All things must come to an end...

The day has come, I have finally arrived to the city I call home, (for now) Portland, Michigan. Arriving home just past midnight on Friday July 18th marks the official end to my life altering trip. I have a whirlwind of emotions going on right now so I wanted to past asap.

I last left you in Hollywood. I was able to experience the Glamorous part of LA for a couple days and then ride my bike with my gear on my back to Venice, CA. It is roughly 13 miles and was an amazing experience. It was challenging but rewarding. I rode through Beverly Hills, UCLA's Campus, over Rodeo Drive and into Venice. I found the hostel I was booked into, dropped my things and went to the beach, Venice Beach. I walked the boardwalk which was full of vendors, shops and street acts. A very different atmosphere then the not so far away Hollywood, a feel that matched better with my personality than Hollywood. I spent one night in Venice, a very relaxed night that followed by a very relaxed last day in California. I found myself very fortunate to be able to experience all that I had and wrote it in my long hand journal I've been keeping throughout my trip.

I landed in my home state of Michigan, Detroit to be exact around 1:00 am on July 16th. My good friend Jesse picked me up, we were both all smiles. We went back to his place, shared stories and current events then went to sleep. I slept for quite a long time. Due to the time changes my body has had different sleeping patterns to adjust to for the past two weeks. I woke up later than I usually have been, got a great home cooked breakfast and went out and explored a local park. Later on a couple of other really good friends who live in the area stopped in and we all shared stories, it felt good to see friends again. The next day (today) we rode our bikes around downtown Detroit. Oddly enough, I haven't ever done this. It was really cool to check out a familiar place and have it be a completely new experience!

Through close friends I was able to catch a ride from Detroit home to Portland. Thanks Adam and Allison! Arriving home on a weekday night where everyone is resting for their work obligations the following day makes it a bit odd. It is different being home, settling back into a place that is oh so familiar. Recognizing what has changed in a familiar place rather than looking to understand an unfamiliar place is interesting. Maybe people would enjoy more of their surroundings if they adapted a traveler's mindset and looked to understand the things they don't understand rather then finding changes in what they already know, just a thought.

It is good to be home. It will be great reuniting with family and friends. I already miss those who I came in contact throughout my travels, thank you once again to all of you for our shared moments.

This is my last narrative update on this blog. I will however, be posting pictures as I upload and edit them, so don't sign off just yet! Thank you for following along with me throughout my travels. I hope this was some form of entertainment for you and possibly inspired you to travel abroad to unfamiliar territory, meet strangers and attempt to understand our great world. I experienced a great deal on this trip, I created lifelong relationships and learned a great deal about myself, the world and cultures. Traveling is an amazing form of education, I hope everyone experiences different places!

Living the Hollywood Life

I arrived into LA around 5:30am Saturday. I caught a shuttle bus to my hostile in Hollywood. It is a pretty cool place right behind Hollywood Boulevard. I got in, took a nap, got some free pancakes and went for a walk. I checked out a couple places such as the Kodak Theatre and the Chinese Theatre. I took some of your everyday Hollywood pictures. I am not big on the whole Hollywood scene, but thought since I was in LA, it is my duty as an American citizen to check out the history of film here.

Later on in the day, I went back out and walked Hollywood Boulevard again. The nightlife is much different then the touristy stuff during the day. There are street performers all over the place just like there was in Honolulu. Pretty interesting people of all walks of life.

Today I am planning to do more of the same touristy stuff. Walking around seeing the glamour part of LA. Tomorrow I am going to Venice Beach and staying in a hostile there. I am looking forward to being back on the beach! Hopefully I can get on my bike one last time before I have to head home. As the day nears, I am looking forward to seeing friends and family.

Aloha

I am currently in Honolulu, Hawaii, finishing day three here. I have been hanging out with a few of the other CMU students, Tiff, Beck and Jeremy, they have a hotel room which has come in handy.

I had a great ending to my trip to Australia. Sydney was amazing, I met so many great people, especially Guilia (Julia) who is an Italian college student who was studying in Sydney. She had been living in Sydney for six months, and she was able to show me around a bit and give me some tips on what to do and where to eat, thank you! Bacio! I would like to thank everyone who helped my in Australia. I don't have enough room for everyone's name but you know who you are. From strangers on the street helping me with directions to people opening up their homes and their hearts, Thank You, you made my experience amazing.

My flight to Honolulu was great, Qantas is a very good airline. I Landed here and instantly felt the heat. At 10:00am it was 84 F, humid and sunny. I was all smiles, built the bike up and rode into Waikiki which is where the tourist spot is. Everything is so much cheaper than Australia, which I was shocked to find out, but I'm not complaining!

Since being here I have swam in the beautiful Pacific Ocean, layed on the Waikiki Beach, checked out a bike shop, a skatepark and rented a moped. Yes, I rented a moped. Myself and the other CMU students decided it would be a good idea, and it was a GREAT idea. We rode around the island of Oahu all day. We checked out Pearl Harbor, which was something I will cherrish for the rest of my life. I also rode around by myself and found an amazing place to take pictures. I'm really happy with a couple of them.

For now...

Lucky number Two

Consecutive posts, I must be sick! Luckily enough, the hostile I am/was staying at has free Internet, so you are benefiting. Today I woke up early and checked out of my room. Doing this you can leave your bags in the main office, but still have access to the hostile and its features, such as restrooms, showers, laundry and Internet. Good process! Anyways, so I am back at it. Once I checked out, I set off on foot with a map, my camera and a water bottle. I walked for about 3 hours, checking things out. I was able to see SO much of Sydney today. I walked around Darling Harbo(u)r, checked out the Pymont Bridge near there. Then I hiked quite a ways away to the famous Sydney Harbor Bridge which is near the Sydney Opera House. I was over taken more by the Opera House, but being able to see and take pictures of both of them is awesome! When I saw them both, I received a huge sense of cultural respect. I had to just sit and take it all in. I wish I could post a couple of the pictures I took, I was really happy with the way they turned out, which doesn't' happen too often. On my way back I felt compelled to get my special order (Raspberry Mocha) at Starbucks. This was the first Starbucks I have seen since I left the LA Airport, so it put a smile on my face. On the walk back I walked down Pitt Street. This is the high end business district of Sydney. In a pair of cargo shorts, a blue t shirt, flat bottom shoes, shaved head and a camera, I was out of place walking by designer stores like Dolce and Cabana, Prada, Gucci, Versaci, etc. Pretty much you name it, it is on Pitt Street. I can think of a few females who would have had a great time playing Barbi there. From there I continued walking and got to see the Sydney Tower. They do a good job of blocking it from the public view with other buildings and expect you to take their expensive tour. Riding up in an elevator doesn't sound oh so exciting for their prices, I may change my mind though, I'm sure the view is unbelievable.

As for tomorrow I think I am going to check out the markets. They sell everything you could think of there. Not that I am going to buy anything really, just cool to check out each city's markets. I know of a couple the surrounding parks that look really good on the map that I am going to check out. I'm sure I'll visit the bridge and opera house again! As for now, it is tucker(food) time!!

Sydney

I have arrived to Sydney! Which means I have left Perth, been to Cairns and then traveled here. Leaving Perth was VERY difficult. Saying bye to people I may never see again is hard. Saying those good byes to people who have opened up their house and their hearts makes the process much more difficult. I love those people, they have changed be personally and professionally for the best. I've learned so much from them that I could write a book, which I kind of have done through my journal. So thanks again!

Cairns was dream world. I wish I could have stayed another week and had another $3,000! There is SO much to do there. I can't upload pictures to this computer because it is a public one at the hostile, but when I can I will, you will all be amazed! It is so picturesck! I swam in the lagoon, rode their amazing skatepark and bike path, went skydiving and enjoyed the amazing "winter" weather.

Now I am in Sydney for the first night. I am staying at a hostile that no other CMU student is staying at, by choice. This trip is a learning experience and a chance to adjust to those suttle uncomfortable situations, something I am grateful for. Tomarrow is going to be a lazy day. I'll be just riding around taking pictures figuring out what I want to really do while I am here. I think it is the best way to travel if you have time. Just show up, find a place to stay, eat and be entertained. The experience then feels more authentic and ultimately more enjoyable. Keep up the comments and e-mails, I'll anwser them when I can!