Tuesday, 1 April 2008, 12:51 p.m., Salzburg, Austria, Mirabell Gardens

The day has been nice and rainy. Had brekkie in the hostel because it was free, watched Austrian news and CNN world, and walked around old town for a few hours. I like Salzburg the best as the waterlogged place that it is today. I think that the rain makes the buildings glimmer. It is 12 C (55ish F) I am amazed by the care for bicyclists and pedestrians here. The entire city has bike lanes in the street, as well as separate pedestrian lanes.

I am sitting in the Mirabell Gardens after visiting the Mozart Museum (his childhood home) this morning. It was alright and I received a "student" discount because I had my old Denison University I.D. on me. The museum was not as cool as just being in his abode and thinking about how I was standing in a place where his formidable years were spent. I'm so glad that I found the gardens. They are vast and symmetric to a T. Greek god(dess) statues flank the sides of the land plots and there is a humongous fountain near one of the entrances. I just took a sound sample of the French choir girls who were singing in the gardens. I think that it is the same group from the hostel.

I am ready to head back home I suppose. I have been completely alone for the past four days since leaving Alix and Hanna in Prague. They have made it to Italy now for sure. I miss my family and Jamie. It will be nice to use my phone again on Thursday! I really need to get Skype...

Seeing as this is the end of the tour, I decided to make a list of everything that I WILL NOT miss about Europe:

1) Paying to use the bathroom

2) Inconsiderate drivers who drive at crazy fast speeds down side streets

3) The annoying kids on school trips who I have to navigate through

4) The poor exchange rate between the Dollar and Euro

5) Nescafe/no decent coffee

Here is what I WILL miss---absolutely everything else.

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9:11 p.m.

I decided to hike up to the castle again in broad daylight. It was far more interesting at dusk when there are no people around except for the locals. I love Austria for the majestic landscapes, but it is bizarre how eerily quiet everything is. I would go insane if I had to live here. It is so small, too small. I already had four years of claustrophobia going to school at Denison. Salzburg is so sleepy that I feel like I am nodding off writing this! It is barely 9 p.m. and I can't keep my eyes open. I ordered a pint of Gosser at the hostel bar and am just writing. I'm not sure if I am tired because of Salzburg's lack of energy or from the tour running its course. I suppose that it has been a bit of both.

This trip has been incredible, but I think that it is time to go home. It's time to re-evaluate things at home and to figure out where I want to live, buy a car, work on new music, what have you. I am so lucky that I was able to get this together and leave for so long. I have covered more ground in two weeks than I ever imagined. The loneliness is beginning to take hold of me. I don't know how people like Daniel do it. He harvests kiwi fruit in New Zealand right now. What a life---wish it was mine.