And then

I had meant to add this quote to our final post, but forgot until just this moment. I don't think anyone will really see it, but you are a lucky one and still check our blog even though we are home! Joe and I both read "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer near the end of our trip. This quote is from that book. It paints a perfect picture of a traveler and how we both feel, though we did return...

As to when I shall visit civilization it will not be soon, I think.

I have not tired of the wilderness, rather I enjoy its beauty

and the vagrant life I lead more keenly all the time.

I prefer the saddle to the streetcar and star sprinkled sky

to a roof, the obscure and difficult trail leading into the

unknown, to any paved highway and the deep peace of

the wild to the discontent bred by cities.

Do you blame me then for staying here, where I feel that

I belong and am one with the world around me? It is true

that I miss intelligent companionship, but there are few that

mean so much to me that I have learned to contain myself.

It is enough that I am surrounded with beauty.

Even from your scant description I know that I could not

bear the routine and the humdrum of the life you are forced

to lead. I don't think I could ever settle down. I have known

too much of the depths of the life already and I would prefer

anything to an anticlimax.

- Everett Ruess, 1934, in a final letter written to his brother before wandering into the Southwestern wilderness never to be found.

The End

Our last days on the road, in brief:
11 days on Ko Tao, paradise. Day in Bangkok, souvenirs galore, green curry and pad Thai of course. Airplanes, sleeping, waiting, eating, repeating. Los Angeles, friend Krissy, the joys of Mexican food, and jet lag. Train to Santa Barbara, Joe’s old stomping ground, friend Ryan, more Mexican food, crummy weather, and confusion while riding bikes on right side of road. Greyhound bus to Las Vegas, Marcus, Beth, Megan, Mike, Broc and Janelle, rehearsal dinner, tapas, hitting the strip, up 2 cents, wedding, reception, dancing like maniacs, and feeling close to home. Greyhound to Denver, sleep and more sleep, crazy hippie with mouse in his pocket, pizza in Grand Junction, snow on Vail pass, and 18 hours later hugging my mom.

And here we are. I am writing this post 15 days after arriving in Colorado. I blame my tardiness on a lack of internet connections and feeling too overwhelmed about having to summarize 10 incredible months of my life into something meaningful that does the experience justice.

Being home has been incredibly easy for me. This sort of bothers me. I wish I felt more annoyed by America. I wish I was more shocked and having a harder time adjusting to the life I used to lead. Everything seems very normal, almost like I never left. It feels as if I maybe didn’t just spend 10 months traveling the world. I have to keep looking at pictures to remind myself. This seems to bring me back to the reality of everything and I find myself getting teary-eyed by the fifth photo. I have these generic answers to questions, the questions everyone asks. I’m on auto response – How was your trip? Oh, it was really great. What was your favorite country? Argentina and then New Zealand. Are you happy to be back? Most days.

It’s so easy to forget the things that happen in our lives that are truly remarkable. We forget the experience, and only remember the story. I’m really struggling with this right now. I don’t want this experience to become something I think so casually of. I want to hold tight every mountain view, sunset, smell, precious face, eye opening moment. I am beyond happy and grateful that I had such and amazing friend to share the past 10 months with. He’ll never get tired of me saying, “Hey, remember that time…” or “Holy crap this is so expensive. This was so cheap in Asia.” Hopefully we will make each other remember those little things and the big life changing ones.

Joe and I moved back to Fort Collins and into our house this week. It’s pretty much the cutest old house, on the prettiest street, in the best neighborhood, in the coolest town. We are really excited about it. Joe got a job working at a restaurant (the best steak restaurant in FC) and is looking for one of those elusive “real jobs.” I started working at Crossroads Safehouse, the domestic violence shelter I used to work at. I start graduate school next Wednesday! Life is treating us quite well, and we have no complaints. We are happy to be here. It feels right. We are excited to see what life throws at us these next few years, and are anxiously awaiting our next opportunity to take on the world again.