Long Overdue

It's been over a month since I've been home from my trip abroad. I should have been keeping my travel blog up to date. The last three weeks in Europe were amazing. I met several kind, generous, knowledgeable, open-minded people who put a lot of things in perspective for me. They were the kind of people that had a life altering effect on me. This past month I've been thinking about everything I learned and gained. I realized what the things that matter most to me are. It's the simple things and the people that I always took for granted. And there is a downside... coming back home to the things that matter most to you. I'm starting to lose the little things and when you're not wanting anything else, it gets you really down. And soon I'll be leaving everything behind again. I've been trying to balance and cope with leaving behind my old life and figuring out my new life. A big part of me doesn't want to leave behind certain aspects of my old life, but when things aren't going as planned, what's the best thing to do in my eyes? Run. I know I'm going to be a world traveler.

In comparing my study abroad trip to my previous trip to Europe a couple of years ago, there really is no comparison.

For anyone skeptical about couchsurfing, don't be. My first destination was Nice, France where I was offered a couch by a generous Polish guy. Learned a lot from him, we had long talks over red wine about everything from French pop music to being broken hearted. We went to Eze, a city above Nice that had gorgeous views of the beach and the yachts that populated the turquoise waters. From Nice I was Cannes bound. Being at the Cannes Film Festival was unreal. I was at the happiest place on earth, I was giddy like a little kid. I was surrounded by all the people who work for the industry I want to work in, the people who make films worth watching. From Cannes it was off to Verona to see Casa Di Giulietta to place the love letter I had written on Juliet's wall and enjoy some fine dining -donkey and raw horse, with wonderful Italian company and wine. Czech Republic was the next destination. Spent the evening drinking dark beer and hanging out with a local Prague band who gave me their CD as a souvenir, and I left a quote on John Lennon's wall as well. From Prague it was back to the air of Austria, Vienna this time. Vienna is a lot different then Salzburg. My hostel roommate joined me at the Vienna Opera House ( Wiener Staatsoper ) to see La Traviata and we ended up sitting in 75 euro seats for a mere 3 euros. I would have paid 75 euros, it was incredible. The train to the next destination was an amazing start to my next destination, Florence, Italy, where I shared wine and conversation with some young traveling guys from Brazil. Florence left me with wonder and amazement , it really is hard to explain the value Florence has to me. I spent my days there with a guy from Australia who was traveling on his own for a year. I found that inspiring. I would love to have the guts to leave behind everything I know and am comfortable with and just travel for a year. I want to learn everything about everything and everyone. This part of me speaking is the part that is having a hard time adjusting to a steady life. I feel like a stubborn kid. I don't want to grow up, I don't want bills, I don't want to sit in a classroom, I don't want to read a book. I would love nothing more at this point to just work odd jobs here and there as I make my way around the world. I would also love nothing more than to be an inspirer just as the people I have met during my time abroad have inspired me. From Florence we spent an hour lying in the grass in Pisa in front of the leaning tower before boarding a ferry to Barcelona. A lot of thinking happens on a 20 hour ferry ride across the Mediterranean sea. From Barcelona I went to a quieter, more peaceful part of Spain, Figures to see the Dali exhibit. It just so happened that out of all of the 360 days in the year, I decided to go see it on one of the two days that the exhibit is closed.

Figures was the ending of my trip, it was back to Madrid to catch a plane back to Los Angeles. A part of me was happy to be flying back home. Now all I want to do is get on another plane. Maybe moving to San Francisco will tie me down for a couple of years. I have no idea what's to come my way. The unexpected turns and twists keep me wondering.