied on some world-class mountains and skied on ones that were even better. More importantly, Steve and I learned that we could tolerate one another in a confined environment. We have lived together as room mates for over 7 years, but I think this was the first time we actually spent every hour of every day together for nearly two weeks in a car. This is an issue that many people have raised, but I have never been worried about it and this trip confirmed it. We will undoubtedly face some hard times together over the course of our journey, but I am confident our friendship will be one of the factors that remains constant throughout our travels and adventures on the World By Road.