Another adventure over. And with that, I’m back home to the land of Irn-Bru and ginger haired girls.
Without a doubt, this has been the most ridiculous, stressful, soul-warming, heart-breaking trip I have ever embarked upon. There’s been so many amazing chance encounters; so many unexpected reunions, and far too many tear inducing goodbyes.
I’ve still got a whole pile of pictures to get through, so there’ll still be tales to come for a while, but before I get caught up again in the goings on of everyday life again, I thought I’d note down some of the memories that stick out.
– Huge Couchsurfing BBQ on my first full day that led to a three strong hazy yellow schoolbus tour of Chicago whilst drinking a stupid concoction of Lemoncello, red wine, Jim Beam and God knows what else.
– Eating Korean food and sharing hookah with a rag-tag bunch of strangers from around the world one Sunday afternoon, as if we’d known each other forever.
– Meeting Cari in the flesh and sneakily drinking whiskey and Coke out of plastic bottles in Millenium Park, Chicago.
– Exploring abandoned houses in Illnois and Wisconsin, seeing places I’d seen only in photographs, and feeling like I’d stepped right into a movie set; Tom Petty soundtrack.
– Martinis, black dresses and jukebox music at one of Al Capone’s old bars.
– Drinking 62.5% moonshine on Kevin’s back porch at night listening to the Smashing Pumpkins; all of us singing quietly along to 1979 by the streetlight.
– Staying up all night with Joe doing ridiculously strong shots before catching a flight to Denver at 7 in the morning.
– Getting met at the airport by Natalie, Caroline, and Chris (who was wearing a pink shirt and sombrero)
– Shots, shots and more shots. B252s at the Bonnie Brae Tavern. More shots. Hugs… All with some of my best friends in the world.
– Gluten free, raw, vegan cakes in Santa Fe.
– Pirates, Tequila, Mexican supermarkets, and the best breakfast burritos with new friends in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
– Hot tub cocktails.
– Pished, driving through Denver with Grace, listening to the Drive soundtrack, feeling perfectly at peace.
– 500 Miles karaoke with Jeremiah. Carpet burn, and doing shots with Stan the biker, before crying my eyes out at having to leave.
I’ll miss you all.