By the Numbers/Summing It Up

This is the final blog post for this trip - thanks for reading.

Countries Visited:

Germany (transit only)

Slovenia
Croatia
Italy (24 hours)
Hungary (24 hours)
Romania
Serbia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Turkey
Israel
Jordan

Things Lost:

Two pairs of Target earrings
One bottle of contact lens solution 

Miscellaneous:

• Number of days traveling - 121
• Amount of time lost to illness - four hours
• Best hostels - Hostel Bongo (Belgrade, Serbia) and Hostel Old Plovdiv (Plovdiv, Bulgaria)
• Nicest and most helpful hostel staff - Hostel Tivoli (Ljubljana, Slovenia) and Hostel Franz Ferdinand - Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Most interesting city - Sarajevo
• Most surprisingly wonderful city - Rovinj, Croatia
• Most surprisingly wonderful country - Bulgaria
• Country I would move to tomorrow - Turkey

Transportation:

11 trains
11 buses
Five minivans
Nine flights (total minutes late -  65, total minutes early - 66)

I should have:

• Given up on my plan to only use public transportation and rented a car in Romania.
• Not brought so much stuff.  I had a complete first aid kit (including syringes, cloth bandages, athletic tape, 100 alcohol wipes, etc.) which stayed in my suitcase the entire time. I could have bought anything I needed.
• Found another volunteer opportunity.  I was very tired at the end of my trip and I think I would have benefited from spending more time in one location.
• Not gone back to work so soon after I returned.
• Brought more Pepto Bismol

I never thought the following words would ever come out of my mouth:

• I don't think I'm getting enough sleep.
• I don't think I'm eating enough.
• Where is the H&M store?
• Can I get that without the cheese?
• I like staying in hostels.

Some pictures from the village of Csikszentsimon, Romania where I volunteered at a local school:

(Full disclosure - this picture was taken in a different village)

In addition to learning about the US flag, we made hand turkeys.

                         

         

I laughed every time I saw one of these lights - watch until the end. 

One more from Wadi Rum, Jordan

Finally, thanks to the many, many people who helped me with my suitcase.