Well, well, well….

I guess I have finally gotten flack from enough people that I am writing my farewell Australia! post.

Yes, I have been back from Australia for a little while now, but as everyone has been saying over and over to me, my blog has kind of been left hanging without a proper goodbye. I think I was putting it off for so long because I just didn’t want to say goodbye. So, rather than saying goodbye, this will instead be a “see you later” post. That’s right, I have every intention of going back to Australia one day. I don’t think that I would do it exactly the same way (I know a few hostels that I would not step foot in again) but I do want to visit all the friendly people I met who live in Australia. I would also love to do the Heading Bush desert tour again. Despite the obnoxious flies, the blood-sucking mosquitoes, and the biting ants – that was one of the highlights of my entire trip.

I’d also really like to take someone with me the next time I travel to Australia so I can experience everything with someone.  Start saving now, guys!

Being back in the States, the first thing I was able to appreciate was the fact that I no longer had to inwardly cringe when I met someone new. I wouldn’t have to wonder whether they would judge me automatically because I was an American. This country is full of ’em!

I also really like being around people I know and love again, and not worrying about the day in the near future that I would have to say goodbye. They ain’t going anywhere! Not if I can help it!

As far as things I miss – I do miss the excitement of seeing something new every day, and experiencing things that I had previously only read or dreamed about. I also miss meeting so many interesting people from so many different countries. I learned more about the world while traveling in Australia for three months than I did in three years of world history while in high school and college.

At the moment, I am trying to find myself a job in my dream industry – writing or any form of the arts really. I do get a kick out of video editing. I haven’t had much luck yet, but I am trying different things like reading advice columns and career books and trying to get a professional network together. Eventually, I’ll get to where I want to be. With a little luck, I’ll be able to finance more little trips around the world and still live a comfortable lifestyle!

Now the question still remains as to what I’m going to do with this website. I’m certainly going to keep this Australia stuff up, as I’m sure I’ll want to look back at it time and time again. If I’m lucky, I’ll one day soon be doing some more traveling and I can start my travelingkaren part II blog!

So I’ll end this now not saying goodbye, but see you later. I hope you all enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing!

Karen