April 14, 2012, Saturday -- It was a good long day of travel.  To the Manchester airport, drop off the rental car, a fiasco getting through security (never ever will I forget about the water bottle in our luggage again), a 7.5 hr flight to Philadelphia, extensive line-waiting to get through customs (how many times do you need to see our passports--gee wizz) but otherwise painless, a short hop to Norfolk VA, another hop to Charlotte, a lost suitcase, finding our car in long-term parking via the day-parking shuttle (thank you to the buss driver who broke the rules to get us to the right place), a return to Terminal C to pick up the lost-but-now-found suitcase, a 2 hr drive to Asheville after fumbling around with the GPS that doesn't know sh%t, a sorrowful parting hug-and-kiss to our lovely daughter Kerrinh, another 2 hr drive home.  We arrived safely at home at 12:40 AM.  Because the kids slept the entire car ride home, Shane and Nicole were up good and early at 6:30 AM Sunday morning.

Apologies for the lack of photos on the homeward trip--we were not so inspired. 

In summary, we succeeded in enjoying almost every bit of our solid two week journey over 6 different countries: America, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, The Republic of Ireland, and Wales.  We learned that we needed many more weeks/months/years to really get to know any of these places.  We learned that our credit cards did not like going over seas, and our wallets now have remnants of 3 different currencies (remnants is a key word here).  We spent much of our saved American dollars, much  more valued British pounds, and a few shrinking Euros.  We could not have done this journey without the accommodations of our loving family and friends who we so appreciate and indebted to for their generosity, care and company.  Much thanks to all our loved ones that supported and assisted us on this journey.  And thanks to the strangers who aided and tolerated a traveling Hanlon family ("wake up Jeffery".--remember Bill Cosby's stand-up on screaming Jeffery on the plane).  Actually, despite some of our moments, the kids did exceptional well.  We are grateful for their adjustable and resilient nature.  We hope and pray that they remember and hold dear their experience and grow to know the world is a much bigger place than the microcosm of their sheltered small piece of America.  We hope they remember and nurture their relationships to their overseas family and friends and maintain the connection.  We also hope and pray that they become educated and make much more money than their parents.