The Final Post

Written from Redondo Beach, California, United States of America:

Blog Frequently Asked Questions

Or the questions you may be thinking to yourself...

What books did you read on your trip?
I read a total of six books while abroad (listed in chronologic order):  The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, The Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer, Atonement by Ian McEwan, Enduring Love by Ian McEwan, Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel and Neither Here Nor There by Bill Byrson (still in process of reading).   Now I will list them in order of favorite to least favorite: Atonement, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Septembers of Shiraz, Enduring Love and Beatrice and Virgil.

What are the items that you packed that came most in handy?

Leg warmers and Doc Martens= two necessary items for traveling in winter.  I originally thought leg warmers were nothing but a 80s fashion trend, but they really did keep my legs warm!  Placed on top of jeans or tights, they turned any outfit exceptionally warmer.  The Doc Martens were perfect for the winter wet and cold, plus they’re very comfortable, durable and very stylish in Europe!  I also have to include my little Moleskin (the brand) notebook.  I kept it with me in my purse everywhere I went and it came in handy for writing down train routes, email addresses, etc.

What will happen to your blog now?

I plan to turn my blog into a coffee table book.  Does anyone have any suggestions of a website that can do this for me?  This way I will have a hard copy of my blog that I can show to friends for years to come.

Do you know how many blog views you had in total?

Yes.  The blog host I used keeps track of a variety of statistics.  Here are some interesting ones:

• Total pageviews: 3,783
• Pageviews by browsers: Safari (57%), Firefox (19%), Internet Explorer (16%), Chrome (5%) and Mobile (<1%).
• Pageviews by operating systems: Macintosh (64%), Windows (33%), and all others under 1%.
• Most of my readers are from the US, but other notable mentions are United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy.

Looking back, where were your favorite places you visited?

As a country, Scotland was my favorite.  As far as cities go, my favorites are Edinburgh, Paris and Amsterdam. 

Where do you want to travel next?

Well, as many of you know, I will be studying abroad in Australia starting in July for one semester.  Once I return to the States in late December 2011, I want to take a road trip up the West Coast.  I plan to explore Northern California above San Francisco as well as Oregon and Washington and hang out in Canada for a bit.  My second trip idea is to see Ireland and Scotland again (in fairer weather) and then fly to Spain and Portugal.

What did you learn from your trip?  How has it changed you as a person?

I have come to two significant conclusions as a result of my trip.  First, the world has shrunk.  When watching the news of the horrors in Japan right now or the war in the Middle East, it is easy to feel so small and isolated in our own little bubble of safety.  Now that I have become well traveled I feel like the world is a smaller place; all it takes is a plane ride and I can be across the world.  In the morning I was in Switzerland and by night (figuratively) I stepped off a vessel in Los Angeles.  Just as easily I could be in Los Angeles one morning and Japan the next.  Our world really isn’t that big.  This feeling comes with two sides to the coin: the first side is a very comforting one – people are all the same around the world.  I can connect with humans on all parts of the planet, and that is a really cool feeling.  On the other hand, the world’s problems now weigh heavier on my mind.  I feel more integrated into the planet earth and worry about what will become of it.

My second conclusion is a realization about my own identity.  Prior to my trip I obviously knew I am an American, born and raised in California.  That is just a fact.  However, my identity as an American and more specifically as a Californian became very strong as I ventured through Europe.  When people I asked where I was from, I answered “Los Angeles, California” with pride I had never felt before.  I had also never felt patriotic or especially proud to be American, but I really did on my trip.  Every time I had to show my blue bound American passport, I felt proud.  As much as I am an American, I am a Californian.  California is my home now and forever.  You will be happy to know that I am not packing up to move across the ocean.  After all my travels I have found that California is where I belong. 

Happy to be home!  That is my bunny rabbit Wally.