I miss the sun, water, and sound of bubbling

Yesterday brought an end to our 3-week adventure. It seems like only days ago that I got the news that I would be working on such an incredible project. As we drove home I couldn't help feeling lost, like it was too soon to be over. I met so many interesting people that made a huge impact in my life. I hope they realize all the lives they touched.

Gail showed up this morning with the keys to our new facility on Kennedy Space Center. It needs some work, but at least it is someplace we can call our own. We had been begging for other space for so long, I am not sure any of us knew how to react as we pulled the Station in. She is dirty from sitting underwater for three weeks, but she fits well in her new home.

I feel like I have come home a different person than when I left. I discovered so many things about myself, feeling that I didn't even know I could have. For the first time in my life, I felt like I belong to a real team - everyone working for the good of the project and putting personal feelings aside. It was one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had.

As I sit here and write this, I am not sure how I feel about being back in a routine. I miss the sun, water and most of all, the sound of the bubbling from the Station. At night it was so nice to sit by the water and just listen to her breath - it was almost as if she had come alive, if only for a brief moment.

The Challenge Mission in Key Largo may be over, but the lasting effects will be felt on all of us, for a very long time to come.