I like to travel. I have been fortunate enough to make trips to half a dozen countries in Europe. I enjoy seeing new things, experiencing other cultures and m{#blank#}1{#/blank#} new people. My wife and I recently came back from a driving trip that covered more than 17, 000 kilometers and a little more than six weeks on the road. It was a wonderful adventure filled with new sights and s{#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    We're home now and have settled back into our daily routine of life. We live in a small town, so there are not the same sorts of attractions o{#blank#}3{#/blank#} in a big city. That does not, of course, mean there is nothing to do, just that we don't have the big shows and all the shops and other activities a city can provide. Actually, our town is a f{#blank#}4{#/blank#} place where people say hello to you on the street whether they know you or not, a place where you can walk to almost anywhere you want to go and leave the car at home and a place where being outside is usually very nice because we have generally good weather.

    I find that when I am at home, particularly for a while when we have just r{#blank#}5{#/blank#} from a trip, I feel very pleased. Perhaps it is because everything around me is familiar and the daily routine is so much the same that I can move through it almost without thinking. Perhaps it is because our friends are here, because we can have meals at home instead of always being in restaurants a{#blank#}6{#/blank#} it's nice to let someone else do the cooking and because I can sleep in my own bed. There are times I think it would be nice to simply stop travelling and stay home.

    We will travel again and we feel fortunate to be able to do so. It's a wonderful world and we want to see as much of it as we can. S{#blank#}7{#/blank#}, one of the best things about travelling for me is coming home. I'm very content here even if it is difficult to say exactly why.