This travel update is for our return to the United States of America. It covers October 28 – November 1.

October 28, 2022 – Monday: A Long Day Of Travel

We were up early in Casablanca and packed up. Here’s our luggage relaxing on the sofa. We each carry a 70 and a 25-liter backpack. Our 70-liter backpacks are in the middle in this picture and our 25-liters are on the outside. Patti also pulls a small blue carryon bag which is on the floor here.

I had requested a 10AM pickup from a taxi service and our driver, Yassine, showed up on time. We went down to the street and loaded into his Mercedes van that seats 6. Here’s our view from the back. It was luxurious transportation. It cost MAD 450 including tip (about $42 USD).

And our van selfie.

It was about 15 miles to the airport and when we got there the gate to the arrivals unloading area was broken so the driver let us off nearby and we walked about 100 yards to the terminal door. It was a pretty day with blue skies. Here’s Patti on the trail.

We went through a security checkpoint upon entering the building, which was unusual. All our luggage went through the baggage scanner and we went through the people scanner. Then we went to the check in counter but we were a little early so we waited about 15 minutes to check our bags and get our boarding passes. The next checkpoint was a ticket scan which we were also too early for. So we waited 30 minutes at a café then tried again and got through. Then we got to the security area and it was similar to all other airport security areas and we got through without unusual attention. Then after putting our shoes and belts back on we went through the Duty Free area where Patti bought a big bottle of Bailey’s Irish Cream, which she puts in her coffee every morning. Then it was on to the concourse where Patti found a pink saddle that she liked.

The concourse was very roomy.

After that we got lunch then waited for our 3:55 PM flight. Before the gate boarding area they set up another security station and everyone had to go through it and throw out our water! The security people were searching through everyone’s bags and pulling out water bottles. We had reusable bottles and we had to pour them out. So, we all got on the plane for a 9-hour flight with no water! We’ve never seen that before, and I don’t know why Royal Air Maroc would have a problem with people bringing their own water onto the plane, but that’s just the way it is.

The plane left approximately on time and it was a pleasant flight. I like how the wings on the Boeing 787 bend up a little bit when it gets into the air.

We flew west over the coast and saw our neighborhood where we’d lived for the past two weeks. You can see the big mosque on the water with the tall minaret that we jogged past on our morning runs.

Then for the next 8 hours and 50 minutes it was pretty much just blue skies and waters and sometimes clouds.

After about 2.5 hours we passed the Azores Islands, which was cool, I’ve never seen them before. I’d like to spend a month there sometime, I’ve heard they’re nice.

I liked the “cockpit view” that I could get on my video screen. They kept the altitude at exactly 40,000 feet.

Also on the video screen I found this game called “2048” to which I became briefly addicted.

We chased the sunset across the western Atlantic…

…and enjoyed the flight.

It was pretty much a straight shot across the ocean, and we dropped about 7 degrees of latitude closer to the equator from Casablanca to Miami.

It was dark by the time we landed in Miami. I always think city lights at night look pretty from the air.

After debarking we had to wait quite a while for our checked bags, but then didn’t have any trouble with customs or immigration and soon we were legally back in the USA! We picked up our rental car from Budget and drove the 2 miles to our hotel, Extended Stay America, checked in, got ready for bed, and crashed. It had been about 17 hours of travel, door to door. It was about 11PM EDT when we got into bed but it was 4AM Casablanca time so it pretty much felt like we’d been up most of the night.

October 29, 2022 – Saturday: Driving To Mulberry

We were wide awake at 4AM this morning so we took our time getting up and getting ready to travel. At 6AM we went to a nearby Denny’s for an American breakfast and plenty of coffee. Patti was looking chipper in the booth there. I wasn’t feeling so chipper.

We decided to take the scenic route north to Lakeland, Florida, which passes by Lake Okeechobee and through a lot of sugar cane land.

There were lots of straight roads and power transmission towers.

We stopped at Lake Okeechobee for a picture. It’s a big lake, you can’t see the other side.

We actually drove to my brother’s house in Mulberry first to get my car then Patti drove that, following me, up to the rental car return place in Lakeland. After we dropped off the rental car we drove back to my brother’s place and unpacked a bit then tried to stay awake until 9PM.

I have to say that I seem to tolerate jet lag not nearly as well as I used to. I was feeling not very good today, just tired and out of sorts.

October 30, 2022 – Sunday: Hanging Out

I woke up at 3AM this morning but was able to lie there and doze until about 6AM and felt a lot better than yesterday. We went for jogs this morning then in the afternoon went over to a Lutheran Church that was having an afternoon celebration and we watched my brother and his wife play handbells and sing in the choir. Then we joined the church supper of the traditional Lutheran German food, sausages, German potato salad, and sauerkraut.

October 31, 2022 – Monday: Tire Troubles

The car has a slow leak in the back right tire so we found a tire place today that can take us at 9AM tomorrow morning. Then we got lunch at Chik-fil-A. Patti had a long list of places that she has to eat, now that we’re back in the US, and Chik-fil-A was on it. So, cross that one off now.

We called Horseshoe Cove, in Bradenton, where we’re going to check in tomorrow, and confirmed the arrival time is 3PM.

November 1, 2022 – Tuesday: Horseshoe Cove RV Park

This was the final leg of our 5-month travel experience! We left Mulberry, FL in the morning and drove to our storage unit in Sarasota to get a few things then checked into our manufactured home around 3:30 PM. It was an easy drive from Mulberry to Bradenton.

We’ll be staying in this one-bedroom one-bath manufactured home for two months. We’re in the Horseshoe Cove RV Park in Bradenton. The driveway is big enough for two cars.

I like to sit out on the front porch and say hi to people going by. Everyone is very friendly here.

We don’t really have a yard to speak of.

Here’s the living/dining/kitchen area from the front door.

And here’s looking towards the front door from the kitchen.

We were able to fit our bicycles in under the TV and we made a coffee table out of document boxes we got from our storage unit. The kitchen is plenty roomy and we like the full-size appliances.

The bathroom is small but functional and has an over/under clothes washer/dryer.

The bedroom is also functional but doesn’t have a lot of storage space.

So, we’ll be here until December 31. I plan to send out a final trip summary of the past 5 months including the places we liked best and a financial accounting of how expensive the various places were.

Future Plans:

• November 1 – December 31: we’re staying in a 1-bedroom, 1-bath manufactured home at a mobile home park in Bradenton, Florida on the Braden River
• December 31 – January 14: Airbnb in St. Petersburg, FL
• January 14 – 23: we’ll be house and pet sitting for my brother and his wife as they go on vacation
• After January 23, 2023: no plans yet, but we’re tossing around ideas