I made it to Southport - at a park with Lisa & Andrew

Lisa and Sara at the park in Southport, originally uploaded by Lisa Tripp.

Finally, on December 19th, late at night, I eventually arrived in Southport. Earlier in the day when I arrived in London, around 9:30 am, I was met by an RC friend Doranne, who was just outside the terminal where you come out after going through customs. It was so wonderful to see someone I knew, and with whom I could share about this odd transition I was making between cultures, and between eras (the one with my mom alive and the one without her).

Doranne had been to Santa Cruz a number of years ago and stayed with me for a few days, which happened to include Thanksgiving. She had met my nuclear family and some of the extended family. Now I was going to her house for a few hours, and I got to meet some of her family. We took subways and buses and even stopped around Trafalgar Square for some soy hot chocolate as we worked our way there. Thank you Dorane, for the warm open heart and for the wise understanding about being a mom and loosing a mom.

it was really a big gift to have some hours with her before beginning the next phase as my trip. I was able to shift gears a bit, and then returned to the airport to head up north to meet Lisa and Andrew in the Manchester Airport. From there we continued on a drive over to Southport to the home of Andrew's parents.

It was a relief to find Lisa and Andrew waiting for me just as I came out of the doors of the passenger unloading gates. Yeah! This plan is working. We made it.