The Pursuit of Leisure Don't expect too much, and you won't be disappointed.

Back home! I boarded my flight from NYC early this afternoon. It was the perfect day to leave since it was a most rainy day in New York. But I had a smooth cab ride and the most perky flight attendant ever on my flight. He was super cheerful about everything and when we started our final descent into Houston he went through the cabin and thanked all the passengers. I think I finally found the solution to being able to sleep on an airplane: first class. Now that I've had a taste of it I never want to go back. My luggage was the 2^nd and 3^rd bag that came down from baggage claim, and then it was a completely traffic-free ride back to my house.

My vacation weight settled in at a gain of 4.4 pounds! Good times! The only regret I have on this trip is that I wish I had planned out a few things before I had left other than just hotels, but overall I'm very happy with the way things turned out during vacation. This is the first vacation I've spent 100% solo. When I spend vacations with good friends I always have a great time, but traveling by yourself, although challenging, is always rewarding. You will no doubt get lost, have trouble dragging your luggage up a flight of stairs, feel awkward dining out, and get exhausted relying on just yourself. But when things work out, when everything you plan fits together, when you're standing on top of the world looking down, you feel an incredible sense of adventure and independence. You feel more inclined to meet a lot of different people from all over the world rather than if you were traveling with a group. And you get a lot of time to think about life and where you are and what's really important. Not too shabby. =)

Thanks everyone for reading my wordy ramblings, and thanks to the cities of London, Boston, NYC and the country of Iceland for providing such an amazing trip. Until next time!