My three-month mark, retrospective and summary

Over the past three months, between the pub crawls and hangovers, I occasionally have had some downtime to think about the journey I have taken so far, and what really has happened. Where do I start??? (About fifteen minutes elapsed before writing the next sentence here.)

Obviously, I am having the time of my life and sooooooooooo glad I did not choose to do something stupid like buy a new Porsche Cayman S. (Although, it would be nice to have that with me to travel around the world with!!!) Travelling solo like this- I have met so many people from so many different countries that all I will be doing when I get back to the US is to go back and visit these friends (especially Australia!!!) Meeting so many like-minded individuals, whether they be Russian students on their summer break, Australians and Kiwis on their gap year, Europeans on their obnoxiously long vacations, or the occasional American who has decided to leave his family, friends, and career behind for a year, just makes me smile every day. It also doesn't hurt that everytime I look at my phone it reads, "No upcoming appointments!" Everyday is like a Saturday!!!

Speaking of work, I do miss it a bit. I mean, not the actual work itself, but the idea of putting money IN the bank, as opposed to the other way around. My budget, considering I set aside $100/day, is surprisingly doing alright. I am "only" $2,000 over so far, not bad, considering (my drinking ways) I have been in Europe this whole time. It will (hopefully) get much cheaper once I get to Africa and Latin America.

One of the things I consistenly hear from people when I tell them about my trip is, "You must be rich to be able to do this," followed inevitably by, "I wish I could do that...." I have a secret everybody, all you have to do is save your money and not waste $4.5 on that "must have" mocha frappuccino twice a day, or that "gotta have" $150 pair of jeans... For example, most everybody I know makes fun of the flask I carry around but the way I figure, it saves me at least $50 bucks a night every time I go out. Multiply that over the course of a year, (assuming you go out just once a week, every week of the year) and tada, I have an extra $2,000-$3000 bucks in my bank account! That flask carrying allowed me to spend one extra month on this trip. It's really that easy, guys.

Other things I have learned:
1) Being able to put everything you have in one bag is incredibly liberating.... and horribly burdensome. I may act like a monkey sometimes, but when I get back, I guarantee you I will look like one. Or at least my shoulders will.

2) Everybody can understand American English just fine, but nobody can understand the Scottish.

3) If Europe could vote in America's elections, Obama would win in a landslide.

4) Conversely, if America could vote in Europe's elections, you wouldn't have to pay to use a public toilet. "You can get all the free education and healthcare you want, Mr. Bean, but when it comes to leaking the lizard, why yes, you have to PAY for that privilege."

5) Australians are everywhere except in Australia. Apparently, nobody lives there, only 'roos and Kylie Minogue. Oh wait, she lives in London!

6) Football (soccer) is a great sport to watch and I am convinced America would be a football loving nation if we could watch more than just David Beckham and Victoria prance around LA.

7) All I ever needed to learn about travelling the world (so far) I learned with a map, a beer, and a bar. (Please do me a favor on your next trip, do not buy a Lonely Planet or a Frommers' or any other overpriced travel guide as you're only destined to meet other people who did the exact same thing.)

8) Santa Claus really does exist!

9) Getting hit on by women in their 50's is not flattering. At all.

10) When I get home, I am going to make a bikini calendar consisting of Spanish sanitation engineeresses, Polish bartendresses, any Estonian girl, Swedish policewomen, and Finnish girls who work at Subway, and I will be a very, very, very rich man.