Holy shit, I'm going home today.

There's some kind of weird symmetry about me being in Vancouver right now. My journey began and will end here. I left Vancouver and arrived in Vancouver by train. I flew from Sydney and now I'm waiting to fly to Sydney. I guess you could say I've come full circle. Retracing my steps back home. Well, I mean, you COULD say that...if you wanted to.

I honestly never thought this day would come. It always seemed so far away but now it's right here, staring me in the face. I still can't believe it. I just feel like I'm leaving for somewhere, anywhere that's not NZ. I guess it'll hit me sometime during my flight back or, if I'm REALLY slow, as I get off the plane. Ha.

I guess now would be a good time for some kind of reflective summary of everything I've learned, seen, done and experienced. But to be honest, there's just too much to say.

I've seen a president inaugurated, I've witnessed extreme poverty in Cuba, hell, I've even seen it throughout North America, I've experienced New Years in Time Square and I saw one of the Gallagher brothers beat up on stage. Obviously among so many other things.

I guess the one thing I can take away from this entire journey is to always have faith in people. More often than not, they'll come through for you.

Everyone has a story to tell. Everyone has something to offer. And oftentimes, they're willing to help even if you don't ask or even if it means they have to go out of their way.

I've seen a lot of cities but I've come to the realisation that a city is just that - a city. It's the people that make and shape your experiences of it. The people are the beating heart, the breathing lungs and the blood that flows through the veins of a city. They give it charm, soul, character.

I think what I'll remember most is not the places I've been but the people I've met. I mean, sure, having photos of landmarks and pretty scenery is one thing but they don't capture fully that beauty and extra shine that people that people can add to a place.


Even though I'm pretty much broke right now, I wouldn't trade these last six months for the world. I've made a lot of friends, hopefully for life. People that I've had the extreme pleasure of sharing my experiences with and sharing in theirs too. There's been a few of ups and downs along the way but we always managed to stick together.


There's been a lot of talk about change in the last 18 months. We've all felt it, we've all done it and we've all witnessed it. I'm not just talking about Obama here, I'm talking about a transformation of the self. An evolution. A metamorphosis. I've done a lot of that in the last six months. Change that isn't self-evident now, but I feel will most likely manifest itself at a later point in time. I think this the reason behind why everyone who has already made it back to their respective homes is so utterly bored. We've all changed and our homes can't or haven't been able to accommodate it. From what I can tell it's gonna be frustrating trying to get into a routine again and trying to reintegrate into society. But I'm willing to give it a shot. Well, I really have no choice do I?


A few remarks on North America? Alright. It's a weird continent. Full of contrast, contradiction and ...colourful characters. In a way I'm glad that I've covered this continent first. I'm also really proud that I've covered pretty much an entire continent being as young as I am. It served more as a training ground though, a lesson in traveling. Everything was pretty easy to figure out and everything was more or less the same as back home. It just costs a lot more. Covering this continent first also means that I don't have to come back here for a while. Ha. Not that I don't like North America, I mean, I don't hate it but it's just a place where I could never see myself living, working or raising a family. Most people here seem to be in a hurry and are very career-oriented -exhausting themselves everyday just in the hopes of moving one rung up the proverbial ladder. Not so much now though, seeing as no one here has a job but still, it's the American mindset and as you all know, or should by now, that's not how I roll.

What I was most surprised about though, was how genuinely friendly and polite North Americans are. Well, expecially Americans and especially New Yorkers. Of course, not everyone is like that but that's not limited to just America. It's a global thing.

Well, I should be boarding my flight soon. So I guess soon we'll definitely be back in Nu Zild again, mate. Oh, and by the way, I've decided to call this the 'North American' edition. Because, if you've picked up any of the hints throughout the course of this blog, (or I could have just blatantly said it somewhere - damn me and my lack of subtlety!) there will be plenty more traveling, and blogging to be done. In the meantime, let me tell you what's in store for me until that time comes. Studying and working. Not much to blog about there, and even if there were, this would be the wrong place to do it. I'll need to set up a blog entitled: "Studying and working is fucking lame."

On another note, I came to the realisation early on that keeping a blog is pretty much like a full-time job -except you don't get paid. But it's a labour of love. Sometimes though, to be honest, I can't be bothered writing anything and sometimes I just don't want to stop. I guess that's what happens when you're a self-proclaimed 'writer'. You have your moments of, I guess you could call it inspiration and a lot more moments when there's just... nothing. Case in point: I actually didn't write any of this in Vancouver. It was either written in my hotel room in Seattle or on the train to Vancouver. I had planned to write this at the airport because it seemed kind of fitting (plus, I'm gonna be there for 8+ hours just chillin. What am I gonna do now, me? Good one. Good job). But that's what I mean, sometimes I just want to write. The post directly before this one though, I did NOT for the life of me, want to write. But I felt obligated to. You can probably tell that I was a bit frustrated and just wanted to end the misery as soon as I could. See? A labour of love. I fight through the pain and uninspiredness for you guys. You three or so people who read this. You know who you are. I know who you are. Creepy.

Anyways, youse fullas, I guess this is it. We've come to the end. I just want to say thanks for reading and sticking with me through this whole thing. Hopefully you'll join me on my future travels. This is an open invitation to anyone, but if money is an obstacle, then hey, there's always the option of following this blog.