Jodi, Jodi, Jodi.

The Europeans and Israelis like to call her Judy, which is of course pronounced Jooooodeeeeee.

How do I write about Jodi? How do I write about the woman that I first saw online in October of 2005 having a shish-kebab duel with her cousin? How do I write about the woman who planned our wedding, with a few little bits of input/assistance from me? How do I write about the woman who is responsible for the 20 weeks of travel we had? How do I write about the woman who seemed to speak Italian, Spanish and Portuguese when we encountered someone who didn't speak English, and who DOES speak French and Hebrew?

How do I write about her?

Well, she's put up with me since our first date. Our first date when I said, "I don't do lines" as it pertained to the wait at "Bella Did You Eat?", and instead went to "Aunties & Uncles".

She's put up with me ever since she realized I love to cook/bake/create more than I do most things (Exceptions include: Eating/tasting, feeling, seeing, hearing and smelling, breathing, talking, walking, interacting with the world.....) and that has its pros and cons.

She puts up with my rants and raves, most of which are nonsensical.

She puts up with me in general.

Truth is, that's what it is. She puts up with me. The good and the bad. I suppose that's what marriage is. For better or worse.

Most of it is better, and there's been some "worse" on this trip.

My sense of alienation when in non-English speaking countries.

My concern about getting lost. After getting lost.

Getting lost. With Jodi and without.

Poorly signed roads while driving in Israel.

Being yelled at in Hebrew for taking pictures in a grocery store.

Being chased by yeshiva guard dogs, outside the Walls of the Old City in Jerusalem.

Not having clean clothes.

Not having our bags.

Not having food in Montmarte.

Jodi being sick. In Galway, Montmarte, Barcelona/Madrid/Lisboa, Jerusalem and Tiberias.

The car not working near Loch Lomond. (Thanks again to the Germans for helping us with that!)

Helping me for hours in the library in Edinburgh and Glasgow, while I chased family ghosts.

My insisting we try different beer in different countries and endeavour to stop in virtually every place we might find said different beer to buy it.

But, all-in-all, it's been magical.

It's been magical thanks to Jodi's patience, linguistic and directional skills and our ability to function as a team.

And for that I'm eternally grateful. As many of you have said along the way, it's a once-in-a-lifetime trip/experience. That remains to be seen, but if this is our trip to "Paradise Falls" (Up reference), then so be it.

It's been a hell of a ride.