Thirteen Months In

While I'd like to focus on the fact that I've made it through thirteen months on the road, the fact remains that I'm down to the last twenty-three days of my trip. I still have a few travel items I'm highly anticipating: basking in somewhat cooler temperatures in the Vietnamese Central Highlands around Dalat, seeing the sunrise over the temples of Angkor Wat, catching up with old school friends I haven't seen in close to two decades when I breeze through the UK; but I'm finding more and more that my thoughts are turning backwards.

At the beginning of September, I was reflecting on the fact that a year previous I was living and volunteering in a favela in Rio de Janeiro. Last night, I sat on the sleeper bus between Hoi An and Nha Trang comparing it most unfavourably to the long boat ride up the Amazon I undertook just one year ago. It's weird.

When I booked my flights back to Toronto -- from Siem Reap through Kuala Lumpur through London -- a huge shift in my mental state took place. It was like a switch got flipped; those tickets were real, tangible proof I was headed back to Canada. I still had more than a month left when I confirmed everything, but when I look forward now, I'm thinking mostly of home.

I'm looking forward to being able to play with my nephew. I'm looking forward to access to a widely expanded wardrobe. I'm looking forward to catching up with all the friends and family I haven't seen in freaking ages. I'm looking forward to eating at Burrito Boyz and Craft Burger and my weekend, post-run greasy-spoon breakfasts at Wimpy's. I'm looking forward to training for the Sporting Life 10K and the new Toronto Half-Marathon in the Spring, and wondering how much time I'll get on my road bike before the winter really sets in. I'm really, really looking forward to a good ol' Canadian Winter; I am so bloody done with South-East Asian heat.

I'm making no two bones about it: ending the whole long-term travel thing will suck. And I've heard that the whole reintegration into a "normal" life, after such a long time away, will be tough. But I'm instead trying to focus on the good things; trying to view the trials of returning home as just the next challenges that must be met. Besides, it's not like I won't be travelling again. I just need a bit of a break first. And breaks are good.

Related Entries:
1. Twelve Months In
2. Eleven Months In
3. Ten Months In