Velocity in my travels certainly seemed to accelerate over the last couple of weeks, and our jaunt through Europe packed as many countries into 6 weeks as I had visited in the previous 6 months. After finally retrieving our bags from the London airport and a most enjoyable stay with the beautiful minds behind Kaya Project, we sent out for our final festival on this greatest of trance tours, the Ozora Festival in Hungary. The beautiful, quiet countryside was most welcoming, and we were anxious for a few more days of trance dancing and much needed downtime that we could only seem to get while camped with thousands of others in the middle of nowhere. At the same location at 1999's Soulipse eclipse festival, the Ozora was a much smaller scene and more intimate family vibe. Familiar faces from Boom in Portugal, Sonica in Italy, Soulclipse in Turkey, and even South Africa made for quite an appropriate bookend to my 8 months of trancing around the world. While most from Boom headed to the Rhythms of Peace festival in Morocco, there was still quite a strong attendance in the most humid of climates I've experienced since east Africa. Rolling country hills blanketed in corn fields were wrapped by acres of forestland providing shade for lazy camping and hammock-slouched afternoons. On the main stage we sweated buckets to sets from Derango, Para Halu, Cosmosis, Deedrah, Man with No Name, Peter Dijital, Son Kite, and the most properly psychedelic of sets by Hux Flux who ended up being extremely cool fellas. The chill vibe was laid out by Solar Fields, Aes Dana, and Entheogenic.

Finally at the end of our trance tour, we hopped a plane to Malmo, Sweden for about 24 hours where we visited with Son Kite and had dinner with Gavin of Digital Structures and Renee of Beat Bizarre. We happened to hit Malmo in the peak of the Malmo Festival where Europeans flock to experience the culture and music of Malmo, while all the locals stay at home to avoid them. Then on another plane to our final destination to land at Aes Dana's house in Lyon, France. I couldn't believe a dream like this was actually coming true. We spent two days with Vincent and Sunny (Ultimae) visiting the Ultimae studios, and getting a taste of life in southeastern France. Our last night was spent drinking traditional local liquors and previewing/critiquing the latest, unreleased album by Carbon Based Lifeforms. I shared many musical interests with Vincent, not suprisingly, and after seeing him and Sunny in action, I can now understand why Ultimae Records produces the utmost in quality releases. The next morning Vincent walked me to the bus station and I entered the largest group of Americans, about to board the plane to NYC, I've encountered in months. At that moment I received confirmation that Americans reallly are the most strange and curious of peoples.

Back in NYC left me confused and chaotic among the crowds, but timing had it so that with a few of my best friends we hopped a boatride on the Hudson and got Shpongled to a Simon Posford dj set as the glistening skyline slid by. The next night my friend Coral, whom I travelled with in Cape Town in January, was spinning at a festival in upstate NY on a lake out in the countryside. So as a proper re-entry, I spent the next 3 days at a small festival with her and Chelsea, whom I travelled with in Turkey, frolicing under the trees, and dancing in the rain. Afterward I caught up with Anya, Boris, Oleg and Shy (former CO friends) and started on the last leg of my trip home.

I arrived in Arkansas last night to spend some time with my family and plan to finally reach Colorado just a few days before our Earth Dance festival on Sept 15th. This is the first time in 8 months that I've experienced an environment that's familiar and it's extremely disorienting as if just waking from a deep dream and trying to get my bearings again.

From a trip that was originally estimated to be about 5 countries in about 5 months and ended up 13 countries in 8 months, I am struggling to digest it all. I am forever fortunate and thankful for some of the most incredible experiences of my life and what I can easily say has been the most amazing 8 months of my life. I realize after finally embarking on my most anticipated international travel experience that this is only the beginning.

The most important lesson I learned on this trip and advice I can offer (after much hesitation in the very beginning while still secured in an overworked 9-5+ job) I can some up in a few words...

DROP OUT

...and choose bliss.

(FYI - As for photos, I will probably come back and insert some now that I have the ability to reduce the size of those I've taken, and I hope to write a final "Reflections" entry soon that will briefly summarize my experience through each of these countries in a compare and contrast fashion that has helped shape and influence my world perspective.)

Thanks to all who read and commented, it was so nice having you on my journey. : )