There are two mosquito bites on my right arm, one at the elbow, one further up; a small patch of red skin on my right hand; the smell of sweat and seat salt and suntan lotion on the brim of my hat. Still -- all intangible. They will linger for only a few days, then fade, disappear. But as I sit and press my fingernails against the skin to curb the itching, as I kiss my hand to test the warmth on my lips, as I unpack my suitcase and bring a worn shirt up to my face, I remember other things from the trip that are perhaps more permanent that I've carried back with me, I re-think them, I re-feel them, so they won't be erased with the passage of time and return to routine.
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