And in the end....

The love you take, is equal to the love you make....

I am absolutely in love with Europe and this trip has been more than I could have ever wanted it to be. I feel as though I've lived 100 lifetimes walking its streets and exploring its landscapes. There was the ease of Western Europe, the incredible culture of Turkey and the new beginnings around ever corner in Eastern Europe. When starting to plan this 'round the world trip, I wasn't all that excited for this continent, but it has surprised me with each new destination I've ventured to.

I spent my last full day in Como on the hike of my dreams. I met a girl from Berkeley in the hostel and her and I set off through the mountains on an amazing four hour tour through the countryside. We had lunch beside the most picturesque river, admired a trout farm and the livestock around it; saw ancient villages packed far into the woods and climbed up yet another mountain. I must have taken more than 50 pictures. It was fantastic to be outside and enjoy the greenery around Lake Como.

After the hike we took the ferry over to Bellagio (I'm pretty sure that's where George lives) and had a dinner of fresh lake fish. We ended up missing the last ferry back to our town and had to take one that dropped us about two miles away. We had to walk the winding road around the lake to get back to our hostel with a million stars over our heads. It was brilliant!

I've made my way back to Florence at this point and I love it even more than the first time I was here. It was odd to come to a place where I knew exactly where I was going, but I like the familiarity of it. Last night I met people in the hostel and consumed some Italian wine for my last real night here. We ended up going out in the freezing cold for a little bit and did the town up right. I took the free walking tour of Florence this morning and saw some things I missed last time. My train ticket just got purchased and I need to make my way back to Rome in the next couple of hours. I think I'll end up taking the late train in and head straight for the airport. At 8am tomorrow, I'll be on my way back to the Bay.

Some things I've learned on this part of the trip:

--Patience...after 11 planes (after tomorrow's trek), 10 trains (not including day trips), 5 buses, 1 boat and 1 car road trip, patience is all you have going for you.

--Never underestimate the power of a positive attitude....you are always going to get there, or somewhere. It will always work out the way it's supposed to.

--When you find yourself in a predicament, don't panic. Just sit down, have a beer, and a solution will present itself.

--Always think at least one step ahead, but never more than two unless absolutely necessary...it just creates confusion.

--Tonight is always gonna be a good night....friggin Black Eyed Peas....

--Flip flops and hiking do not belong in the same sentence.

--"Piano" means "floor" in Italian...that arrow pointing up the stairs will not take you to the very first piano ever made.

--Watch your step, hold hand rails and slow down on treacherous terrain. Knees are important when traveling the world.

--If you have an alarm clock, and you need to be somewhere, set it.

--Doesn't matter where you are, there will always be a McDonald's.

The soundtrack for my trip so far has been Iron and Wine, The Shepherd's Dog. I must have listened to it 100 times. Perfect for any kind of travel: trains, planes, buses and cars...it fits any mood. I'll have to redo the 8G playlist when I get home and find something more suiting for South America.

So I'm off to Rome! Just a couple more flights and I can get back to American convenience...for a few days at least. Then the real adventure will begin.