South America seemed covered in clouds as we took off from Quito. One fortunate bank to the left granted me a fleeting view of Chimborazo peaking up through the clouds. Otherwise I didn't see terra firma until we flew over Cuba. I thought of Travis's drink, the "Cubra Libre".

Miami was our return port into the United States, but I didn't feel home yet. I feel provincial saying I miss the Midwest, but I did now and looked forward to coming home.

In a week or two that feeling will wear off and I'll be thinking of tall mountains again.