The end has come!

I am back home in cold Edmonton. It is the middle of the winter but I am so happy to be home. My last few days of travelling were emotional, exhausting but still fun. After my "party", I checked into a hostel right in the centre of Sydney so I was close to all the shops. So for a few days, I went shopping... heaven! It was nice to have a few days where I could just recap on the year in peace and quiet and spend time doing what I wanted (since that is how my whole year has been). The last day in Australia, I went on a day trip to the Blue Mountains. It was a beautiful day, perfect for seeing the "mountains" - more like hills! It was a great day where I got back to my backpacker roots and met some great people. In the evening I went to the Sydney Observatory to see the southern skies at night. It was an interesting evening despite being overcast. But we did manage to see Orion's Belt through the big telescope. Very cool.

Then it was a super long day - and full of travel. On January 6, I was at the airport by 8.00am to checkin and go through security (wasn't sure how bad it would be) and finally left Sydney at 11.25am. It was a long flight (13.5 hours) which I couldn't sleep on so I got into Los Angeles at 6.00am on January 6. I met my Uncle Woody for breakfast and finally got all my baggage and tickets sorted (I hate LAX!). It was lovely to see a familiar face and talk about my experiences. Thank you so much Uncle Woody for all the support this year - it has meant so much! Then it was back onto the plane to fly home! I arrived in Edmonton at 4.00pm and was overjoyed to see my family! It was so good to see them again - it felt like a year :) And thankfully they came with a sign so that I would find them (made me laugh rather than cry!).

I am really looking forward to tomorrow when I can see the rest of my family. We are having Christmas tomorrow. As much as I enjoyed Christmas in Australia, it just wasn't the same. So my family thought it would be a great idea to have Christmas once I got home. So tomorrow morning I will be up early to decorate the tree (half the branches have fallen off as the tree defrosts!), we'll have turkey dinner with all the trimmings and open presents. Hopefully everyone will be up for some carols and a fire. Oh, and maybe some snow angels! It will be brilliant.

But the last few days have been surprisingly easy. I haven't felt too jet lagged as I adjusted to the time difference quickly. But it's the cold that I am struggling with. I went from summer temperatures of 30 celcius to -20 celcius. Actually today it was only -6 but I was freezing! So I am trying to stay indoors as much as possible. Emotionally, I feel alright but with each passing day, it hits me that my year is over. I am home. I have to grow up and go back to work. I have to settle back into a routine with structure and responsibilities. And to be completely honest, I am really upset. I am sad that it is all over. I miss being on the road, exploring foreign places. I miss the people I have met and all those I haven't. I miss the daily struggle for basic necessities. I have loved every part of this year from the good to the bad. They have all had an impact on my life and I miss it. But I just need to focus on the future. I have great memories that I will want to tell every person and most likely bore them. But I also need to embrace the challenge of being home. And remember that this is the not the last time I will ever travel. I have been told from many travellers that the best way to adjust to being back home is to plan your next trip once you get home. So I have started. It will be short compared to the past year but it is what I want. To travel.

So, the end of my travels have come. Which I guess means that my blog has come full circle. One year ago I was getting ready to set out on a journey around the world by myself. I was nervous, worried about every detail that I might have overlooked in my planning and terrified of the challenges I would face. I was a shy, insecure and quiet girl who thought a year of trevel would be fun. I have come home an outgoing, confident and carefree woman who loves the challenges of travel and who has embraced the opportunities that have come my way. I have grown into the person I was always meant to be and I am so grateful for the opportunity.

There have been so many people that have made this year possible but I just want to mention a few that stand out right now.
First and foremost, my family. My parents have supported my dreams and encouraged me to take risks while also being there when I fell or needed comforting, encouragement or congratulations. Thank you so much Mommy and Daddy, I love you and acknowledge that this year would not have been possible without you!
To my siblings, thank you so much for inspiring me and for supporting my dreams. I have thought of you all constantly while I have been away and hope that one day we can travel together. I love you Bryan, Kristen and Jeff!
To my other family, Uncle Paul, Auntie Cheryl and Uncle Woody who have encouraged me and been there to listen to all my stories. I have so many more and hopefully you'll want to listen for years to come!
To my good friends. I remember a conversation I had with Stephanie 2 years ago when I first thought of travelling and I also remember the support and encouragement you gave me. I have taken all the advise you have given and love that you were along for the journey with me (through this blog!). I love you and look forward to years of me supporting you and being there for you and my little Prince Will. I also want to thank my good friend Ryan who has been a constant support along the way. I loved our chats via Facebook. We shared stories, you were there for me to bounce ideas off of, we laughed and cried together. It has meant so much to have that connection despite the horrendous time difference. Hopefully we can travel together soon.
To all the people who have left comments and notes either on my blog or on facebook. It always meant so much to hear back from people and to know how much you enjoyed my blog and the experiences I shared. There are so many stories so if you ever need to fall asleep, I can ramble on for hours!
To my boss and friend, Doug. It has meant a lot to me to have the opportunity to travel this year but know that I could come back to work with you after the year was over. I look forward to the challenges to come and thank you for the support you have given.
There have been so many more people that have had an impact on me this year and a general THANK YOU to all of you. It's been a great year!

I look forward to staying in touch with those I know back home and those I met travelling. And if you are ever heading my way (to lovely Edmonton, Alberta) let me know!

Lots of love, Lisa

Welcome to 2010!

It's hard to believe another year has passed. One year ago, I was winding down at work and getting ready to set out on a year of adventure. And now that is all coming to an end. 4 more sleeps and I will be on the plane home. And I am so excited.

I had a very emotional and tumultuous New Years Eve. The day started out alright by going to the zoo. They have a baby elephant which made my trip... so cute! But the closer the end of the year came, the more I struggled. I started wishing I was back home, but also upset that I want to sop travelling. Worried that I'll either hate being back home or I'll love it so much that I forget about travel. The uncertainty of the future is freaking me out. I have made it through most of the year without feeling homesick but it has hit me hard. I am exhausted and run down and missing my family.. especially at this time of the year. I really thought I was going to be alright. But I can see the end so I am starting to shut down and prepare myself for returning home. It was a rough end to the year... I just kept thinking of all the remarkable places I have seen, the amazing things I have done. And it all ends in a week!

Really, the only thing that made my day was the one thing I really wanted to see - New Years Eve Fireworks in Sydney Harbour. I was on a rooftop directly across from the Opera House with the Harbour Bridge off to the right. Perfect views of the fireworks throughout the harbour. And let me tell you, they were unbelievable!! Aussies really do love to make a show of the new year... and blow stuff up! So it was an interesting way to ring in 2010.

First task of the new year was to go to the airport early in the morning to meet a friend who was in transit over New Years. It was great to see Rachel again and spend time with her. Made me feel better. Then the rest of the day I just walked around the city, slept in the Botanic Gardens and relaxed.

Today, I went for a flight. A good friend of mine suggested I go on a flight over Sydney before I left so this morning, I went up in a C208 Cessna Caravan seaplane for a flight over the north beaches and the Sydney harbour. It was beautiful. Sydney looks the best from the air. It felt good to be doing something but now I am back to being tired and lazy. But I have to get ready, I am having a party in the Rocks tonight. Wanted a reason to celebrate the new year with the people I have met throughout the year. It will kind of be a last hurrah for me. I am actually excited. Should be a great evening. Got to run though.

Love, Lisa