And so it is that I am back in Boston- the travel adventure is officially over but luckily I have a great new one (out of a great new apartment) to take it's place.
After two months of asian wandering I spent two weeks eating, drinking, beach hopping and strolling around italy. It felt funny and slightly wrong to be back in the western world but I can't say I was unhappy with the wine selection. Or the sanitation. Or the shopping. Okay, italy was awesome too....
I spent my last week in asia at bingin beach, Bali and I can't put into words how much i loved this place, so I'll let the photos speak for themselves. I'm glad to know that thatched hut, cobbled stair beach paradises still exist. Bingin, I hope you never change.
As hard as it is to accept that my travels are coming to an end, I am grateful for all I've gained- new friends, glimpses into beautiful new cultures, slightly improved paddle fitness, an excellent tan, and so on... But what I am most thankful to be taking with me is a renewed awe for humans and what we are capable of. From watching world class surfers in Bali to yogis in India to climbers scaling cliffs ropeless above the Andaman sea, from visiting ancient Angkor wats to roman ruins to modern Thai skyscrapers, from touring recycling plants in the Mumbai slums to meeting the not so uncommon traveller or tour guide who spoke over 5 languages, and from being able to call home from my iPhone to experiencing the perfect efficiency in Singapore, I was constantly amazed at what humans have been able to do and build. How incredible that we are able to climb, surf, swim, run, build, cook, share, heal, bend, drive, dive, teach, learn and love in the ways that we are. We really are amazingly versatile.
I am also very thankful for all of the kindness I stumbled across in my travels, often from total strangers. I managed to spend 70 days travelling without having a single thing stolen, and almost every interaction I had was a positive one. So to all of the beautiful people I have met over the past few months, I hope that our paths will cross again, and thank you for making this time all that it has been.
I saw this trip as being a once in a lifetime treat at the outset, but now I thoroughly hope that this is not the last time I am able to travel this way. If nothing else, there is no way I am letting my life (or even the next decade) pass me by without returning to bingin beach. Andrew, I hope you're up for it!
This will be my last blog post, so thanks to everyone for reading, even through sappy posts like this one. Having never done this before i was pleasantly surprised by how much i enjoyed posting and receiving positive feedback from all of you. I only hope I can repay the favor one day when you set out on your own adventures.
