California

The ultimate destination before returning to Austria was California. At the beginning of the journey I had been absolutely determined to visit South America while on this trip, for the first time, finally! Curiously enough, booking the flight didn’t work out three times in a row for technical reasons, and then it became an option to go see my brother at his new residence of choice: Los Angeles. I followed the direction.

It was heart-warming to have family time, celebrate and relax. Time added up to three weeks before we moved on to The Bay Area and Yosemite National Park. For a long while we hadn’t decided upon how long to travel, now it became clear. We were stuffed with impressions we had yet to process. Adapting again and again, finding what we needed in systems and infrastructures different from the familiar felt tiring. All money spent. We missed our really close friends and family. We weren’t genuinely open for the unknown at this point, after then months on the road. From my past experiences I had gained the opinion that returning is an essential element of travelling. Integrating all the events, insights, encounters, emotions and pushing of limits on the way. Returning to what I thought I knew, but Earth has been turning over here as well, so where do I actually return to? Being who?

I think travelling is one of the most substantial forms of education. I learned there are endless ways to do one thing (yes, there are!!!). I learned to watch, to listen and to understand how people lead their lives, I learned to wait, to seize a chance and just go. The easiest thing to do was to be grateful. Because people all over the world shared their homes, their stories, their food with me, regardless we were strangers. They showed me respect and admiration, just for being me. I learned to play the bass and to produce my sound. Meditate. Ride a motorbike, too. I learned to let go without regret. I put my hands on carpentry, constructing, gardening, teaching, farming, I walked countless miles, found my way and I did it all myself, never alone.

Thanks for listening!