Accomplishments

11 years after my study abroad year in Belgium, I returned last week to celebrate Christmas with my old host family. The cold that I predicted after Thailand was/is not nearly as bad as I thought it would be (although cold rain sucks, and there's been a lot of that - Belgium has the worst weather). As predicted, I forgot about some of the names of people I knew and even about trips to Amsterdam and other events. I have a horrible memory, but that's why it's good to go back.

I celebrated (as in struggled to not fall asleep before midnight) New Years in Grenoble, France with friends.  We decided to look back on the year and make resolutions, something I usually don't always do. But 2013 was a pretty massive year for me. I once peed into a volcano in Guatemala. I once peed into both the Mississippi and the Potamac River in the same day (a one day field trip in College to Washington D.C. from Minnesota). I can now add peeing on the Alps and more impressive in my opinion, peeing off of the Great Wall of China (see pic. below, no not of me peeing, but of me at the Great Wall of China).

Maybe it's more of an accomplishment though that I've somehow now gone almost 5 weeks without a phone ever since it was stolen during that dubious end of Uganda time. I've gotten used to living without Google Maps, Whatsapp, and email at my fingertips every moment. It is refreshing and while it is a pain meeting up with friends especially, it's not as bad as I would have thought. Being home I am sure it will be somewhat different.

London was my last stop. I am now finally off to the States, leaving tomorrow. It's a bittersweet moment but hopefully new adventures await me back in the US of A. What am I looking forward to most about being back?
*Being able to cook at home in a real kitchen again and not eating out all of the time as I have been doing for several months
*Driving my car (didn't think I would really miss it but I do)
*Playing music (piano)
*Fast and reliable internet
*Being in one place and having a real home again
*Good filtered or manual brew coffee. Basically anything but espresso (not that I don't like espresso it's just that it seems like it's only the US where getting a non-espresso coffee is so easy)
*Not having to use a power adapter anymore, OK this one's weak, I know

Getting to the gondola that transfers us to the slopes in the Alps with friends

Natural History Museum of London Aviation exhibit

Confucious' Temple, Beijing, China

Former Belgian host mom Dominique with new(ish) grandson Loue