The Beginning of the End

July 3rd, 2009

20:38EDT: Here I am on my flight home right now flying over Baffin Island (cold snow covered Baffin Island), I did have a neighbour for a little bit but then family had a place near them. So its nice I have a 2 seater row all to myself.
The end of my Adventure. I have been on the go since 0430 this morning. To check out of the hotel I got for the night, to get to the train station to catch the first train to the Flughafen (Airport) at 0502 hours.
Just and FYI: this post is going to be very random, and all over the place, I have about 3 days to make up for so bare with me.

Last night for my last night in Europe, I met up with Helga, an ex staff from Sweden in the Fall 2008 season. She is still in Switzerland as a student, and on an Au Pear (something like a student exchange I believe) system, and comes out to Kandersteg for the weekends. We grabbed a few drinks, sat down by the lake, and just took it easy. Zurich See (Lake Zurich in English) is very beautiful, and apperently warm because everyone was diving in off the bridges.

My night train to get into Zurich, didn't seem long, but then again I slept (and I didn't feel like a slept a lot either). But it was weird… I was asleep, and I guess I had a feeling or something, because at 0523 in the morning, I woke up, and the train was passing through Kandersteg. I just missed the Chalet, but out of any times that I could have woken up!!
I arrived in Zurich at around 0845 and just went to look for a hotel. I was glad to be back on the CHF because it was a cheaper conversion rate (1.00 CAD= ~1.05CHF) but the hotel room by the Bahnhof (train station) still set me back 170.00 CHF ( I wasn't really worried, it was my last night and I was under my budget anyway). However it was nice, I unpacked everything in my bags, looked at what I needed, and what I could shove to the bottom. I had a nice nap at 1000, and a shower. After I went and did what I usually did, went for a walk to get lost and see the city. I ended up walking to the University Hospital, Saw REGA (Equivalent to our STARS) land, wound up at this really nice beach volleyball courts, with a grassy area by the lake's river that cuts through Zurich. It was hot out so everyone was there, getting their summer glow.

My last day in Rome. I met up with Leah and Kat (the 2 Canadian's I had met in Vienna) and we went through the Museni Vaticini ( Vatican Museum). We had decided to met at the huge obelisk in the middle of the front grounds of the Vatican. I had got through the gates easier before, but this morning they were having mass outside, so police were there searching bags, and people. Which I don't really get, because Techniqually the Vatican is a 52 acres sovereign state (or Country) within the walls of Rome. So I would have thought that Rome Police wouldn't be able to exit out of the country (this being Italy) or even Rome for that matter. Despite the Vatican being "Protected" by Swiss Guards. Which is really cool because the Swiss are awesome! Then we went to the Coliseum, and the Palentine and Forum. As a side note: I don't think I could ever drive in Rome, you have cars upon cars, and scooters, upon cars, upon cars. When you cross the street you are taking you life into your own hands whether you have the cross lights or not. You have police cars with lights on for no reason, so you have no idea who's coming or going, scooters speeding past police cars, and nothing, its crazy! Well in all of Europe all the motorbikes and scooters, push to the front so you have to wait for them to go which ever way they are going , and then its just Crazy.

Back to Today: I guess I am just used to waiting now, I departed Zurich at 0655 and landed in Amsterdam at 0745 and then had to wait about 7 hours for my flight directly back to Calgary. But the time seemed to go by pretty fast, I read, I listened to Music, read some more, went shopping, went for a short walk. I was debating about going into Amsterdam again just to get out, but I decided against it because I didn't want to accidently miss my flight, whether loosing track of time, or train breaking down or what not. When I get home it will be Midnight on my "International clock" as mom calls it. But after being there for 4 months it hardly seems like my "International Clock". Since it would be Midnight Europe Time it is 1600 hours Calgary Time. So I lose an hour with all the flying. Not bad eh! I get my day all over again! Whether I'm exhausted or not.

Today is the first day of Stampede and I have my cowboy hat out, and traveling. Like a good Calgarian should. And Just for this trip I pulled out my Pink!! Yes just when I thought I had gotten away from the colour Pink, it seems to sneak back up on me. Also at the of our KISC season, we were each given a GIANT envelope with stuff in it. I said that I would not read it until at least the plane back to Calgary, and I kept to just that. In the envelope was letters, and posters, and it was great!! I read the letter our PR guy (Tati) made, we never really talked but it was a very sincere letter, so Tati if you read this, thank you!

Tomorrow at 0500 if I am up, I have to go help out with our Lions club, to set up and start cooking breakfast for the 19th Annual Bowness Stampede Breakfast and Parade. And I see my Scouts and join in the Parade (It's like a welcome home parade JUST FOR ME!!! Haha I can be so cynical at times.

I CAN'T ACTUALLY BELIEVE I'M GOING HOME. I'm excited to be, but then it is really weird because its been so long, I have had my own rules, my own curfew, my own agenda. Now I'm going back to live back under my parents rules, have a curfew (if I don't want to wake anyone up with alarm sounds, or getting the third degree for being out all night), and I guess I learnt a new patience for people (I hope anyway) with trying to get by with a language for 4 months. I'm still in the mind set of speaking foreign languages, and probably will have it for a while, until I do become fully comfortable with Canadian English again.
So now that I am home, my plans or To Do list:
Get off GDL
Apply to take Class 4
ROAD TRIPS
I GUESS WORK (only to make back the money I spent on this trip)
Vacation MORE!!
Explore!