Hey friends. We arrived home this week after six weeks abroad. If you follow on Instagram you’ve likely seen some of our wonderful hiking photos. We started out in Ireland, spent time in the Yorkshires and a few days in Scotland searching for a bolt-hole, then London visiting friends and seeing the Frida Kahlo exhibit at the Tate Modern.

I failed to blog much because my screen on my laptop broke, unfortunately. I’ve obviously found a work around since I am writing this. 🙂 But here’s a bit of insight into how much things have changed since Trump took office. Two years ago when the screen on my Apple broke it cost me $150 to repair. This year? That same screen to replace is $580. I found a work around that cost me $85 but even the repair fellow had nothing good to say about Tim Cook and Apple products. Apparently there’s a design flaw in these laptops thus they have to be handled more carefully than an infant.

Tomorrow, as you may have heard is the 4th of July. I get for many it is a favorite holiday. I’ve always struggled with the 4th. Patriotism, like religion, is, for me, embedded with all sorts of mixed messages. While I love the potato salad and pickles part and the togetherness aspect, I find it difficult to rejoice over a government that mistreats so many, and throughout my life has pushed aside the sacrifices of so many. How can we now celebrate a country whose Republican leaders have completely and fully abdicated their legislative role of oversight to a cult leader who is making billions off their neglect?

Look, my life is a good one. I am a blue-eyed white woman who lives in a lovely home in a good neighborhood and who has the health and means to get the hell out of this country without having to worry about being arrested when I return through customs.

You should have seen the shite show we saw upon arriving at customs in Seattle on Wednesday afternoon. I’ve flown in and out of Seattle for years and have never ever seen what we witnessed this trip. For as far as the eye could see there were lines snaking through a mass of people filling the entire floor at border control. You know how at Disney tour guide hold up flags to direct traffic and keep their groups together? Yeah, border control was doing that at Sea-Tac. They were stationed throughout the luggage area because there were so many lines backed up that far. The fellow directly behind me was from Australia and he was panicked that he was going to miss his connecting flight. I am sure he did.

I spoke with a fellow from England who had never been to the US and he couldn’t believe the lines and he’s used to flying out of Heathrow. Look, I couldn’t believe it myself. I mean some of those people surely spent three hours or more in line. But because we are Americans we were directed past all those arriving from other countries, mostly people who weren’t blue-eyed whites. I went through customs wearing a 3-inch button that read “Dear World, We hate him too.” And yet, nothing. Instead customs commented on my suitcase. I felt so guilty passing by the throngs of people being held up by Border Control.

This is definitely Trump’s America right now but not for long. He’s on his way out. One way or another.

I’m saving my celebrating for November.

How about you? How are you doing?