Back in the USSR...

OK, not quite, but who doesn't appreciate a good Beatles reference every now and again? I am back in Sofia for the time being though. It's much as I left it (grumpy people, bad service and cheap pizza) but much colder. Not Chicago cold mind you, but cold. I suppose that was bound to happen.
A few of our Swiss friends are leaving to go back home, so there has been much in the way of going away dinners/get togethers etc. Other than that I have been flaking/resting up and getting back to the reading I told myself I would finish several months ago.
It has been quite a drastic change, going from living out of a backpack and sleeping in different places every couple nights, to a rather static existence once again. It has given me time to try and process a lot of the experiences and insights that I gained while out on the road. Surprisingly though, it's actually been tougher to do without busy days.
I'll be posting chunks of my trip over the next week or two. Impressions, pictures, specifics about places, favorite moments etc.
Initial things I've come to realize:
Placing yourself in so many different contexts allows you to see yourself from all kinds of different angles that you never would have imagined. Experiencing different cultures often lets you see qualities that you posses, or would like to posses as a person. The same with the constant interactions that you are having with strangers from all over the world. Allain De Botton in his book Architecture of Happiness, makes an intriguing argument that man's concept of aesthetic beauty is derived out of our ideals. Thus, architectural styles are implicitly or, often explicitly, intended to convey themes such as strength, honesty and dependability. I think, in some ways, this thought process can be applied to meta systems. As we experience different cultures and even personalities, we appreciate elements that embody qualities we strive for. That could be the laid back evenings in Roman cafes with friends or the incredible organization of German trains. It goes deeper than a simple appreciation, however. Beyond saying "I wish Amtrak didn't suck," it gives us an incredibly multi-faceted mirror for self reflection and introspection. If you are open and willing to be self critical, experiences abroad can be life changing indeed.
Second, even though I took 815 pictures, it wasn't nearly enough. I didn't get enough pictures of the people I met and stayed with along the way. In some cases this was due to the fact that photos are such an inadequate medium for capturing experience. I found that I often just wanted to capture the thoughts of different times and file them away, thus not having to worry about the lighting, iso settings, framing etc. Other times I just flaked out. I'll be posting any pictures that go along with my blog posts on Picasa. So check in there when you get a chance.

I'm still alive

I am on the last portion of the current leg of the trip. Padova Italy currently, Venice tonight, Sicily Wed- Sun and Rome Sun night through Wed. Then back to good 'ol Sofia.
There's been a lot going on and a lot to talk about. It's been difficult to post since the cafe computers are very expensive and none will let me upload photos. I will be recapping various stops on this journey. Hopefully not all of my readers will have completely forgotten about this blog's existence. Until then.