I'm going to share a story with you, that I hope will answer your question. On the last night of my trip, I was sitting in a circle with all the participants, and we were going around the circle one at a time and sharing our "Ah-Ha" moments that made the trip all worth it for you.

I had happened to be sitting next to a woman who i was inseparable with for pretty much the entire trip. We were sharing notes back and forth to each other via my blackberry notepad, saying cute banter and little bits of information about each other.

After I typed a certain message to her, I handed her the phone, and watched her expression change into something someone might define as love or an act of genuine sincerity as she read, "You are my Ah-Ha Moment."

And as she gazed into my eyes, I knew.

So to answer your question: Yes. I loved the homeland. I loved the homeland for many reasons. But I loved the homeland the most because it introduced me to her.