I've been waiting for my trip to slow down, but it hasn't happened.
This week there is no sporting brilliance, long-lost family or old friends to write about, but, against the odds, the fun has raged on.
I've found myself running out of words I can use to describe the experience.
The one that comes to mind now is overwhelmed.
The fun, excitement, adventure - it's all happened so fast and with such intensity that it's hard to take in.
I think travel is one of the only things adults can do to capture what it's like to be a child again. You know, if a child drank and ate too much and spent money like it was going out of fashion. When we grow up, we stop experiencing things for the first time. Travel is the best way I know that can get that back.
Three weeks on the US west coast awaits. The tour will feature stops in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, LA, San Diego and Las Vegas.
As I type now, I'm on a train from Vancouver to Seattle. My Canadian stay is temporarily over.
This is one hell of a train ride. Watching the sun slowly set on a coast lined with soaring pine trees and cosy little towns is a thing of beauty, as is having wifi and cushioned seats.
The guy on the seat next to me, Cameron from 'Seaaattle', has flaunted every 'stop talking to me' sign I could put up. Wearing headphones didn't work, reading a book didn't work and trying to look busy on the laptop hasn't worked. After the third time he accidentally spat in my face while asking me questions about kangaroos and koalas, like those jokes were a new concept he just thought up, I got up and went to the dining car.
After six days of fun in Vancouver meeting great people, if Cameron is my punishment, i'll happily cop it on the chin, especially if I have a view like this one when I look to my right -->
Canada, I am in your debt. Don't ask me for any money though because I've spent it all.
Toronto was followed by a stay in the picturesque Montreal, then the fun of Vancouver. Again, I've been able to find good people to spend my nights with and again, I've been able to entertain myself during moments of solitude with beaches, restaurants, fireworks, exploring and some unbelievable sights along the way.
Things on 'The List' are slowly and entertainingly getting ticked off one by one. I'll save those tales for the final blog.
Now, after an amazing two weeks, I can provide all the cliches that everyone has heard before.
I'm learning about myself. I'm inspired. I'm free. I know it all has to end so I'm enjoying every moment.. etc etc etc..
That's all true and when it does happen, it's an amazing experience. But, it's the other things that I'm picking up along the way that interest me just as much.
These are some of life's new lessons that spring to mind.
Self reliance - Dominic Ciconte is the only person I can rely on to ensure I make my next flight. There is no one to bail me out. Ciconte is the only person who can make sure I stick to a semi-reasonable budget. He is the only person that can help in times of crisis.
This is the same guy who could get lost driving in a car park. It's the same guy who has 'misplaced' his wallet three times in the last 18 months. I've seen him panic, crawl into the fetal position and weep on many occasions.
Is he trustworthy?
To say I'm sceptical is an understatement, but so far, touch wood, he's doing ok.
Photography - There are no words to describe the beauty of a photo that features my shoulder, a close up of my face and an out-of-focus landmark in the background. Can't wait to show you all.
Freedom - It's liberating to wake up every morning, have no responsibilities or commitments and then go and do whatever I want for the day.
There is no compromises, no debates, no deadlines, no rules (except the legal ones set by the Government) no limits and no one to answer to. It's just me.
Rat race? What rat race?
Solitude - Despite all the friends you make, the nature of travel is that eventually you have to move on. More often than not, you're alone. Alone with your thoughts, alone with a book or alone with your music.
Being alone is never fun, but getting past the clingy attachments and need to be constantly surrounded by family and friends is also a good thing. It makes you appreciate the time you spend with them more.
Carpe diem - Actually taking moments to stop, breathe and think about where you are and how you got there can be inspiring.
The sights are beautiful, the drinking is fun, the people are great, but it's those little moments in between the bigger ones that make traveling worth the trouble. Those are the moments you have to seize.
The best moments of this trip, for me, will never make their way on to facebook for everyone to see. I won't be able to do them justice when I try to convey them through dance, as I like to do with most of my stories.
And with that point comes the pitfall of solo travel.
I don't get to share.
Ample 'me time' is part and parcel of the gig.
Sometimes, unfortunately, maybe because of body odor or horrible personality, it's just me.
When I see parents walking their child on a leash like a dog, when I see a homeless man with an hilarious sign that reads "smile if you masturbate, then give me money", when I trip over nothing and eat cement in front of a big crowd of people (may or may not have happened) I can't turn to my left and laugh about it with anyone.
I still think travel is a game for couples. I know this because I see them everywhere - asking me to take a picture for them.
There is only so many sunsets, waterfalls and romantic moments a single solo traveler can take!
But, in the big scheme of things, those moments are a very, very small price to pay.
I'd take them over Cameron.
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