“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until she comes home and rests her head on her old, familiar pillow.”

Well, we're here....we landed in Edmonton late last night greeted by Vinny's smiling face (the airport pick up guy!) It was a long, painful journey home, and the snoring symphony in our hostel for the two nights prior to our departure did nothing to help us ease into the journey ahead! We were able to collectively sleep two hours in those two nights in that hostel. We woke up at 3:30 in the morning to go the the airport in Singapore to fly to Hong Kong. As much as we had grandiose plans to do some sight seeing in Hong Kong, a few snapped pics of some big buildings used all the energy up that we could muster, and we resorted to a pub for a beer and back to the airport to await the plane taking us back to Canada. 

For some reason, when we checked in there were only single seats available (Even though we checked in three and a half hours before departure!)...so for the twelve hour flight ahead, Leif and I sat beside complete strangers! I managed to snag myself a sweet seat with a ton of leg room, but as soon as I sat down I realized how ridiculous I was being as Leif's legs are quite literally twice as long as mine.  Ever the gentleman though, he refused to switch with me as he wanted me to sleep, and I was able to sneak in four more hours of much needed sleep...and Leif watched a total of seven movies....and didn't sleep a wink!

Then twelve painful hours later, we arrived in Vancouver...the three hour layover there went pretty fast though, and before we knew it we had landed in Edmonton!  Being home so far is a wee bit strange. What happened to....

• tuk-tuks?
• street vendors?
• driving on the left hand side?
• disorderly traffic?
• palm tree jungles?
• beaches?
• backpacks?
• a warm breeze at night? (brrrrrr!)
• having every meal prepared for me?
• getting my laundry done for me?
• 7-11 selling beer?
• wild monkeys?
• the ocean?

Though I will miss nearly everything about SE Asia, home ain't so bad either. Leif and I will always make going on trips a priority...maybe not five month trips, but many different trips to see different parts of the world, we will plug away at seeing it till we dead and gone. 

I can't believe how much travelling has opened my eyes, packing up your life into a backpack for five months to live in another part of the world...I mean, it's bound to change a person.  Travelling  was the best way for me to learn.  I was a girl who knew NO geography, had never seen any cultures outside of North America, didn't know much world history (or had memorized it for a test, and promptly forgot it the next day), but as we travelled I read over 20 books, more than half being about history, culture, environmental issues, wars and struggles. Not only did I learn through books, but by taking it all in by visiting religious temples, war memorials, and by watching them live day to day. I realized that my way of life isn't necessarily the only way to go. They seemed perfectly content living a simple kinda life where possessions weren't everything, which I think is pretty admirable.  Cambodia was my eye opener....it'll always be that place where I had  that indescribable "moment."

Anyways, got a little deep there cuz this blog will be the end of the road for my blogging adventures.  I have enjoyed every minute of keeping everyone updated on our travels! We had the best time EVER!!! SE Asia stole a little piece of my heart!

Can't wait to eventually catch up with everyone over a glass of wine and hear about what's going on in your lives!

Love you all! xoxo