The End!

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Last blog entry from me!

It has been an amazing 6 months of which I have some fantastic memories. I have learnt so much and feel so lucky to have experienced some of the things I have and met some of the people that I have. It is such an eye opener to see how some of the people in this world live and what they have to go through each day just to get by. I realise now how much I take for granted.

Obviously all these highs are not without some lows. I remember someone saying to me the night before I came away to always remember that tomorrow is a different day and I didn't take too much notice at the time but I soon learnt how true it was. There were some days (not many!) where I just wanted to pack my things and come home as being away for so long felt like the hardest thing in the world but the next day I would be fine and wonder why I even considered it!

I have thought long and hard about my favourite and worst places as people have warned me along the way that it will be the first thing people at home ask! My highlights have to be Chiang Mai, Open Water diving course in Thailand, karaoke in Japan, Sydney, Ayers Rock, NZ for the extreme sports, Pachamamas tour in Chile, Pampas jungle trip in Bolivia, Machu Picchu, Vegas and obviously seeing people from home along the way - Marc and Tony in Thailand, Ian in Japan, Kylie in Australia and Jane and Doran in New Zealand. Thanks again to you all for putting us up!

I find it a lot harder to list places that I didn't like as even those places that I liked less had good points to them for example Pnom Penh in Cambodia I didn't like very much but S21 and the killing fields were good to see and Friends Restaurant was cool and I liked the rest of Cambodia. I've come to like the places that are least like home as it's where you learn the most and feel thankful for what you have at home. I also found it very interesting learning about other people's favourite and worst places and came to realise that everyone has their own opinion as I found quite often that the places that others raved about I didn't like as much and it was the places that I'd heard hardly anything about or that others weren't keen on that I really liked.

I have met some great people on this trip who I will definitely keep in contact with at home. It was so strange bumping into people in different countries weeks or even months later. I was constantly amazed too at some of the lengths total strangers went to to help us out.

I want to say a big thank you to everyone at home for reading my blogs over the last 6 months and also to the people I don't know who have sent me some lovely emails. It's nice to know that others have enjoyed it as well. I hope you all liked the pictures - plenty more where they came from!

Thanks also to my guardian angel who saw to it that I made it to the end of this trip intact. Not an easy job considering some of the near crashes I've been in, dodgy border crossings, near drownings, jumping out of places etc. I didn't make it easy!

Thanks also to the girls for putting up with me - Suzanne for the time she was with us and Deaks the whole way. We've all had our tolerance levels tested to the limit, it's not easy being together 24/7 for so long especially when you're someone who likes their own space (have just realised that all the thanking is starting to sound like an Oscar speech but nevermind!).

I'm catching my flight home tonight and am really looking forward to coming home. I've missed my family and friends so much and my flat and the silly things I take for granted every day. Can't wait to see everyone but first things first I can't wait to throw all the clothes away that I've had to wear day in day out and I'll be putting the backpack away and I don't want to see it again for a very very long time!

THE END

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