I'm Here -- Miles Herman

I am sitting here in the Eilat airport in the morning. Up since 6 am, I had a chance to walk along the beach early this morning with the golden rim of the sun peeking over the Jordanian mountains and spotlighting the deep blue water. With my feet sinking in the wet sand, I had some quiet time to ponder what I have just completed.Today is the day after...We had a wonderful closing ceremony evening bringing us all together for one last time. It was a dinner of jokes...songs...skits, announcements, laughter and yes some tears...Dinner was a feast. We sat at a table with old and new friends. We were busy reliving the highlights and low points of the trek. What ever the challenges were that we had faced, they were now memories, stored away in our minds and our hearts.For me, the highlight of the evening was watching the slide show that our amazing photography team had assembled. Part cheerleaders and part photographers, these kids were never far away from a camera. What they captured was an amazing chronology of the event-from warm-up, the grueling rides, breaks, down periods to bonding time. At the end oif the night, people lingered. Not wanting the night to end, some of us continued to hang out at the hotel while "the crew and some riders" continued to dance, first at the hotel and later moving to the beach.Sleep came later after drinks.I cannot say enough about the people of the AI team. Some were newer faces to me while others were "old friends". I leave here having created some amazing bonds and friendships within the AI family as well as with others in the Arvana and Hazon family.In closing, I make this entry a few pounds lighter, knowing a lot more about myself.