U2: I love you, too.

The video on the giant screen was California -- where the Joshua Tree
s are. It was a road I have ridden countless times on the way to Mammoth. It is vast, wide open, stark and eerily beautiful. The image, and the screen, were in Paris. We were seeing U2's Joshua Tree 2017 concert. We had been away from the United States for 23 days, with at least 340 days remaining in our adventure abroad.

The song accompanied "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." Indeed, what am I looking for? Did I come over here to find something? Between songs, Bono wished for everyone that he "hoped that the place you call home is the place you want to live."  Where do I live? For the summer, I am a vagabond. As I write this, I am ensconced in Riva del Garda, Italy for three weeks. In the past month, I have been in Munich, Salzburg, Interlaken, Milan, Chamonix, Zurich, Paris and southern France. After Garda, I'm not sure where I'll be for two weeks. Then we settle into our home in Austria.  Right now, I am without a land, no place to call home. I'm looking forward to my new home. But the place I called home -- Santa Barbara -- was indeed a place I wanted to live. So why would I leave, if I loved it?

Ah, that is the question. Why leave comfort, the beach, the mountains, my friends, my dog? Perhaps the answer is found in another U2 song...One.

         One life, you got to do what you should

         One life with each other
         Sisters, brothers

We have only one life.  It is ours to live. I'd like to see my "brothers and sisters" in the world. I want to expose my children to different people, ways of life, technologies, food, culture. Mike and I want to get out of our comfort zone, and push ourselves -- socially, emotionally, intellectually, geographically.

There are a few things that remain constant in our ever-changing summer. 1) My family -- we have each other everyday, and we are creating memories that will last a lifetime. 2) Food -- I love to eat, and I'm always on the lookout for something new and exciting, and familiar foods that bring me comfort. I hate to waste a meal on something insignificant. 3) Music -- As long as I have my iPhone, I have my playlists. U2 understandably got a lot of airtime before and after the show. But I have lots of other songs that take me to other places and times.

U2, I love you. Thank you for keeping me company. And Dire Straights, and Elton John and Billy Joel, and Passenger, and Adele, Mumford & Sons, and Crosby Stills & Nash, and Jimmy Buffett....you are all part of the playlist that provides the soundtrack to this adventure.