Return to the not so usual.

My return from Copenhagen took over 40 hrs. It began at 6am local time in Copenhagen, where I woke up, ate some cheese, and then caught the bus. The weather was the usual: cold and miserable. The walk to the bus station was erie, as if I were dreaming the entire scenario. I stopped at my bicycle to say goodbye and to remove the Italian seat, stuffing it in my overpacked bag.

The bus ran a few minutes late. This makes me a nervous wreck! I hate knowing that I have no control weather I will make my flight or not. After the bus, came the train. When I left for Barcelona, it seemed very simple, but this time the trains were different. Alas, I managed to find my way to the lufthavn, the Danish word for airport.

Arriving at the airport, everything went over smoothly until they found my haircutting siscors on my carry on. I had to rush back to the desk to check the bag. I dont think they charged me, but usually it costs extra. There's a tip for you. If you have more than one bag to check, do them at seperate occasions.

The flight was short to Vienna, and so was my stay. It was so foggy that I didnt see any of Austria. It was a short glimpse of the airstrip and the surrounding farmland. I ahd to rush from one gate to the other one. It felt good to see that my destination was New York City. At last...

The problem with internation flights is the obseesive nature of the flight attendants. I know it's there job, but I wish that they could arrange a better time schedule. There's no sleeping because you might miss a snack or beverage. And even if you don't want one, you will still be woken by everyone around you eating and drinking. I had pumpkin ravioli for the first meal and chef salad for the second meal. And of course, it was accompanied by a less than average tasting Austrian lager. ANNOUNCEMENT, MEAL, SNACK, BEVERAGE, SNACK, MEAL, BEVERAGE, SNACK!!! This continues for over 8 hours.

Upon arrival at JFK, I soaked the joy of being back in the land of convenience. I took the airtrain which costs $5 each way. (the American way) But wait, at least I dont have to pay to use the bathroom and there are water fountains for the poor. After a short rest in Brooklyn, I returned to the road. This time it's a bus.

I hate Greyhounds. The filth, the clientel, the stops, the drivers. Unfortunately for me, the Chinatown bus is now $110 to TN. (it use to be $40) And flying is aprox. $300 during the holidays. Greyhound it is!

I tried to sleep as much as possible for the next 19 hours. I arrived at the Knoxville bus station nearly 2 days later from the awaking in Copenhagen. Ashley was waiting for me, as she had been for 7 weeks. We clutched each other and didn't let go for what seemed like hours. This was the happiest moment of the entire adventure.

Now, as I look back on the trip, it seems as if the entire excursion were just a vision. It's amazing how quickly 7 weeks of traveling can go by. I can remember at certain points when it seemed time was going by so slowly and I was just a drifter stuck in the thickening mud. (literally, I was)

Being back has been a different world. Many things are different, and I have been in a different mind set and time zone. It takes time to adjust to the changes within myself and against others.

I am plagued with the trait of overanalyzation. It's everything from simple statements to complicated notions about existance. It's the reason for my social akwardness and the reason for so many other aspects of me.