If I click my heels three times.

Q u o t e  o f  t h e  d a y -- "A heart is shown not by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others." -- The Wizard of Oz

What's back there can't be better than what's ahead. At least that's what we are programmed to think on Remote Year. It's partly true -- going home means we have to take away from a "side-trip" or a week in our "home city" to go somewhere we've been before and inevitably may end up. I choose to go back, and I am glad I did.  

So what happened?

I might be one of the most grateful kids to a set of parents who are undeniably the best. All my life I've tried to make them proud, show I care and not do anything too crazy. Remote Year is definitely something that caused a lot of arguments and disagreements, and not quite the yellow brick road they planned for me to follow. Yet here I am supported, encouraged and blessed by them nearly five months in. 

Everyone's got their family traditions they either love or hate. Mine, I'll brag about. for 26 years our family, along with 10 others, travel to Montauk, Long Island for a camping week at the beach. Needless to say, you better have a damn good excuse if you plan to miss it. My travels with Remote Year would suffice, but I wasn't about to miss this week when I never had before. Bringing my dad to tears and my mom in an uproar - I don't think I could have conquered the art of surprise any better. Texting that I had just arrived in Santorini as I pulled to the top of the dune you'd think my mom saw a witch. No seriously, look left. No matter where in the world I travel too, they along with my friends are reason enough to travel home. *looks left and is giddy over this photo and also comforted by how dark they are too.

What to do when there is no service and you have no idea where the hell you are?

Trust your instincts. They will likely take you to a sign that shows you the way. *remembers reading a sign that said Plitvice Lakes and directing the car the opposite way because Google said to. I have been able to call 5 cities "home" since I've left the states, but none will ever compare to the love and support I have in New York. Every person on Remote Year is traveling for a different reason and I can't say their experience back home would be like mine. There are runners who want to stay away, searchers who won't stop until they are found, and then there is me. The kind of person who wants to conquer as many cities, meet as many people along the way and discover all the things I didn't know could bring happiness to my life. What better reinforcement is there than sharing with your biggest fan club.

PS. I miss you.

On the other hand, it was though to be away from the Remote Year crew, I missed my little munchkins. Whether it was running with the bulls in Pampalona, or riding camels in Morocco, or even just a side trip to Barcelona, everyone's pictures topped mine from little old Montauk, New York. I was experiencing all the negative vibes -- jealousy, FOMO, regret, etc. However the one thing that kept a smile on my face was the group of 63 people standing beside me in my pictures. No camel, no bull and no picture in front of a sand-like drip castle looking church could have changed my mind. 

So why would I recommend it?

In a matter of 24 hours I went from one side of the Atlantic ocean to the other. I was greeted by an office of peppy New York coworkers, a bar full of friends before the July 4th holiday weekend and a campground full of family. It may have been the longest time I stayed awake (33 hours to be exact) but it was one of the most rewarding days of my life. Being able to share what I'd experienced in 3 months, the challenges I've suffered and the relationships I've made; it all came to life when I shared it with those closest to me. I might be one of the lucky ones to have such an extensive support group. Every picnic table chat, beach chair circle-up and walk over the dunes made me feel more like i'm right where i'm supposed to be.

I've laughed until my abs hurt, cried in front of people I barely knew way too many times, watched my niece continue to grow through face time, missed the birth of my nephew, climbed countless mountains, missed three engagements, seen a number of thousand year-old forts, slept in 20 beds, taken 11 flights, sweat on 8 buses, crossed 6 bodies of water and rented 4 manual cars (don't worry I didn't drive) in 5 months. It's safe to say my life is not that of a normal 28 year old. But this IS my life, and I'm proud of that. It's no surprise it's a struggle 50 percent of the time, but not having to prove to your family and friends how hard you work on a day to day basis to make this life real, is a reward in itself. They just know. And having the chance to realize that was worth going. There's no place like home.