One Month Later

Ok, so I wrote this on January 22nd and some of you may have read it on Facebook but it took me a lot longer to get it posted here.....so I guess I could really have called this 2 months later.

Thursday, January 22, 2009
Vernon, British Columbia, Canada

Well I have been home from my trip for a month now. Managed to spend a Christmas at home with my family (some of them anyways) for the first time since 2005. I got my backpack un-packed just in time to re-pack a bunch of boxes, watch them get loaded on a truck and move into Auntie Faye and Uncle Andy’s basement in Vernon. I am still looking for a job back in the US and the foggy weather seems to be permanently stuck in the Okanagan Valley so I have had some time to reflect on my little journey.

Here are the numbers:

94 days
9 Countries…….10 if you count Vatican City
175 Postcards sent
Well over 33,000 kilometres (around 20,500 miles) travelled
2 major protests
1 football (soccer) riot
No injuries
1 bout of food poisoning
2 new pairs of great boots
1 really cute new leather jacket
1 great new attitude
A whole bunch of new friends
More memories than 1 lifetime can handle

The highlights: well there were a lot but here are a few that stick out in my mind right now (in no particular order):

1) Egypt…yeah pretty much the entire country. It was my dream, it was a dream come true and there is nothing that I did or I think will ever do that will compare.

2) The US Army boys in Sharm-el Sheikh. Yes, Kevin (aka: Hillbilly), Trevor, Michael, the other Kevin and of course Zach have to get a mention. They’re great dancers. 3 months and 9 countries and you were by far my favourite group of random guys to run into. Trust me…it wasn’t even close.

3) Getting married in Turkey…or something like that. Who knew eh Paul? Plus this is so unlike me. As Crystal can confirm I normally only get engaged (not married) while on vacation…….and I normally prefer guys who don’t speak English.

4) Skiing in Austria. I have spent a large portion of my life just a short drive from some of the best skiing in the world but it is my 4 hours in Gerlos that I will always consider the best skiing of my life…..probably just because it was in Austria.

5) Wading through calf deep water in Piazza San Marco in Venice while people looked at me funny. The more they watched though the more they realized that it was a much faster way to get around during high water season.

6) Nafplio: Who knew I would have to climb 1000 stairs to the top of a mountain in Greece to find peace on earth.

7) Getting lost in Rome and Florence and Istanbul and…..well you get the point. It has been said before that sometimes you have to get lost to find yourself……and really good restaurants.

8) Finally meeting the cousin-in-law in Prague. I had a lot of fun hanging out with Graeme for the day. So glad all the stories I had heard were not exaggerations. I could have done without holding up a convenience store but it all worked out so whatever. Plus I also got to meet Julia and Nick and a few others and I think the pictures speak for themselves.

9) Almost throwing up and passing out due to vertigo at Aspendos Theatre in Turkey and the Eiffel Tower. Totally sucked but trust me it didn’t stop me from climbing up every random set of stairs I could find to get a great view.

10) Travelling around Turkey in a 12 passenger van with a bunch of complete strangers. Great to know that I can now call Winston, Paul, Liezel, Ed, Sam, Eva, Reshmi, Monica, Ergun and Ekrem friends.

Most annoying thing I encountered…fake Canadians. I actually had someone ask if I was actually from Canada (I had Canadian flags hanging from pretty much everything) because it turns out a lot of Americans will travel around, wearing a Canadian flag, pretending they are Canadian….because they know they will get treated better. I think we all knew it happened and now I can officially confirm it.

So now that I am home, where am I? The smartass answer is Vernon. Yeah, I’ve moved but I can honestly say I am in the exact same place I was before I left just a few pounds lighter, a little more self-confident, with a few less dollars (ok with a lot less dollars) and with something that resembles an actual plan for my future. The ideas have always been there and remain unchanged. Now I just need to put the plan into motion. Big questions have been answered…little ones have somehow appeared and who actually knows what tomorrow will bring. The fun part is….I still don’t know.

Julie