Greta returned home last week. After seven weeks in Taiwan.

And 29 hours, 38 min, and 12.52 seconds of travel. Door to door.

She spent her last full day with her host sister.

They stayed up all night watching a Korean show and enjoying every possible moment together. When the sun came up, it was time to head to the airport. With 30 high school students and their passports.

Her return trip to the United States was brutal. A flight from Taipei to San Francisco. She ferried the students through customs and released them to their various connecting flights. She then boarded a flight to Minneapolis. Followed by another to Chicago. She was exhausted. But she was home.

That’s a terrible picture taken late at night. But it’s the first glimpse we had of her. She was safely back at home with a suitcase bursting at the seams and tagged with hot pink “OVERSIZED BAG” warnings. Despite her fatigue, she wanted to make a late night Jewel run, to gather a few favored foods.

Simple things make fatigued travelers happy. We headed home for her late night snack. And presents.

Greta has been gathering gifts throughout her stay. Becky seemed happy with her vegetable/fruit hair clips and tiny backpack. Sam plans to try the mystery contents in the jar. Michael will enjoy his Fiteness Center building kit. Love that spelling.

Greta excelled in the selection of unique t-shirts. I’m not sure which one I like better. I definitely can’t explain the meaning of either.

Let’s look at each shirt a little bit closer.

The next one is just, well, strange. First, the front of the shirt.

Feel free to hazard a guess as to the back.

Here are the individual sayings.

We are thrilled to have Greta back at home.

Because her days before leaving for graduate school are numbered somethings.