I’m sitting on the floor in my sleeping bag at the San Jose airport. I have an overnight layover before flying to Atlanta via Dallas. Long day, but I’m used to it at this point. I still can’t believe I’m on my way home. My dad and brother will pick me up from the airport tomorrow, and my mom will be home cooking my favorite meal.

When I get to the Atlanta airport I will have survived 27 take-offs and landings in the last eight months. Which says a lot for someone that is terrified of flying. Everyone told me it would get easier, but just for the record, it hasn’t :)

I’ve met people from all over the world that I love and would have never met otherwise. I fell in love. I have so many photos to look back on and tear up over. I feel a thousand times more confident in my ability to survive and have fun in the world. I don’t feel tied down to any particular place. I’m excited about where I’ll go and what I’ll see next.

Round the World Part One, I love you.

Night night.

Today I fly home! Mixed feelings about it for sure. I can’t wait to see a large group of friends and family, and I’m lucky that I’ll get to do some work while in town (assuming my car will still run). I am NOT looking forward to being “stuck” in one place for two months though. I already know that I’m going to go crazy being back in my hometown for so long, which seems ridiculous when I think about the fact that I lived my entire life there before leaving for this trip. I guess I just want to keep moving. Going on this trip has been the best thing I’ve ever done, and this year has easily been the best of my life. Fortunately, I know I’ll stay really busy in Atlanta while I’m there, and at the beginning of January I’ll be off again! I have no idea where to yet though. Have to figure that part out over the holidays. Anyways, if you’ve kept up with me I really really appreciate it, and I’m always looking for travel friends if anyone is inspired to up and go with me :)

Here is another small video from some of my time in Kauai. Sadly, I spent the last few days here sick, so I didn’t get to do some of the awesome things I had planned. At least I know I’ll be back here before too long! I would miss everyone too much not to at least visit…

Aloha for now..

Only one week left in Hawaii! I’ve been kayaking some more, drove out to Waimea Canyon, and laid around the beach reading for the most part. Katie and Mara have shown me some new places and we have hiking, camping, and a beach bonfire planned before I leave.

More Kayaking.

No rain lately, so Secret Waterfall was a little dry..

Waimea Canyon.

Sooo many stars in the sky..

Cooking around the fire.

Katie and Mara on our walk to Queen’s Bath.

Tunnels Beach.

Needless to say Kauai is perfect! Everything you look at belongs on a postcard. Colorful flowers and blue water everywhere. I’m staying at my friend Sean’s house half of the time and his sister Katie’s house the other half. Sean works at Kayak Kauai so I get to go Kayaking whenever and Katie has an awesome outdoor tea house with a bed under the stars for guests. Also at Katie’s house are her husband, James, two little boys, and Mara (from Germany) and Jamie (from Atlanta). It’s nice having friends that know their way around the island.

Leaving Phoenix..

First Mai Tai!

Up at 1am thanks to jet lag..

Kayak Kauai

Capt’n Sean

Katie and James’ awesome tea house :)

Hiking with my Red Bull and no pants!

Never surfed a day in my life.

I read that this rice paddy was planted in Hanalei for a movie to make it look like Vietnam.

Some kid told me that flower is full of spiders.

Flip and Ari, they belong to James and Katie.

Mara from Munich :)

Katie in an awesome bathroom.

One week in! Two more to go. I’ve been considering the possibility of moving here at some point in the not too distant future. I booked my flight to Atlanta for October 24th, home for the holidays!

I can’t believe an entire month in Iceland is already over. Tomorrow will be a long day…I leave in the morning to catch the bus to Reykjavik, my flight leaves at 7pm, I’m going to spend the night on the airport floor in Denver, fly to Phoenix at 6am the next morning, then I finally land in Hawaii on October 3rd at 2pm. First time back in America in seven months. I’m looking forward, obviously, to seeing friends and family, but I’m already ready to head back out.

I’m spending my last day in Iceland doing laundry in a bucket, cooking dinner, and packing. Ha. Leaving here is definitely bittersweet. It’s beautiful here and I will miss Martin, but I’m ready for sunny Hawaii and he can come visit me in Atlanta in November :)

Blonduos, where our little cabin resides.