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Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008--Zurich (Continued)

When Rolf returned from leading his meditation, we had a pasta dinner--salad, pasta with a tomato-mushroom-onion sauce, and fava beans mashed and served with sliced garlic and olive oil. Afterwards, we had more desserts! My sweet tooth has been fed well here.

Monday, Oct. 6, 2008--Zurich to Chicago to San Antonio

We enjoyed a nice breakfast together. Then it was time for me to head to the airport. Rolf and Claude walked me to the tram stop, then Rolf accompanied me to the airport. Claude needed to return to the apartment, since she makes lunch every Monday for a group of people who live/work at the temple. Rolf has a yearly pass for the trains and buses for all of Switzerland, so going all the way to the airport with me didn't cost anything extra. When we got there, we checked me in and then went to a cafe for a drink and a final dessert.

The flights from Zurich to Chicago and from Chicago to San Antonio were essentially on time and went well. I had good seats. I watched a couple of films on the longer flight and finished reading a book I had started. I tried to nap some, but I wasn't very successful. Later, on the San Antonio flight, I napped a little, but it wasn't easy and it was off-and-on napping that isn't satisfying. While transferring my bag through customs in Chicago, I pulled a muscle on my right side, so I was in some pain for the rest of the day that also made napping more difficult. The good news is that I FINALLY made it all the way and am home now.

I finished reading Acqua Calda by Keith McDermott. I gave it only 2 stars out of 4. Essentially, the story followed the preparations for an avant guarde stage production. I found it boring. I can see why it has the title it has. The only section of the book that really came to life was the few pages describing the evening when the actors went swimming in a place by that name.

Weight Loss Update: I had a set-back during the last weeks of my travel in terms of my attempt to lose weight. I ate too much in Georgia, Denmark (ESPECIALLY in Denmark!), and Switzerland. I am sure I gained back some of the weight I lost during my travels. However, I was surprised to find that I still was at the level this morning that I had been aiming for when I departed. I weigh 71 kg (156 lbs). That is less than I weighed when I graduated from high school. Now I must develop a plan to keep the weight off during the months when I am in Texas. I plan to review my typical food intake while here and analyze it in terms of calories consumed to decide where to make changes. Also, I must plan to get more exercise when in Texas.

Final Spending Update: During my entire trip, I spent $5883.83 over 154 days for an average of $38.21 per day. That is an average of $1146.30 per month. It does NOT include the cost of the air tickets I was using. My ticket cost about $4600 for ATW IX, the ticket I have been using since Bangkok and will continue to use for the first part of my travels next year.