I have been home now for a full week. Most of that time has been spent attempting to organize my life here in the States. The rest of that time has been used telling stories and reliving the adventures that Adam and I took part in while traveling. With every story I tell and every picture I describe, I continually feel a new found sense of appreciation: appreciation for my own country, appreciation for countries around the world (especially in Europe, considering that is where we visited) and a special appreciation for the people, both young and old, who pack their bags and get out and see the world. The one observation I took from this trip, that has been in my mind for many weeks now, is realizing how important traveling is to the people of so many countries. On our journey, I met more travelers from Australia than any other country in the world. Australians seem to have been hit hard with the "Travel Bug." Good for them. They understand "it." They appreciate travel!
The one item that made our trip unique and adventurous is the fact that we really had no plans. All we had before leaving the States was a plane ticket to Scotland and another plane ticket to Germany - and of course return tickets for each. That left us with a total of 2 weeks in Scotland and 3 weeks in Germany and the surrounding countries. I will never forget arriving in Germany and looking at a map of Europe and right then and there planning where to go next. Sure we had suggestions and ideas of where we might go, but nothing was set in stone until we jumped into the car, programmed the navigational system, and headed off down the road. We were never restricted to staying in one place for a certain amount of time. As long as we could afford to stay, we did. When we were ready to go, we left. When we met new people, we gave them a ride. The spontaneous actions of this trip made it special.
When it comes down to it, traveling is more than a plane ticket and a hotel room. Traveling is about embracing a new culture: attempting to speak the language, meeting new people, spending the currency, eating the food, using the public transportation, feeling out of your own comfort zone, and fully understanding why and how people in another country live their daily lives. Traveling is more than just an experience and some pictures. Traveling is a life lesson; one that will only be fully understood and respected with more travel. I expect to continue on with that lesson.
So here I sit now, in my cold house in Franklin, Indiana, USA, knowing I spent 5 weeks in Europe, saw 12 cities, drove 1,500 miles, and walked through history - bringing back with me the stories to teach and pass on in hopes of inspiring others to catch the "Travel Bug."
When I take a break from thinking about this trip, I find myself thinking about where to go next. However, I know that this trip was possible because of so many different people. Therefore I would like to thank the following: my Mom and Dad, my sisters, and the rest of my Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, and Cousins who always seemed to inspire me with their words or encouragement and guidance. Thank you to my girlfriend Krissy and all of her family for their understanding and excitement while I was away. Thank you to all those that pointed us in the right direction: Doc Howald, Sherri and Ellis Hall, Karen Burgard, Linda Arrey, Coach Marshall, and Marcia Grossnickle. And a special thanks goes to all those that housed us, put up with us, and allowed us to be apart of their lives for so long: Tom and his family Julie, Kevin, Andy, Georgia and Mark, and Camey, Uncle Art and Aunt Carol, Tom's friend Mark and the rest of the gang at Ogstons, Goose and his family Connie, Jentz and Thilo, and his friend Simon and his girlfriend. I would finally like to thank our new friend Ben. Without Ben this trip would have been much less exciting and entertaining.
Thank you all and Carpe Diem!
Paul