Backpacking Through Europe - Check

For the last 18 days, as is often the case on longer vacations, my understanding of time has slowly ceased to exist in the form that we are so accustomed - instead of hours, days, and weeks the progression of time seems defined instead by tours, meals and cities. What’s next? Where do I have to be? What can’t be missed? It’s the nature of traveling the way we have for the last two and a half weeks. Into and out of town in a day or two. Never settled. Never really relaxed. Never really time to press pause. And in that sense, this here hobby of jotting down our experiences has served to be a great way to build in some time for thought and ongoing reflection. I look forward in the future to revisiting this travelogue and remembering the experience…

I write now from the flight home just an hour away from Philadelphia caught between thoughts of reflection and anticipation for the next leg of the journey. While in Nice, I learned that I’ll be working in Norwalk, Conn. for the next 8 months beginning July 5th. Less than just three weeks away, it’s not my nature to worry or grow anxious and while traveling cross-continent it was easy to compartmentalize minor details (i.e. finding an apt) to the recesses of thought, procrastinating until post-vaca processing. Between sentences and key strokes I can sense, ever so slightly, some anxiety creep into my subconscious. I’m sure it will all work out…it usually does.

The working life seems like a long time ago…and it was. Come July it will have been 14 months between paychecks and as much as I’d like to think I’d enjoy traveling the way I have for another couple of months or years (as some I’ve come across in hostel lobbies have), I’m sure I couldn’t handle it. It’s time to go home…time for a new routine. For 8 months anyway…

But let’s not get all crazy and jump in too soon. First things first - Family reunion this weekend. Then, a vacation from the vacation as they say…and a flight to Jamaica one week from today to spend 6 days in the Blue Mountains with Em while on her service project.

This was an outstanding trip that I was incredibly lucky to enjoy with some great people and friends (esp grateful for Mattyboy‘s company). Looking forward to retelling the documented and undocumented stories over a beer with friends and family.

Signing off on Eurotrip 2011 from the descent in to PHL…