Mark and his brother Sam had a great time catching up on the past three years during the drive from the airport. Mark told Sam about his overseas wanderings, and Sam filled Mark in about the family: his wife Jen and their only daughter Valentina, who had just turned sixteen. Visiting Sam and his family was always a great way to come back from a journey, and Mark had made it a tradition for the past decade to weather his jet lag at his brother's suburban home.
Although they were brothers, the two of them did not look much alike. Sam was light-haired and round of face, while Mark was dark-haired and rugged, with a perpetual shadow of stubble on his angular jaw. They swung into Sam's driveway and Mark gazed with a measure of envy at the fruits of Sam's success. The house was large and gorgeous. As usual, a voice in Mark asked him, "What are you doing wandering the globe? Wouldn't it be better to just settle down and have a place like this to call home?" He got out of the car and hefted his travel pack over one shoulder. He was dressed in a grey V-neck tee shirt that clung to his trim, athletic frame; and cargo shorts and sandals. The uniform of the bum. But at least he was a handsome bum and could pull it off.