All done.
Trip Start
Apr 24, 2006
1
108
Trip End
Apr 24, 2007
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
The reason there has been no wrap-up, no summary, no reflection was deep inside (heck not even deep inside, superficially) I was not ready for it to be over. Even now I am resisting writing this, ending this blog, because I am not ready for it to be over. I don't want my year away to be done, I am not ready to reflect on all that I did and all that I saw. (Denial? Yup we are close friends Denial and I, we like to hang out with my good buddy Delusions. ) For this reason I have yet to finish sorting through my pictures and organizing my crap (and since I have actually moved this is an even greater task than you can imagine). In fact I think there are still some entries on here I've been meaning to put up. Oh well, maybe I will get to them someday!
However . . . in no particular order here are my random thoughts on my year away;
- sometimes I no longer recognize the person I was when I left, although she sneaks back now and then. The person I discovered whilst traveling is someone is a different person that the one who boarded that plane. I found out or rather accepted who I am. I braver, stronger and more optimistic than I ever thought possible and capable of doing practically anything!
- Beer and wine are so very tasty
- I overcame fears that I never realized were so terrifying (hello ocean! I didn't realize how scared of you I was! I am glad we got over that!)
- I attempted surfing and did not drown and yes its freaking hard.
- I love Thai food
- Snakebite = yummy boozy goodness
- rugby is awesome
- footie is awesome
- I love people thinking I am 22
- helping people makes me happy
- friendship knows no age limit, no cultural divide, no language barrier. It doesn't understand distance nor does it care that you only knew each other for a few hours.
- In Australia I finally felt like I belonged. Maybe it was the people I hung out with (fellow travelers) or maybe it was the country itself, maybe it was just the freedom I felt. Still it was nice to feel like I belonged. I will always remember how that felt.
- Not quitting something is actually an awesome feeling. For a life long quitter this is quite the realization.
- I can sleep anywhere - except on that first and last flight!
- dirty bathrooms no longer phase me - Hello Squat toilets!
- I can say pick up lines and swear in like 10 languages now.
- the more you see the more you want to see. travel is addicting, however packing and leaving constantly is a bit exhausting.
- I have seen so much beauty! the Sydney Harbour, Bremer Bay, Tingle Trees, Great Barrier Reef, Great Ocean Road, Perth, northern Thailand's jungle, Laos' waterfalls, Vietnam's palaces, Thailand's islands, Hong Kong's amazing buildings . . . I could go on forever.
- I truly can't say enough about the friends I made. Some people were in my life for a moment, some for a few days, a few for months and one I knew the entire time. They all touched my life and my heart in so many ways and I know have changed me. Some I have lost touch with and some I know I will be friends for life.
- EVERYTHING WILL BE OK! Truly my greatest lesson and the one that I need to remind myself of constantly now that I am back to reality. Everything will be ok, it all works out in the end - this was constantly shown while traveling and I learned to have faith that everything happened for a reason and it really would be ok.
Ok there is more . . . I could truly go on forever, that is just a brief summary of my thoughts about my trip that popped into my head whilst writing.
My intro to this blog is a "Dear John" letter to Calgary. I am afraid it looks like the break up is going to be a little more permanent. I have moved (just three short months after returning) to Nanaimo. But I will explain that in another chapter because officially this blog is done. My year is over. I loved it and I hope you all enjoyed reading my adventures.
Love,
Ness xxxxxxx
