US-bound: The Epilogue

(Written in the airport) Honestly, I'm not in much of a writing mood, but I have about 3 hours until my plane takes off and I need to do something. I also need to catch up on what I did so I don't forget.

There was nothing quite as glorious as the last Friday on the farm when it rained. Apparently it never rains on the farm during the months June-August. We were all surprised when the menacing clouds actually produced large drops for well over a couple hours. The cracks that had formed in the ground like a desert had actually disappeared. I'm not gonna lie, it was also nice to not have to prune trees for another 3+ hours that afternoon.

I would definitely do wwoofing again. Maybe in a different country next time so I can see different crops and avoid screaming babies. But really, I learned so much from that family. It made me re-discover small pleasures in life: eating a fresh berry from the vine, enjoying bread from flour that you ground yourself, and smelling freshly-picked mint. There's also that satisfying feeling of putting in a full day of physical labor; I'm usually in front of a computer or a book most of the day.

Luckily, we got to see a little more of Italy before we left. We went to Bologna Saturday night and on Sunday we took the train to Venice, where we wandered to St. Marc's Square and back. I wish I could have enjoyed it more, but it was hot and humid, I had to drag my backpack along, and there were so many people! The night was much better though. We wined and dined alfresco in Milan. Of course, we were next to a canal and I think the mosquitos took more bites out of me than I did my dinner. The remedy? A little frozen dacquiri con anana (pineapple) on amazing animal-print sofas. The perfect ending to an awesome trip.

I'm trying to enjoy the fact that I'm in Italy right now, because I know in several hours when I'm home, I'll miss it. I might even think this whole trip was a blur. That would be awful- please don't happen!

There's a small part of me that is ready to go home, especially since I'm getting tired of taking trains, lugging my bags around, and not understanding what people are saying. I also miss talking to friends and family, since I've been cut off. There's the other part of me that is dreading having to job search and figure out what I'll be doing for real. Although if I've learned anything from this trip, it's that life's all what I make of it. I mean, I could have wimped out on some things, like climbing that mountain in the Alps, or biking the 20 km back from Amsterdam when I was about to pass out. Also, some credit goes out to Kate for pushing me to do things out of my comfort zone.

When all is said and done, I'm quite impressed with myself. Despite the fact that I have a slight uneasiness when it comes to change, I wasn't phased by all of the traveling. The fact that I tackled this adventure so well makes me confident that my adventure into the working world will be a piece of cake. Of course, I need to land myself a job first :)

Highlights
moment that I laughed the hardest: when Kate and I were delirious after traveling for 18 hours by train to get to Kandersteg
when I felt most at home: singing karaoke at the bar in Germany hahaha
most awkward moment: sitting next to a creepy (and drunk) Italian guy in a train
most shocking fact I learned: there's a 70% income tax in Germany!
favorite museum: El Prado in Madrid
best view: from the top of the mountain in Kandersteg
place I need to visit again asap: the Louvre
city I'd most likely live in: Madrid or Milan
regrets: none.