These Boots are made for Hiking: I'm Back

Wow, I left Brisbane and flew to Darwin (4 hours) and then to Manila (4 1/2 hours) and then to LAX (13 1/2 hours)!! Brutal trip but made it home and they didn't lose my luggage!! Yea, I had to start all over again, buy a car (insurance, borrowing money etc.) and work on my condo. I bought an IPhone and a mini cooper!! Love them both... In my condo I needed to replace the carpets, and decided to remodel the bathroom completely (since there was a leak in toilet), so a new jet tub, tile and new toilet, cabinet, tile floor sink and mirror. I decide to pull down all the popcorn ceilings and paint the whole place. I have these beautiful wall hangings from Israel and I am working the colors around them. So lots of work and more travel. While the remodeling was moving forward I went to family up to Northern California, and then to my friends wedding in Florida and I am now visiting my friend in North Carolina...

Final thoughts on my service and travel. Hmmm... It is important to get out of your comfort zone in order to appreciate what we do have. I feel blessed every day and I thank God that I live in such a great country with so much privilege, freedoms and opportunities. I believe I made a different in Azerbaijan and I am proud of my accomplishments there (at least I made it through my service plus extension). I pray some day, that country will truly allow the opportunities it has been given by so many organizations and use them to become progressive instead of abusing it to the few that are so greedy. The students and teachers of Azerbaijan deserve those opportunities and should have the rights but there are those in positions that will not allow it and the students and teachers are the ones that suffer. Peace Corps filled a need in Azerbaijan and I feel we did it with pride, and honor.

About my travels, I had an awesome time, and each country was so unique I can't compare them. I loved Israel and the Jesus trail and the Sea of Galilee was unbelievable. The wailing wall and the quarters were amazing and I feel that God was truly with me when I was there in a time when there wasn't any trouble. Petra in Jordan another beautiful place that God allowed me to see when there was no conflict. Japan was such a humble country and so beautifully taken care of. People took pride and it showed. They recycle EVERYTHING and nothing went to waste. We should all take notes and live more like the Japanese!! Mt Fuji was awesome and even though I didn't make it to the top, it was still all inspiring!! I loved China's Great Wall and the Forbidden City. The Terra Cotta Warriors are amazing. Imagining during the time of the Emperor who commission these craftsman to build these warriors and all the hard work to make each one unique. The detail was amazing. The bund in Shanghai or also known as the Paris of China. Walking around at night was a broadway show in itself. Lights and beauty everywhere. Hong Kong, I did not know it was so many islands together and going to Macau and finding a church of Paul's was a miracle. That apostle sure got around!! I loved Thailand for its Tiger Temple and the love they have for the tigers and Elephants, even though it was extremely hot and humid!! And lastly Australia, what a beautiful and vast country if I wasn't so tired of traveling I would have stayed another month to go to the desert and the North to the Great Barrier Reef.. I loved the animal reserves, the Koalas, the Kangaroos, the birds, and the penguins.It was all good!!

I don't know if I will be blogging anymore as my adventures have subsided. I just want to spend some time with my family and figure out what I will do next, I'm not homeless anymore but still jobless!!! I want to go to Canada across all the Provinces and I hope to do that in April or May of next year when the weather gets warmer. So until then, here are some great pictures of my friends wedding in Florida and my trip to North Carolina: