Christmas in Danville, California
              
12/26/98, California, USA  - Day 510

To All of Our Friends Around the World:

A few days ago we landed in San Francisco, where our journey began a little over 500 days ago. After so long away, California has a strange unfamiliar feeling as if we are merely traveler's passing through. The freeways are crowded with cars and the stores with holiday madness.  We can't get use to the abundance of everything.   And we can't forget how other's people's lives are so much different from our own. During our time away we have seen so much, met so many wonderful people, and had so many marvelous experiences.

When we reflect upon our original expectations for the trip, we feel that they have been fulfilled beyond our imaginations. We have changed as a family and as individuals and have grown incredibly close. Piper has grown from a little girl to a young women and Skyler's boyhood is quickly passing. The kids have grown in ways that they cannot even understand.

We have made many wonderful lifelong friends. The many strangers who have opened their homes and lives to us, has given us a new meaning to friendship. In our daily lives, we are constantly reminded of the images and feelings of the trip.

We want to thank all of you for following us over this past year and a half. We thank you for your encouraging emails and for the kindness and hospitality of those we met along the way.

Piper gave Sherry and Ken this letter for Christmas:

"Dear Mom and Dad, Over the last year we have all had good times together. We have laughed together, cried together, fought with each other, hugged each other and all grown together.  I have been very fortunate to be able to experience such an adventure.  I would like to thank you.  My whole life I will be able to remember those times that we don't have in pictures and that no camera could catch or anyone could explain.  For the rest of our lives we will have those memories and will be able to share them with the many people that we know and that we will meet in the many life adventures ahead of us. This letter is just to thank you so much for the great year and all that I will never forget.  The trip has made me much more worldly, confident, and I have learned much more about you guys.  There is no way in this letter or in any other way that I could explain how much you mean to me and how thankful I am for the experiences you have provided for me.  I know that you guys do your best to please us and I am old enough that I am able to understand and appreciate it.   Also I understand how expensive, hard, and how much patience it takes to raise Sky and I.  I never knew how much family was a part of you until we went on the trip. I think that the most important thing that came out of the trip is that I understand about how much family means and that you are always there for me. Also, I know how to be confident with myself.  I love you guys tons.  Thank you!! - Love always, Piper"

When we read this, we knew that it has all been worth it. But the journey is not over. In mid-January we head back to Bali and our new life there. We would never have guessed 500 days ago that we would be living in such a wonderful place like Bali.  And who knows where we go from there. The adventure continues.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY NEW YEARS, and HAPPY HOLIDAYS

- Ken, Sherry, Piper and Skyler Grant