Milwaukee, Wisconsin
32 days later, I have officially returned from Southeast Asia. I'm back in the grand U.S. of A.
I'll keep this post short, as I commemorated the trip pretty well in my last post. It's a rainy day here in Wisconsin, with the air an unbelievably cool 75 degrees Fahrenheit. I'm really home.
It feels odd to be back in my hometown, knowing I have a full summer ahead of me here. I actually start work tomorrow at 5:30 a.m.; this transition will be about as abrupt as it was leaving for Asia. A full circle.
Although I'm feeling very jet lagged -- and although I could have kept traveling forever -- I also feel happy. Blissful. However you want to say it. This trip was an incredible, wild, humbling, hilarious, beautiful experience, and I am grateful to have gone. It's always good to say thanks, and I'll do it one more time: to the wonderful people I met along the way, to my amazing travel partner, to my parents who didn't (to my knowledge) have a fit about my departure, to the residents of the new countries with their welcoming attitudes. With their help, I've made memories I really will never forget.
I'd also like to give a huge thanks to you for reading about my adventures. There really are some crazy stories, and I have been happy to tell them.
As of now, it's time for me to unpack, grab some classic American mac 'n cheese, and try to avoid sleep until a reasonable 5 p.m. Midwestern time. One thing's for sure: I know I'll have some good dreams tonight.