WEll... this will be my last post. I am finally home after 3 and a half months and almost a year of venturing around the world. Its really hard to believe. My original plans when I left the states back in February were to come home in August. How things changed! After getting canceled from the second ship, I decided to travel in Europe for 6 weeks, which turned into 3. I got really homesick in Spain and decided to cancel Norway, Austria, and Barcelona. I was just tired of living out of suitcases and missed my family, so I changed all my tickets and flew home last Friday. I am happy to be here, although I don't know what to do with myself just yet.
I spent the first 12 days of Europe with my best friend Heather. She flew in from Louisville and we hung out in London for 3 days and freezed our tails off before heading to Paris. It was a little warmer there and we loved Rue Cler, the area we stayed in. We did some sightseeing, but had to limit ourselves a little since Heather just found out she was pregnant a few weeks before we left. Yeah!! I'm going to be an aunt again! She's not my sister, I know, but she is the closest thing I have to one and the best friend a girl could have. We then went on to the French Riviera- Nice for 3 days and around Cannes for 3 days. We were in Cannes on the last day of the film festival, but didn't see any stars- just lots of sunburned people eating ice cream and looking for them. I then went on to Spain to see my friend Higinio, who was a fellow 2 years ago at Kleinert-Kutz. He is living in Oviedo, in the north of Spain, for a couple of more weeks before moving to Santander. We visited around both cities for a few days and saw many medieval buildings, a castle, and the old part of the town. We then drove 4 hours east to Pamplona, where his parents live and where the Running of the Bulls will be in a few weeks. His parents were wonderful and even though they don't speak english, we had a great time together and I got to practice my spanish even more. Higinio was probably the best host I have ever had in any city. He knows so much about the history of Spain and the cities that we visited. We did alot of hiking, alot of eating, and visited all the important landmarks in the area. I got to meet his closest friends and his friend Jorge joined us for part of our visit. Spain is really beautiful- very hilly in some parts and mountainous in others. I'd love to go back someday and see the southern and eastern parts.
Here are a few pictures of my European adventure:


I mean, honestly... what are the chances of running into someone you know in Paris? This is a picture of me, Steve Etcheson, and his wife. They were on Mercy Ships for 2 weeks in March and then went back to the States for a month before coming back to Paris on vacation. I ran into them while getting coffee at the Eiffel Tower. Its a small world!!!

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Heather and I on the south side of the Eiffel Tower


Me at the Palace of Versailles


This was at a 15th century castle in the city of Olite in Spain. This cracked me up when I downloaded it- it looks just like my senior picture from 15 years ago... ok, I'm a little more senior now, but...


Me and Higinio in Roncesvalles- this is a small part of the Camino de Santiago which is a nearly 40 day trek into the Pyrenees


At a little fishing village called Cudillero outside of Oviedo


Me, Higinio, and Jorge at the Olite castle

Higinio's signature pose- we were having a cider, which is what people do in this part of the country instead of going for a beer or coffee


This is another hike we did on my last day in Spain- there were about 6 or 7 vultures flying around and we sat and watched them and I soaked up the last of the mountains


This was on a hike near the Pyrenees mountains near Roncesvalles


So... I guess that's about it until I leave the country again. I don't have definite plans just yet, but am looking into going back to Argentina in the fall and maybe Bolivia and Peru with a friend I met in Patagonia. Only God knows what the future holds... I'm just enjoying the road that leads me there!
Thanks for reading and God Bless! Jana