*cough*

Photos are here.

Today is my last full day in Europe. I left Grindelwald this morning with the intention of at least checking out Zurich when I changed trains. It didn’t happen. I was looking forward to my room too much. And it was too warm. And the cities (actual cities, not towns) have all started to look the same.

It seems like not too long ago that I was sitting in my guest room finishing up my bags and talking to Krissy about the trip. But somehow Amsterdam seems like sooooooo long ago. Prague seems like sooooo long ago. Still, the trip went entirely too fast. Weird how that works.

I leave Switzerland at 6:55am, and I leave Amsterdam again at 10:30. I have feelings about it, but I’m not sure what they are yet. Earlier this week I felt pretty satisfied with the trip and was ready to come home. Now, while still satisfied with an amazing trip, I am conflicted about coming home. I would stay an extra few days and go to France if I could. I’ll have to save it for another trip. Home means real life again, and this was a good break from that.

I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever hugged a washing machine before, but I guarantee that I will tomorrow.

The only thing I did wrong was I nearly ALWAYS chose the wrong side of the train for the best view. I don’t think I’d trade slightly better seats for good weather, though. I had amazing weather luck the whole time… a drizzle in Amsterdam, a drizzle in Prague, and clouds leaving Venice as I arrived. It’s been downright warm everywhere I’ve been this week, and that includes the top of the world.

I wonder if I’ll remember the little stuff like the weird key that had to be stuck in the wall for the electricity to work at the Hotel Centauro (and just how long it took me to figure THAT one out), all the different toilet flushing mechanisms, how much I love bread and strawberry jelly, how I always felt like I was on a train, even when standing on solid ground (and how that freaked me out juuuuuuust a little bit when I was using the bathroom inside the Eiger when the train paused at one of the view points en route to the top).

I wonder about a lot more things. This is not the forum for all that, though.

After having fulfilled the dream of traveling through Europe alone, I think next time I'd rather go with someone. After the first few times of turning to find someone to share my excitement and finding no one there, I thought I should consider it next time. I always thought I'd do this alone, and I'm glad I did... but there's no substitute for shared experience.

Tonight I’ll stay near the hotel to eat. Since I already paid for my room and didn’t realize I had, I’ve got a nice wad of Swiss cash to spend on a phenomenal dinner. One last hurrah.

I’ll see you all soon.

There will be more from a different kind of trip in the next few days… the “Great American Road Trip” slash Charmparticles tour. I’ve got to get my head into a different space in a hurry. But I can do that on the plane.

Thank you for reading.

Love ya.