All good things must come to an end

This is also true of good travels. They must finish and I must return home, to reality. I am currently sitting at an internet cafe in Geneva, Switerland writing what will probably be my last blog update from the road. Perhaps when I return home I will try to add one more giving reflections to the things that have stuck with me. I don't even know if there is interest out there for it. Let me know... But the last few days in this beautiful country have been some of the best of this whole trip. Partying with the friends I've made in Interlaken were too much fun, even though they left me physically exhausted on more than one night. Not even naps could re-energize me fully. Spent 13 hours yesterday travelling in the western part of the country visiting Luzern. I was meant to stay there for the day and travel back to Interlaken for the night and couch surf in Liechtenstein the following day. After spending a few hours in Luzern, I felt like I saw what I needed to see and that I could accomplish the same thing in Liechtenstein on the same day. This is another benefit of the European rail system...just hop on a train and you're there in no time! I came on this trip wanting to visit 5 countries, and I am proud to say - mission accomplished!Within 2 hours, I was in a whole other country! They even stamp your passport at the Liechtenstein tourism office! I know full well I could have stayed at least another day to hike the many trails in this tiny country, but to be perfectly honest, I am ready to go home. Travelling so much is quite draining physically, emotionally and certainly finacially. It doesn't help to do it all alone as well - at least when having a travel companion you can rely on one another to support you when you're feeling tired and take charge. But this is all me, all the time. I feel like I need a vacation from my vacation lol Now I don't want to make it sound like I am lonely or miserable. Quite the opposite actually. I have loved my 2 week trek - every moment of it. I have met so many wonderful people and I hope to have made life-long friends! I am certainly glad I did it, and all that I had set out to do. Ok, so I didn't get to Pisa, or do the Jungerfrau, but those will always be there to visit (well, so long as the tower doesn't fall over or the glaciers don't melt); and I definately plan to come back to do them someday! Back to the present though; as mentioned, I am in Geneva. The large city along the border of France. It is quite lovely in its own right, but for me at least, pales in comaprison to where I just was in Interlaken. The mountains are distant and ghost-like in the horizon. The town is dominated with offices and banks rather than toursit shops. The people here dress in suits and ties on their way to their bank jobs, rather than dressed in outdoor adventure gear heading off to jump out of a plane. Even the languages are competely diffrent. You would think I was in an entirely different country. But I guess that is the beauty of this land. So many differences under one flag. It makes me think of home, and makes me wonder if they have similar political issues as we do here. But, that research will have to wait until I am home. I will be leaving tomorrow out of Geneva at 12 if all goes according to plan. Once again, I will be flying standby and so will have to keep my fingers crossed that I even get on the plane. Fingers double crossed because my bank account is yelling at me to go home and stop abusing it! I have more souvenirs than I have space I think, and the craziest part of all: most of them aren't even for me! With over 20 people on my list to buy gifts for, it takes up a lot of space, even if I have tried to keep them all small! But I think it is worth it. A small token to show my gratitude of friendship and to show that you are in my thoughts. Isn't that what it is all about? As I wrap up this blog of my trek across Europe, I guess it's only appropriate to say thanks for reading it. It hardly seems worth it otherwise. While I may have kept some stories from the eternal memory of the internets, I hope you have enjoyed the ones I have shared, but it will cost you at least a drink, if not dinner to hear the ones I haven't ;-) See you all soon!