Back in BA and Having Some Issues

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I have arrived back in Buenos Aires and all is fine (except for my stupidity of leaving my cell phone charger on the ship. I was so busy saying goodbye to folks that I didn´t make a clean sweep of the room). I just want to first update you all on the last 48 hours:

The Drake Passage turned out to be the Drake Lake after all, even on the second day of ocean traveling (Thursday). We really hit it lucky and had a huge high pressure system over us, thus the smooth sailing for the last bit of ship travel. The last day was tying up loose ends, including a 20 minute slide show of our travels and expedition. It was given to me on a thumb drive, and I hope to post it soon, as long as one my computer literate friends can help me out since I am completely computer ignorant. It's fabulous, over 300+ images set to music of the adventure, with a pretty cool shot of me on Antarctica! I was then given the news by kickass Maggie and Eva on board that I was invited to the Captain's Table for our farewell dinner. Quite the honour! The Captain never ate with us during the voyage and it was just 6 of us, including the Expedition Leader. I actually sat alongside the Captain as we chatted throughout dinner, and made sure I didn't ask him sea faring questions as I´m sure he gets that all the time. Ice hockey and his grandfather in the Soviet Army in WWII seemed to predominate our discussions. We then had a celebratory round(s) in the bar and for the rest of the evening 'til the wee hours of the a.m., I spent some great personal time with a few spectacular new friends I made on board. Some I feel friends for life, for sure (I hope). Then a 6 a.m. wake-up and we disembarked, and after some hugs and laughs, I was bound for the airport in Ushuaia. As the 3.5 hour flight from Ushuaia headed to Buenos Aires, all I could do was look out the window and think about what I had just experienced, what profound events had just happened to me the last few weeks, and what am I going to be like upon getting back to this "other world" that I´m returning to. Some last few goodbyes to folks on my flight at the airport, then a cab whisked me away to the hotel. Looking out the cab window, there are people everywhere. There´re trees. There´s concrete. There´s city, green, faces, windows, hustle and bustle. I´m now writing this from my hotel, and I´m not sure I want to go outside...I´m having some major culture shock issues. All is good and fine, I still have my Antarctic beard and feel great, but this "real world" will take some getting used to. I´m having dinner at a nearby restaurant I discovered before I left BA a few weeks ago. It was really, really great. Maybe that familiarity and friendship I made with the owner who I promised to see when I got back from my expedition will loosen me up a bit. But it´s all kind of weird right now. I´m so looking forward to getting home, seeing my dad and Hickory and friends I love and cherish so dear, but please understand I think I may be distracted for a while. This trip has really affected me in a terrific and profound way, and it may take a bit of time for me to get into the swing of things. My flight home is tomorrow night, arriving in Hartford at 1.00 p.m. on Sunday. I´m planning to post one last blog on Sunday night, my Epilogue if you will. I also have to make some major shoutouts to some very special folks. That will happen Sunday. 250 emails will wait as well.

So much love to you all. Right now I need to get my landlegs on...