Arrived in one piece

troops returning home from Iraq

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Just a quick note to say I arrived safely and will write a full entry later. It was a long red-eye flight since I can't sleep on planes, but hey, I'm here! At 6am this morning, on the (3 hour) layover in Forth Worth, Texas, a flight full of troops returned home from Iraq and the entire wing of the airport stood up and cheered as they filed out. Very moving, and reminded me that no matter what your political persuasion, it's always a relief to see soldiers return home.

Our hotel is right on the beach and very conveniently located. We got in around 2pm, checked in, went to the beach in a jetlagged haze, and ate lunch at a beach cafe under an umbrella.

So far I'm avoiding all tap water though the hotel claims their sink water is filtered. Fine for brushing one's teeth but I'm not taking any chances otherwise, in my humble and cautious opinion. I'm aiming to stay out of the Emergency Room this time around. There's an internet cafe next door so I'll be checking email periodically. More stories and photos to come!