HOME!

I am home.
I can't really believe that its been this long.
Traveling the way I have is a very different experience than any I've ever had before. I really get to know the people that I am staying with a lot better, and I think its great that my family is as close as it is, where I can feel welcome staying with cousins-once-removed and second cousins for a period of time.
It's also different for me, who has never spent long periods of time away from home. I got homesick every now and again, but never too bad. It's different than living on your own or being in college because I had no opportunities to meet and make friends with new people. I met a lot of new people, but I never got to see them again, like you would at school or at a job. I feel like that is what made me more homesick than anything else. I didn't have anyone that I could just hang out with.
On the other hand, I think it was a great way for me especially to travel, because I could do whatever I wanted. I could go into the city and just wander around and do whatever I wanted (which is great because I love wandering around new places). I didn't have to worry about or comply with anyones opinion except mine.
I feel like this was also a stress free way of traveling, or at least a less stressful way. I can go and do and see, but I don't have to cram everything into a couple of days, I've got a couple of weeks. Plus, I don't have to go and do things every day. I can take a break and sleep in until noon if I want to.
For those of you asking what my favorite part has been so far, I have no good answer. It was all so different. I can't compare hiking a mountain, seeing Broadway plays, spending time with my grandpa, going whale watching, walking around New York City, having Maine lobster, being able to hop on a ten minute train and explore Boston. They are all so different. They are all wonderful experiences that I hope I never forget.
Now that I'm home, I hope to keep up the blog until I set off on the next leg of the trip after the New Year. It'll be nice to be home for the holidays.
I really want to thank everyone who has let me stay with them on my journey. They let me sleep in their house, fed me, paid for my meals when we went out, paid for admissions to museums and plays, took me on road trips, and spent all of their free time with me instead of what they would normally be doing. I really can't thank everyone enough, its been a wonderful experience so far, and I appreciate everything.
Its nice to be home.