There and back again, a hobbit's tale.

Let it be known that I am essentially useless as a blogger. All these crazy things happen, and I store them in my head, to tell you later. I take a bunch of photographs here and there, and I store them all...er, on my computer to, well, show you if you randomly show up at my apartment. I guess. So yeah, I've neglected this blog like a red-headed stepchild, and I do feel sorry for that. Towards myself, mostly. But anyway, I did want to write a little wrap-up before taking off today (the original document said "day after tomorrow. Go me.) So yes, here it is. Final thoughts on the city: Toronto taught me a lot. Mostly because it was the longest I've ever been away from, well, everybody. It taught me that if I ever do decide to move away from Austria, it will be very hard. I also learned that I enjoy travelling, paradoxically it might seem, but traveling is a thing of away from and back to, not just away from. I've put down my roots pretty deep in Vienna, and permanently separating myself from the home of Gemütlichkeit and Vernaderer would be painful. But seeing how I've come to genuinely enjoy the place over the last weeks...well, maybe I should have gone in Summer. But anyway, I'm glad to be back, no mistake about it, and I don't want to stay longer, but I'm still sorry to see everything go. In that respect, I really am a Hobbit (several people have told me that I specifically resemble Frodo on my drivers ID and sorta Elijah Woods in my passport. I don't see it, but there you have it) in that I'm pretty closely tied to home, but can't help the urge to run as far from it as I can every couple of years, so expect more travel in my future, should I be able to afford it. It's funny how people here, when learning that you are a foreigner and you're leaving Canada forhome, always ask "So when do you come back?" like it's logical that once you've been to Canada, you keep wanting to come back. And you know what, it works, I wouldn't mind coming back to Toronto, and I still need to visit Vancouver anyway. I guess it's because the Canadians consider their country to be the best in the world without being smug about it like the USA. So it's customary to have recommendations for the people coming after, oh do I ever. 1.) Don't move to the Annex unless you like frat parties 2.) the following restaurants and/or chains are awesome and deserve your patronage: Kensa Ramen at Bloor and Walmer put shame on the notion that Ramen is junk food. Big Chubby Burgers near College and Augusta is the best burger place in Toronto. Hero burgers can suck it. Burrito Bandidos is the best mexican food chain I have found so far. 3.) When somebody tells you it's "one subway station away", do not blindly attempt to walk it. It might be a distance of nearly 10kilometers. 4.) If you want to try and quit smoking, move here, the cigarettes in Ontario are expensive AND disgusting. 5.) If you want to drink yourself poor, don't acquire an alcoholism habit, just move to Ontario and continue drinking like you used to, tax will take care of the rest. Well, that is my story, at least the bits I was not too lazy or distracted to write down, and the rest you'll hear soon enough. So what's next? Sun is shining, my bags are helluva heavy, the road is calling, and I'm already wondering where to go next. Never been to Australia before...