diff --git a/themes/intotheeast/templates/home.html.twig b/themes/intotheeast/templates/home.html.twig
index 984e350..944b57a 100644
--- a/themes/intotheeast/templates/home.html.twig
+++ b/themes/intotheeast/templates/home.html.twig
@@ -1,21 +1,25 @@
 {% extends 'partials/base.html.twig' %}
 
 {% block content %}
-{% set slug = config.site.active_trip %}
-{% set trip = grav.pages.find('/trips/' ~ slug) %}
-{% set dailies_page = grav.pages.find('/trips/' ~ slug ~ '/dailies') %}
-{% set stories_page = grav.pages.find('/trips/' ~ slug ~ '/stories') %}
+{% set trip_route = config.site.active_trip %}
+{% set trip = grav.pages.find(trip_route) %}
+
+{% if config.site.travelling %}
+{# ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ ACTIVE TRIP MODE #}
+
+{% set dailies_page = grav.pages.find(trip_route ~ '/dailies') %}
+{% set stories_page = grav.pages.find(trip_route ~ '/stories') %}
 {% set journal_entries = dailies_page ? dailies_page.children.published() : [] %}
 {% set story_entries = stories_page ? stories_page.children.published() : [] %}
 
 {% set all_items = [] %}
 {% for e in journal_entries %}
-    {% set all_items = all_items|merge([{'type': 'journal', 'page': e, 'date': e.date}]) %}
+    {% set all_items = all_items|merge([{'type': 'journal', 'page': e, 'date': e.header.date}]) %}
 {% endfor %}
 {% for s in story_entries %}
-    {% set all_items = all_items|merge([{'type': 'story', 'page': s, 'date': s.date}]) %}
+    {% set all_items = all_items|merge([{'type': 'story', 'page': s, 'date': s.header.date}]) %}
 {% endfor %}
-{% set all_items = all_items|sort((a, b) => a.date < b.date ? 1 : -1) %}
+{% set all_items = all_items|sort_by_key('date', 3) %}
 
 {% set journal_count = journal_entries|length %}
 {% set story_count = story_entries|length %}
@@ -28,11 +32,21 @@
             'lng': item.page.header.lng|number_format(6, '.', ''),
             'slug': item.page.slug,
             'title': item.page.title,
-            'url': item.page.url
+            'url': item.page.url,
+            'force_connect': item.page.header.force_connect ? true : false
         }]) %}
     {% endif %}
 {% endfor %}
 
+{% set home_gpx_urls = [] %}
+{% if trip %}
+    {% for name, media in trip.media.all %}
+        {% if name|split('.')|last == 'gpx' %}
+            {% set home_gpx_urls = home_gpx_urls|merge([trip.url ~ '/' ~ name]) %}
+        {% endif %}
+    {% endfor %}
+{% endif %}
+
 <div class="home-layout">
     <div class="home-map-col">
         <div class="home-map" id="home-map"></div>
@@ -40,7 +54,7 @@
 
     <div class="home-feed-col">
         <div class="home-trip-header">
-            <h1 class="home-trip-name">{{ trip ? trip.title : slug }}</h1>
+            <h1 class="home-trip-name">{{ trip ? trip.title : trip_route }}</h1>
             <span class="home-trip-counts">
                 {{ journal_count }} journal {{ journal_count == 1 ? 'entry' : 'entries' }}
                 {% if story_count > 0 %} · {{ story_count }} {{ story_count == 1 ? 'story' : 'stories' }}{% endif %}
@@ -108,15 +122,15 @@
                         {% set hero = entry.media.images|first %}
                     {% endif %}
                     <a class="entry-card entry-card--story" id="entry-{{ entry.slug }}" href="{{ entry.url }}">
-                            {% if hero %}
-                            <div class="entry-card-photo entry-card-photo--story">
-                                <img src="{{ hero.cropResize(720, 405).url }}" alt="{{ entry.title }}" loading="lazy">
-                            </div>
-                            {% endif %}
-                            <div class="entry-card-body">
-                                <span class="story-badge">✦ Story</span>
-                                <h2 class="entry-title">{{ entry.title }}</h2>
-                            </div>
+                        {% if hero %}
+                        <div class="entry-card-photo entry-card-photo--story">
+                            <img src="{{ hero.cropResize(720, 405).url }}" alt="{{ entry.title }}" loading="lazy">
+                        </div>
+                        {% endif %}
+                        <div class="entry-card-body">
+                            <span class="story-badge">✦ Story</span>
+                            <h2 class="entry-title">{{ entry.title }}</h2>
+                        </div>
                     </a>
                     {% endif %}
                 {% endfor %}
@@ -130,9 +144,13 @@
 {% if map_entries|length > 0 %}
 <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/maplibre-gl@4/dist/maplibre-gl.css">
 <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/maplibre-gl@4/dist/maplibre-gl.js"></script>
+{% if home_gpx_urls|length > 0 %}
+<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@mapbox/togeojson@0.16.2/togeojson.min.js"></script>
+{% endif %}
 <script src="{{ url('theme://js/maplibre-utils.js') }}"></script>
 <script>
-var HOME_ENTRIES = {{ map_entries|json_encode|raw }};
+var HOME_ENTRIES  = {{ map_entries|json_encode|raw }};
+var HOME_GPX_URLS = {{ home_gpx_urls|json_encode|raw }};
 
 var homeMap = new maplibregl.Map({
     container: 'home-map',
@@ -166,6 +184,7 @@ homeMap.on('load', function () {
         new maplibregl.Marker({ element: el }).setLngLat(lngLat).addTo(homeMap);
     });
 
+    /* Draw simple journey line immediately; replaced below if GPX is present */
     MapUtils.addJourneyLine(homeMap, coords, 'home-journey');
 
     if (HOME_ENTRIES.length === 1) {
@@ -175,7 +194,39 @@ homeMap.on('load', function () {
     }
 
     setTimeout(function () { homeMap.resize(); }, 100);
+
+    if (HOME_GPX_URLS.length > 0) {
+        Promise.all(HOME_GPX_URLS.map(function (url, idx) {
+            return fetch(url)
+                .then(function (r) { return r.text(); })
+                .then(function (text) {
+                    var xml     = new DOMParser().parseFromString(text, 'text/xml');
+                    var geojson = toGeoJSON.gpx(xml);
+                    var sid     = 'home-gpx-' + idx;
+                    homeMap.addSource(sid, { type: 'geojson', data: geojson });
+                    homeMap.addLayer({
+                        id: sid + '-line', type: 'line', source: sid,
+                        layout: { 'line-join': 'round', 'line-cap': 'round' },
+                        paint:  { 'line-color': MapUtils.ACCENT, 'line-width': 2, 'line-opacity': 0.7 }
+                    });
+                    return MapUtils.extractTrackpoints(geojson);
+                })
+                .catch(function (err) { console.warn('GPX load failed:', url, err); return []; });
+        })).then(function (allTrackpoints) {
+            if (homeMap.getLayer('home-journey')) homeMap.removeLayer('home-journey');
+            if (homeMap.getSource('home-journey')) homeMap.removeSource('home-journey');
+            var valid    = allTrackpoints.filter(function (tp) { return tp.length > 0; });
+            var segments = MapUtils.buildJourneySegments(HOME_ENTRIES, valid, 10);
+            MapUtils.addJourneySegments(homeMap, segments, 'home-journey');
+        });
+    }
 });
 </script>
 {% endif %}
+
+{% else %}
+{# ════════════════════════════════════════════════ BETWEEN-TRIPS MODE (Task 3) #}
+<p class="feed-empty" style="padding: 2rem;">Off season — highlights coming in Task 3.</p>
+{% endif %}
+
 {% endblock %}