This is it, my final blog of the trip! Feels like yesterday that I was in Venice writing about my first weeks on contiki. Now I'm sitting on the floor in the corner of gate 123A at LAX wondering where all the time went? This sucks

My final couple of days in LA were uneventful to say the most. I must've been still drunk when I booked my LA hostel last week in Cabo. Nevertheless, the suburb of Inglewood is not for the feint of heart. Hardly a tourisy hotspot. That is, unless you like living life on the edge.. mixing it with gangsters, LA lowlives and, ever since I landed, torrential rain! Needless to say I didn't get up to much. In fact, I only left the hostel once to check out the mall a couple of suburbs
away.

I spent most of my last 2 days reflecting on my last 5 and a half months. Thinking about how good our contiki tour was, how awesome our group were and how intense the tour acutally was. Definitely the least i've slept for any given month period! Yet it was the perfect start, I think, to me and Lewis' trip. We saw so much, and got a taste of so many places in so little time. We also met some awesome friends that we'd continue to travel with well after the tour.

I thought about the tumultuous journey to Croatia from Athens. 31 hours worth of ferries, with a 10 hour gap in between. Is it any wonder me and Lewis, at times, got sick of each other?

I remember Croatia sailing being sunbaking overload. Swimming in the ocean with the Croatian island scenery was paradise! From partying to silent disco in hvar, to walking the wall of dubrovnik, to Lewis' perfect backflips from the top deck and far from perfect haircut, it was another great week with many memories and friends to take away from it.

The impulse decision to do La Tomatina may have cost us an arm and a leg but it was definitely well worth it.. being part of the biggest food fight in the world! I'll always remember the gruelling battle getting to Valencia from Split. A ferry onto a train ride (a free one) onto a flight.. One of the longest days of my life. And one which could have easily seen us spending the night with Italian authorities.

Our 3 weeks spent in Spain, to me, felt relaxing (apart from Ibiza). Maybe because we weren't on tour anymore and had nowhere to be at any given time. I'll remember San Sebastian for having the best beach that I saw on my travels. And Ibiza.. Well.. Without a doubt the biggest partying, most enduring, most expensive and craziest week of our lives!

Watching Arsenal play in the champions league was a trip highlight, paying 700 Australian for the ticket was a lowlight.

Oktoberfest was easily one of my favourite parts of the whole trip. Catching up with all our friends that we'd met to get to that point, sharing copious amounts of beer and good food, dancing on tables and singing in German. It was great times. Though I'll never forget how unbearably freezing cold our tents were on those Munich nights. Lewis getting left with my rubbish sleeping bag on the last night, after Kirby had raided all the good ones was priceless. Munich living at Zoe's dads place after our camping experience was like winning the lottery.

I'll always remember our first night in Amsterdam and also how we had to attempt the pub crawl twice to actually make it to the end. Then there was Berlin. I made one or two noteable blunders that won't soon be forgotten but I definitely enjoyed my time in that city.

Before we knew it, our time was up in Europe and we were on our way to the land of the free and the home of the brave. To the city that never sleeps.

Our 2 weeks in New York were awesome. Too many highlights to keep brief, but I'll try. Central park, Wall Street living, Pacha, Webster Hall, Madison Square Gardens, Rockerfeller.. Could go on for ages. NYC is one of my favourite cities in the world!

Lewis' last days overseas were spent in California, and usually without a bed. After San Francisco we couch surfed from Chico back to SF, down to San Luis Opispo and finally to Santa Barbara, a total of 15 nights straight. In the meantime we mingled with 3 different colleges, celebrated Halloween, had some quality nights out and met some really cool Americans.

After 5 nights in Laguna and a weekend in Hollywood, Lewis headed home and I was on my own for the first time in 4 and a half months. I distinctly remember that feeling on my first day solo. Boredom and loneliness. Was close to leaving and going back with Lewis, but in hindsight I made the right decision.

In the next 5 weeks on my own, I spent a week in San Fran with Roxy, a week in Miami with Mark, a week with Steve in San Diego and another week with Steve in Cabo. So technically was never really on my own. But it was a different experience, and one that I couldn't imagine not having had, now that it's all over..

In the last 169 days ive been on 14 flights, caught 9 ferries, travelled by bus 16 times and 6 by train. To see 12 countries, 21 major cities (atleast), 6 croatian islands, 4 Greek islands and 1, very special, Spanish island. In the process - I lost a camera, visa card, a sleeping bag and 3 travel pillows. Spent way too much money, made way too many memories to remember, with awesome friends that I've either travelled with or met along the way.

Job done. I'm thoroughly satisfied heading home and ready for the next chapter!

A last thank you to Lewis McMurtry, love you big guy. Can't wait to read this in 10 years time!