Coming to an end in 3 days. But it was WORTH all the stress, anxiety and worry, I promise. I admit in the beginning stages of planning this 2-Part world tour, that even I questioned my own sanity. I had a perfectly decent job (that is until they canceled my hard-earned promotion) and a pretty solid social life in San Diego (I’ve missed my shenanigans with Megan). I was getting into a regular fitness routine (losing weight!) and had my trusty Beagle Lola by my side. I was dating and looking for that magical unicorn of a “perfect guy” and just living. But something was missing. I wasn’t completely happy and I knew that the only thing that truly filled my soul was traveling. So I decided to leave my life for 6 months to travel the world. At times I longed for the stability of everyday life – like where do you find a personal battery-operated fan in sweltering European heat when Target doesn’t exist? Or what do you eat when you’re in a country that prides itself on its seafood cuisine and you don’t like fish? But the majority of the time, I thrived on seeing new places, making news friends and pushing myself outside of my comfort zones. And you know what??! I DID IT! I just didn’t talk about going on this epic adventure…I made it happen and I figured things out on my own.

I’ve been thinking about how I wanted this last blog post to go (for the time being – of course I have some thoughts for future travels). I think I’ll just hit the highlights and hope that you’ve enjoyed the ride as much as I have enjoyed sharing the ups, downs and insides of this crazy little adventure.

The thank you’s!

First and foremost, I’m forever grateful to my parents for taking care of Lola, dropping me off (and picking me up) at the airport and checking in on my house during my absence. I’ve missed them like crazy but I have a ton of stories to share with them!

Thank you to my friends for answering my messages even when they didn’t make sense (there’s always wine available in any country). Being in contact with you all has made this all the much better and less isolating.

Thank you to my loyal blog readers. Knowing that people cared about my well being and followed along lifted my spirits at times when I felt really alone (which is easy to do when you’re physically alone somewhere in the world).

My favorite pictures

Me at the beginning of my travels (L) and me at the end (R)

Most memorable moments

1. Guest appearances
2. 1. Dinner with Vicky in Toronto. Boy was I surprised when she showed up pregnant but now she’s got a beautiful baby boy and I’m super happy for her.
3. 1. Drinking wine at River Liffey with Kim and other new friends
4. 1. Hanging out with Steffie in Ghent!
5. 1. Budapest was ripe for old and new friends: My new friends include Elaina (we bonded over the confusion about our prostitute/not-prostitute roommate), Maria Paz (the low key Instagram famous girl who’s just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside; oh, and by extension, her sister Paulina who answered any dumb question I had about Santiago like where to buy postcards)), and Cate (the cool Canadian girl who is going to adopt me for my green card out of America).
6. 1. Danielle – for letting this haggard traveler mooch off her miles/points in Vienna, Bratislava (I still get looks from people on why we went there) and Budapest. I’ll never forget her “I can’t take you anywhere” and the look that accompanied it.
7. 1. Meeting a new friend (Angie) in my favorite place on the planet, SEVILLA, SPAIN. She’s the real deal of awesome-ness and I only hope I can be like her when I grow up. For the record, I think she might be younger than me 🙂
8. 1. Prudence! My sassy friend from Texas with the heart of gold. We tore up the dance floor at that Irish bar in Sydney and I’ll never forget her words of encouragement especially when I didn’t see my own worth.
9. 1. Spending the day with Esky in Auckland and she didn’t even make me eat chicken feet! She is an awesome person and even though we met briefly in Thailand over 5 years ago, its as if time never stopped. Plus, she has amazing taste in wine – thanks for the bottle!
10. RIP iPhone
11. Field trip to a “coffeehouse” and the Red Light District in Amsterdam
12. Meeting a real life angel in Sevilla
13. Snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef
14. Crying at the Berlin Wall because I’m so grateful I’m free to travel
15. Holding a Koala and getting rejected by the racist kangaroos
16. Being inside the Anne Frank House and again being grateful for my freedom
17. Making national news in New Zealand for my harrowing flight into Wellington (here’s the link in case you missed it: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12151627)
18. Riding copilot on the puddle jumper even after I told them I had been drinking at the airport bar

Things I’ve learned, observations, the musings of a brilliant mind

• W.C = wash closet in every other country in the world
• Canadians are nice even when not in Canada
• There are rude people everywhere & there are nice people everywhere
• Spain will always be home
• Traveler people are just cool – except the ones that don’t shower or the ones with dreads. They’re just f&*%ing weird
• As much as I try, bugs will continue to bite me
• You can never been too careful – make sure someone you trusts knows where you are (even if you can’t remember what country you’re in yourself)
• Home will always be there. And so will bills.
• Travel – your money will return, your time won’t
• It’s OK to be scared of an entire country – stay safe by staying aware
• Universe will always send help if you need if – even if you don’t ask
• Trust your vibes. Always
• Avoid taxis if you can. 90% of drivers will still try to swindle you (even after you compliment them profusely)
• Everyone should hold a koala once in their life
• Walking tours are great ways to meet like-minded people
• An Irish bar (anywhere in the world) is always a good idea
• In some parts of the world, I’m considered “dark.”

And with that, I say “jai yen yen”! Until next time, of course.