Home, The End... (But not for long....)

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Trip Start Aug 27, 2007 Previous
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  Anaheim, California
Thursday, January 31, 2008

How do I summarize such an incredible journey? I've seen and done so many amazing things..  including exploring the ruins of Ancient Greece, one of the greatest civilizations in history...  watched zebras, lions, leopards, elephants & giraffes going about their lives in the wild where they belong...   came face to face with a great white shark... wandered around the awesome temples of Angkor,  seen the effects and evidence of the horrors of war...  swam with a giant turtle on the Great Barrier Reef...  learned that smiles and patience go a lot further than frustration....that strangers are just friends yet to be made.. challenged myself to do things I thought I wouldn't or couldn't do...  fly high in the sky in a parachute... hike all day through a 10's of thousands of years old glacier...  
There's just so much.  So much has happend so fast that I havn't had time to really think it all through. I have a lifetimes worth of unforgetable memories to sort through.
I'm feeling a mix of emotions about going home. I'm looking forward to seeing my family again, and my monster dog Gracie, but I also have to find a new job, have hardly any money left and I don't have a car anymore. But don't think for a second I regret anything because I absolutely don't and would do it again in a second and would sell everything I own if it meant I could travel more.
So Im happy about seeing everyone for sure, but really sad at the same time. I can't believe it's all over already, the time just flew by so fast. But  I'm not finished traveling, not by far.  Theres so much I havn't seen and done yet, but I guess I will get to it. It's time to go home for a while and save up some more money.   As with most travelers, returning home to normal life after traveling for so long can be a rough transition and re-ajustment.  I anticipate that I'll be depressed for a while.  Everything and everybody will be exactly the same as when I left, except me.  I'll be different, and will take some time getting used to things again.  I've read some travel websites messege boards for other peoples feelings on the subject and everyone had basically the same things to say. Traveling is in my soul, and I'll never be "done".. I feel like when I'm out travelling that that is my real life and my life at home is just temporary!   The best way to get over feeling sad about your last trip is to focus on planning your next one, so that is just what I'll do. 
I'm sure everyone will be asking me what am i going to do now that i'm home.  As for work, I refuse to settle for something I'm not interested in again.  No mortgage, no office, cubicle, blah blah blah. I can't do it.  In my heart I know I belong in the travel/tourism industry, I need to be working with people daily and helping them plan their own trips of a lifetime. It's what I love to do. I spend so much time researching and planning my own trips everyday for the last few years, why not help other people.  With my knowledge and personal experience, I'm confident I'll make a great travel counselor.   So far I've had my heart set on working for Flight Centre at the Block or in Newport for the last year and have already applied online.  A few other choices are STA Travel at Cal. St. Fullerton, The California Welcome Center at Main Place (I've emailed them), the tourist info center in the Convention Center, travel desk at one of the big hotels (if they have them, i don't know yet)  or go to school full time for certificate in Travel & Tourism.   So that's the job plan.
The future travel plans are as follows...   South America-travel around for 3 months (Brazil, Argentina, Chile etc),  Africa-overland through East Africa, Volunteer in Africa/Asia-with kids or primates. So those are the 3 ideas so far. Seriously thinking more about the first one.  Probably not going to go for 12-18 months depending on the job and money situation.  
So there you have it guys, all my feelings about this trip and my plans for the future. 
As hard as it is for me to say goodbye to New Zealand and face the fact that my grand adventure is over, I'm going to try to stay positive and look to what the future will bring, hopefully that will include a job that I love and of course I'll have the excitement of planning the next big trip. Thank you everyone for keeping in touch will me while i've been gone, it really made my days sometimes to get messeges from home. I love you guys!
 So it's goodbye for now.. but I'll be back on the road again soon, you can count on that.  
Love,
Kristin

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