I’ve been on a journey. Yes, I know, all of life is a journey. But this was a particular journey, a voyage including stops at some of the most sought after ports and some off the radar of many travelers. From the previous Iron Curtain countries with their mix of the industrial and the pastoral, followed by the ice of those in the northern climes where daylight seemed eternal, I let the history, sights, food, and people of new countries and the knowledge of fellow travelers soak in.

A lack of access to the internet during much of this voyage helped keep my head in the journey. I reached the point of attending only to messages that were urgent or time-sentitive.

This voyage took us to multiple and varied ports on the Kiel Canal, the Baltic, North, Greenland, Irish and Celtic Seas as well as the Atlantic Ocean. We explored harbors, cities and villages, each distinct in its flavor and in my memory.

There are many stories to tell. I don’t expect they will appear in any particular order, but will be interspersed with my reentry to the local running scene.

Now it’s time to catch up with all of you and your tales during my absence. A voyage ends, another journey begins.