11:30 am

Okay. I'm home. It's been all right. Just another new adventure. It was pretty weird waking up in the middle of the night Friday -- wondering where I was. I couldn't figure it out. Then I realized that I was home. I wasn't traveling anymore! I was settled. What a strange feeling! I already went to the library and took out travel books on Spain and The Sun Also Rises. I've talked to Paul, Bonnie, Steve and Bettie about moving to Spain. Could I really be serious? Things have been busy. Went to Marcia Wasung's wedding last night. It wasn't too bad. Talked to some cousins quite a bit. Cousin Michael Krakowski died on Friday. What a shock. Going to the funeral home today and the funeral tomorrow. Not looking forward to seeing the aunties in this situation. Doubleheader softball game today. It's been so hot and humid! How can I stand Detroit's extremes? It's been rough sleeping. Keep waking up at 4 or 5 am.

8:00 am

I'm going home today! How tragic! I can't believe I've reached the end of my journeys. On the train to Gatwick. I love this ride -- seeing all the chimneys! That's the distinguishing factor to me: England's chimneys. Suddenly, I can't think of anything to write. I've gone blank. I ended up walking around London yesterday. It was nice, but not as nice as I remembered. A lot of exhaust. I felt sick for the first time in a month! But I recovered. I did some window shopping at Carnaby Street and bought a shirt and some shorts at Mister Buyrights. Then I went to Covent Garden and Leicester Square. Just to observe. Very nice. I still felt a pressure to buy gifts. I did get a sweatshirt for Mike. God knows he deserves something for taking care of Dingo. Yay! Dingo! I miss him! I can't believe I've been gone a whole month. But then I can't believe it's been only a month! I'm glad I visited with Keith and Raj last night. Keith and I talked about film and video. He's a really good guy. They bought dinner for me -- Chinese. Great food.

12:40 am

I'm lucky they accepted traveler's cheques for the ferry to London. They don't accept MasterCard and the exchange office is closed. Pretty stupid, really, since Oostende is a pretty active station all night long. The ferry leaves at 2:00 am. I'll have 4 hours to sleep. Yippee! Tomorrow will be a long day. So will Friday! I'm pretty depressed about going home, but resigned to it. I have so many stories to tell! I've done so much in one month! I'm out of money. Must use my MasterCard in London. Time to get on the ferry!

7:35 pm

Same old story -- nothing's ever easy! I thought that I'd reached the end of my worries, but alas, I go to get money from my MasterCard and it's refused! I was pretty stuck then. With about £7 in my pocket and needed at least £10 for travel to Penge and Gatwick alone. Pretty annoying. Then I went to another place, and it was accepted. Thank God. Oh, by the way, it was pouring rain in Dover. And I had missed the 5:52 express, so I had to take the 7:03 instead, getting to Victoria Station at 9:30 instead of 7:30. Oh well.

8:30 am

I woke up on the train this morning, nearing Geneva. It was raining! How perfect! A trip through the mountains in the rain! This is shit. I only get hot weather, or cold and rainy. I want a refund! A woman told me it's been very hot in Geneva. Ha! Liar! I don't believe it! Only southern Europe for me now on. Who needs soggy mountains! I'll take a hot sunny beach any day! I did have chocolate and croissants for breakfast, however. Made me feel better. I'm overlooking Lac Leman now. The mountains should be beautiful in the distance, but I can barely see them. I walked down to the water to see the Jet d'Air, (it had stopped raining) but it wasn't on. Probably starts at 8:00 -- it was 7:55. But I had to get back to the station. Perfect. great way to end my trip, huh? I took the Tourist Bus yesterday in Barcelona. Didn't leave myself enough time, though. I did see Parc Guell with it's incredible works by Gaudi and the amusement park on Mount Tibidabo, but I didn't see Montjuic or the Olympic Stadium. Oh well. Barcelona was fantastic. Especially Antonio! I've met so many wonderful people on this trip! Here's my new idea. Get a video camera and offer to tape people at the Olympics and the World's Fair -- so they don't have to lug their camera around! Hmm. Possibilities! I need to learn Spanish better -- and French and German. Air conditioning and automatic sliding doors here in Switzerland. Too cold, though. The train from Barcelona to Cebrere was air conditioned, but I think it had lost it's freon. It was a long trip -- many stops -- but some fun people. An Australian guy talked about Pamplona. I guess people were jumping off a statue into the link-crossed arms of people below. One person was killed when he fell instead of jumped. A German (I had heard Swedish or Norwegian, too) girl died after being gored by a bull. So many experiences. God, I wish it were clear. I can tell this would be beautiful.

11:00 am

Maybe it's a good thing it's raining. Dreariness is easier to leave than sunshine. I'm absolutely not ready to leave, but I'm pretty resigned to the fact that I'll be on that plane in 48 hours. When I think of seeing everyone and telling them about my trip and seeing Dingo, and planning the rest of my life -- then it's okay to be going home. I'm thinking now of staying in Bruges tonight instead of going on to London, and taking a Thursday overnight ferry. That would be cutting it close!

5:45 pm

I keep thinking about talking with Antonio. I'm proud of the fact that I was able to communicate, but I wonder how he felt. I wonder if he felt I was kind of stupid. I know that's irrational, but I think that you do subconsciously think that when someone can't speak your language. In your own country. I had met a girl from Yugoslavia and she spoke English pretty well. But when she couldn't remember a word, she got all flustered and said how stupid she was. That's how I felt with Antonio. But I know I communicated much less effectively than that girl did. It caused me not to say as much as I would have liked. I guess there were some barriers. I am going on to London tonight -- if I make the connection in Brussels. What the hell -- I haven't missed one yet. I just don't look forward to London like I used to. It's a wasted day in my eyes. But I should see Keith. And maybe I'll do some shopping. I managed to spend $20 in Switzerland pretty easily. On what? I'm not sure. Lucerne turned out to be beautiful when it cleared up.

6:00 pm

I miss Mark from Leicester, His "I'm gonna shout 'Oi' in a minute," While walking near the stadium in Florence, we saw some kids writing graffiti on a wall. So Mark shouted "Oi." How funny. How British. I wish I had gotten his address -- and his picture. Florence may be my fondest memory of this trip. Aside from my Barcelona buddy. Getting on the wrong bus in the rain in Mainz. Going back to the hostel after the Hofbrauhaus in Munich. Meeting "Maude" on the way to Fulda. The anxiety of the illegal trip through Czechoslovakia. The warmth of the Polish family on the train on the way to Warsaw. The stoned times in Amsterdam -- staying out until 5 am! The Jazz Festival in Nice -- and running for the train! The dreary day at Dachau with Neil from Birmingham. What a nice guy! What an incredible journey this has been!

9:30 pm

I've been reflecting again. This kind of travel uses up every single resource you've got. Every bit of information you've learned in your life -- you use! All kinds of skills you never thought you had. You have to be so resourceful, yet so dependent. So active, so aware, so intense, so willing to learn, to accept, to adapt. It's like being an actor. Each city is a new film with a new setting, a new cast of characters. Everything changes - language, money, location, customs, expectations, people. It is a whole new world -- so different from the things you've experienced before, yet those past experiences are so necessary to survive. The challenge is incredible. The rewards, tremendous. You're changed forever. You've bonded with so many fellow travelers. All in the same boat, yet all so very different. Each with his or her own movie credits. The fact that you've touched each other's lives and make "guest appearance" in each other's movies is MIND-BOGGLING! One missed train, one changed mind, one minute's difference would change this whole world that you've created. Common goals -- varied destinations. Yet paths cross. You touch each other's lives. You become part of someone else's world. This is nothing new, of course. It happens in everyday life. But traveling makes it all so apparent because every chance meeting is so important. So intense! You're constantly creating history. Your own personal history -- and that of the people you join with.

I'm traveling to Brussels. I've been alone in a compartment for almost 2 hours now. Nice. This time is so necessary for reflection, for tidying up, for bringing together a myriad of thoughts. So many thoughts! Questions. Answers. Each day an adventure. Life lived to the fullest. So much energy! I've created much more than I've used up. I'm rarely tired (except at museums). My mind is constantly racing. Traveling is the drug for me. You see so much more -- and truly appreciate life and it's incredible potential. What a world, what a world.

8:00 am

It's kinda like saving the best for last. I met Antonio at the beach in Sitges yesterday. I first noticed him while I was in the water. He kept looking over at me. God, he was cute. When we left the water, he happened to be sitting pretty close to me. We just kept scoping out each other. It was very frustrating. I knew I needed to do something, but what? How do you do it? What do I say? Does he speak English? He went back into the water. I gathered up all the nerve I had and took the plunge. I went in after him. We swam near each other. It was obvious we needed to meet. Just go over and say, "Hola, ¿que tal?" Mike! So I did! I said I spoke little Spanish. He said he spoke no English. Shit! We came out of the water and he asked if I wanted to sit by him (At least I think that's what he said!) I moved. We talked. Rather, he talked and I tried to understand! I got most of it.

2:00 pm

I found out he's 21, a college student studying fashion, I think. It's his family business maybe. He's got 5 brothers and sisters and lives at home (darn!) We just sat on the beach, occasionally we went into the water and played splashy games. Very cute. But it was very uncomfortable. I said almost nothing. I just listened and sometimes was able to respond. Mostly, I nodded and smiled! Then he'd ask, "Entiendes?" and he'd catch me! He'd laugh and try to explain. Sometimes I just didn't get it. It was extremely frustrating. But it was a great challenge. And I enjoyed being with him. We'd go into the water and play around. He'd grab my foot or try to tickle me. I'd dunk him. Something was definitely developing, but what to do? Finally, around 6:00 pm, we left to get a drink. We talked about movies and music. It was fascinating, but still frustrating. I just wanted to communicate! But I did communicate and that was pretty impressive! Then we just walked around town. Kind like, "What do you wanna do?" "I dunno, what do you wanna do?" "I dunno." So we wandered. Somehow I mentioned the Youth Hostel and tried to explain the he couldn't spend the night, because it's a dormitorio. He didn't catch on at first. So we kept walking.

(edited!)

I made it to the Youth Hostel in time for breakfast (yuk). John from the Youth Hostel and I visited the Templa de Sagrada Familia today. Weird place. The spires are all in place, but the rest of the church is still under construction! It was great to see how a building like that is built. I saw a couple of other Gaudi buildings today. Now I'm on Las Ramblas. Thinking about going to the Olympics area and buying souvenirs!

10:00 am

I'm trying to figure out how to best utilize my remaining time. I'm staying another night in Barcelona. Then I'm taking an overnight Tuesday to Lucerne, where I'll spend three hours. Then I'll be on my way to Brussels and overnight to London, arriving Thursday morning. A long time on trains, but I'll get to see the Swiss Alps! That will be cool. Today, I'm going to the beach in Sitges. Last night, John, May, Ryan (all from Toronto), a girl from Frankfort via Yugoslavia and I went to see a laser light fountain show at the Royal Palace, but it didn't happen. Water shortage apparently. We found a cafe and had a beer instead. I could get to like Barcelona. We ran into a woman on the train who was just returning from Toronto. She said she loved the houses! How funny. The things we take for granted.

11:00 am

On the beach in Barcelona. I decided not to go to Sitges or one of the other beach towns. Do as the Barcelonans do. The sun's been in and out, so it's not too unbearable. I do love sitting on the beach. Haven't been in the water yet. I have an incredibly huge blister on one of my toes! My knees have been aching again. Went to the Picasso Museum yesterday. Almost fell asleep. I was so exhausted. But it was cool. A lot of his earlier "normal" works were there. I had planned to go to the hostel and take a nap, but no. I met a guy, John, from Toronto. We had dinner there together. He had taken a French language course in France and is now traveling -- his company gave him a leave of absence. Hmm. Wheels in my mind start turning! Maybe I should take Spanish in Spain for six months! Would the school district go for it? Should I do it anyway? I want to pursue my education anyway. Why not? I'll check into Seville. There's a World's Fair there next year, in addition to the Olympics in Barcelona. Spain's the place to be in '92. John told me about some great places in Portugal as well. He went to Pamplona for three days! Said it was an incredible party. People drank all night long, ran with the bulls at 8 am, and then crashed all day just to do it again. He said he just wore the same clothes and slept in the park for three days. What fun, though! Sorry I missed it. Could be one regret. I have to work something out. I'm not going to stay in Bloomfield Hills all my life anyway. Make the break! Ride the snake! John and I plan to go to a laser light show tonight. I still have a lot to see in town. We walked to Parc Guell after dinner last night. I love when I meet people! New location, new cast of characters! A WHOLE NEW WORLD! It's fantastic! I didn't realize that Barcelona and Catalonia were autonomous and bi-lingual. Signs are in Spanish and Catalan. It's a French and Spanish mix. Exits are called "sortidas" -- salida and sortie mixed. Very strange. I speak the language, but I don't. I have been able to get by with my Spanish. I can usually understand people -- when they talk slowly. Ahh, the sun's back out. Traveling is such an exertion. Always having to be moving or planning to move, or looking for accommodations. Very hot and sweaty all the time. No simple pleasures like playing cards or watching TV. More complicated pleasures.

6:00 pm

A panic is starting to grip me. I have to go home at the end of the week! No, I can't! Can't this last forever? The funny thing is, I'm probably spending less than I would at home! Just look at accommodations! Of course, I have no income this way. I left the beach at 2:00 pm and had lunch. Paella with oysters, octopus and prawns -- gross! Plus sangria, of course. Cost about $22. Splurge! I rambled up Las Ramblas, taking in the sights. Went to the cathedral, wandered some more. And ended up back at the beach. It's not the cleanest of beaches, mind you. But it is sand instead of stone! I am looking forward to going home so I can start researching ways to come back!