I don’t as a rule go for that kind of political demonstration in my journals, but I thought this was important…

After about 27 hours of traveling I arrived in Zurich yesterday, where my parents picked me up. I’m still a bit tired (woke up before 7am this morning) and haven’t done much so far: decided on my uni schedule (not looking very interesting, I fear), sorted through all the emails that accumulated in the past two months, watched the extra material on my new “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” DVD and been updating my poor, neglected websites.

Can’t be bothered right now to be social (sorry, folks – but I’ll pop up at LJ tonight or tomorrow, I promise), but will probably update the travel log with the latest news. The trip was great, of course, and I’ve had countless interesting and wonderful experiences, both during the six weeks in New Zealand (a country that I could see myself living in) and the two weeks in Australia.

Details can be found in the travel log, where also some pictures will eventually end up – none from Australia, though, because I managed to delete them all accidentially. That’ll teach me to fiddle with my camera (a lovely Canon Digital Ixus v.3) after 18 hours on the plane… 🙂

It’s good to be back, in a way, although I’d have loved to go on for a while longer and see more of Australia. Plus, the weather is much nicer down there! *g*

Tonight I’ll go to the movies with Michi and my mom, to see the Maori movie “Whalerider”, made after a book that I read on the plane from Auckland to Sydney. Looking forward to seeing it, now that I have some ties with Maori people and their culture… More later, tired of sitting in front of the computer now (although I’ve really missed my cute little laptop *g*).

On the road soon – my brother will come with me to the airport and help me pass the time until I have to board. Excited, of course, and trying not to let it get to me.

Last night, riding my bike home from meeting Sibylle and the M&Ms (aka Martin and Matthias) in town, I had to think of all the people I’ve met while traveling. I have so many cherished memories of places and times spent alone – but there are always people, too. So many of them, and still vivid in my mind, no matter if we haven’t heard from each other in ages or never even exchanged email addies…

I could make a list, of with all those people I met in 99 in Canada and the US, 2000 on the Isle of Man, 2001 in Namibia and last year on the East Coast, because I still remember them all, their names and faces, the stories we exchanged and things we saw, be it for a couple of hours on a bus or for several days in a youth hostel or on an excursion.

Thinking of the fact that I’ll be staying in NZ with a couple I’ve met almost four years ago in California and that I’ll be meeting up in Brisbane with Willa, who I met last year in Washington, DC, makes me very, very happy – and I can’t wait to see who I will get to know this time…

So this journal will be quiet the next two months – but the travel log will hopefully be filled with tales of beautiful places and interesting people.

Slowly I’m starting to feel a bit melancholic, because more and more good-bye emails are arriving in my inbox. As much as I’m looking forward to the next two months — online time will be very limited and there won’t be many opportunities to read my friends’ blogs and LJs.

But I’ll still be around on email, and I’ll try to update my trave log regularly. And of course there’ll be my study blog, of little interest to anyone but me probably, but probably the place that I’ll update the most (daily if possible).

My parents called last night to say good-bye, too, I’ve met several friends, and will see Regina once more later today. Sibylle and I are supposed to meet up tonight for ice cream, and I hope we will.

My bags are packed, the train to the airport tomorrow chosen, and the typical pre-trip mix of dread and anticipation is setting butterflies loose in my stomach. I probably won’t be sleeping very well tonight — I never do. But then, I’m not sleeping well anyway because of the heat… 🙂

I’ve decided not to go to the Streetparade tomorrow. It’s strange – I haven’t missed one since I started going seven years ago, and I even booked my flight accordingly. This would have been my eigth time. But my head and heart are simply elsewhere at the moment, and more and more the Streetparade seemed more like a chore than one of the ‘funnest’ days of the year.

Now I have one day more to get ready and say goodbye to my home, and it feels like the right decision. It was a selfish thing to do, especially on such a short notice, but sometimes being selfish is the only way one can keep on functioning…

I’ve done my laundry this morning and before going to work this afternoon I’ll buy what’s still needed, so I can pack my things tomorrow leisurely. And weigh them, and repack. Several times over probably, until everything is stowed away and doesn’t weigh more than what’s allowed.

(Almost) unrelated to New Zealand: I got my LOTR fanclub membership card and a pretty picture of the Fellowship today. Lovely! 🙂