Well after some crazy train rides and flights I've made it back safe 'n sound to Indiana. I had a surprise visit by a bunch of the family at the airport, and I can't believe how big my lil' cousins have gotten in these past seven months! My uncle asked me what was the first thing I was looking forward to doing and I didn't have an answer just then but here are some of the things that I've enjoyed so far...1. drinking fountains! I encountered my first one in the Chicago airport and I was pretty excited.2. wheat thins: I saw the guy ahead of me in the plane eating them and I almost asked him if I could have some...they looked delicious3. rocking out to country music: I can't say I'm a huge country music fan, but driving down these country roads along side the rows and rows of beautiful corn I couldn't think of anything more appropriate than blaring K105 with the windows rolled down. It just wouldn't work in Germany.4. Pabst Blue Ribbon: luckily I wasn't the one drinking it, a jump from German beer to that would be difficult...but seeing it being passed around the table and enjoying some story telling at the neighbors was great5. chocolate chip cookies: my roommate and I had been itching to make these but without the essential ingredient of chocolate chips it was pretty hard!6. showers w/ no shoes: nothing like being home to your own shower. those hostel ones can be interesting sometimes...7. washing machine and dryer: may not be as economical as the ones in dland, but the one at home works like a dream.im sure there are more, i just haven't run across them yet. Main thing I didn't miss: driving my car.
This morning I got up at 4 am to catch a bus to the airport for an early flight to London. I made way over to the bus station with plenty of time..waited...waited and no bus came. there was an older man waiting as well (he started to freak out and get really angry.) I wandered over and asked a hostel manager about the bus situation only to find out that today was a holiday in Dublin and that no busses would be running until much later in the day. (AWESOME crossed my mind.) I relayed the info to the older guy and he flagged down a cab for a journey that turned out to be more exciting than any bus ride I've ever experienced. I mean how often do you get to share a cab with an awkward old man and local Irish cab driver at 5 am? Needless to say the cabby was rather chatty and I didn't mind because talking to him and listening to that accent just put me in a great mood despite the frustrating start to the day. ...and the old man insisted that he pay for the cab, not a bad deal.
anyways I've made it to London, on the outskirts right now but heading into the city tomorrow to stay with a local using couchsurfers! can't wait.
My roommate just showed me this link...Where the hell is Matt?from Wherethehellismatt.comas i was complaining and being lazy about setting up my final travel plans this video provided some good motivation and inspiration.
