Gustav....what kind of name is Gustav?

So, we finally made it home from Alaska on Saturday morning. Let me tell you, it was quite the day. We woke up at 4:30am on Friday because we couldn't possibly miss our last possible meal on the boat. Then we board the train, which is the scenic option we chose to get to Anchorage. I have to say after my first three naps I actually did enjoy the scenery, which was basically miles and miles of greenery and nature. Then we get into Anchorage around I don't know...noonish and have to get on a bus to take us to the Anchorage convention center, which was the location that we were joined with our luggage. There while we are all dead on our feet we have a few more hours (9 to be exact) to shop for our last souveneirs. So after waking up before the crack of dawn, we didn't head out to Houston until 9:00pm.

Around 7:00am on Saturday we get to Houston and I don't recall ever being more exhausted. So I have been catching up on that sleep for the last three days.

And after all that we come home to what....a hurricane. Can't leave good ole Texas without one more hurricane, right? Gustav...seriously, who is coming up with these names these days?

So Sunday family and friends were supposed to be coming over for one more goodbye, but it had to be called off because traffic from all the evacuees made it impossible to get to our house. AND that being said, I spent all day in my parents pool getting a tan while thousands were rushing out of the area. It was a gorgeous day!

Now I'm just hanging out with my parents for a few more days before I have to say goodbye. Hard to believe the time is finally here....very ready to see John, but still a little melancholy to be leaving everyone else.

I hope that you all had a great Labor Day and did as little as possible. The next time you hear from me I will in fact be an "American Girl in Tokyo".

Until then.....Jenn