Well, I'm writing these lines using a university computer in Potsdam. Yes, I'm back home.

I spend 3 really great days in L.A. enjoying Mike's cooking skills as much as the Ghetty museum and the beach of course! Thank you so much again.
After that I was headed to Colorado. Where, despite the pessimistic predictions of some fellow travellers on the plane we could land. No snowstorm, so far. But once I got to Fort Collins, about 1 hours drive from Denver it started snowing, and it didn't stop till the next morning. Which was fantastic! A belated X-Mas for me :o) They even closed down the university on Friday by midday. So everything was looking good for Susan's and my snowshoeing adventure.
Once we got the car on Saturday morning we took off into the rocky mountain national park. But I have to tell you think twice before you rent a car with enterprise, at least in Fort Collins. We had agreed on a pick up at twelve. But when we got there this unfriendly looking woman told us we have to wait. After 30 min her colleague turned up, busy with handling another customer. She talked to him and then returned to us offering us a twelve seater minibus! Apparently that was the only car they had available. What the f..k. After having set our eyes on the monstrous vehicle we decided not to take it, not just because you cann't park it anywhere, but the petrol costs would have killed us. NO WAY. Disappointed and angry we asked for alternatives, but she couldn't come up with anything. So we went back inside the office, seeing our weekend plans vanished. But then there was tis third guy telling her there is another car 5miles away, thats available. So finally after waiting nearly 90min we could drive off in a malibu/chevrolet. Why did it take them so long to figure that out? This woman was just totally incompetent, as were her colleagues.
But hey. The waiting was worth it. Snowshoeing is so cool! We went down south as well, to the Colorado Springs, Cripple Creek and the royal gorge bridge. The highest suspension bridge in the world, but entirely for tourists. Yes, thats right. There isn't a use for her other than having tourists paying money to see the bridge, maybe cross it with the car. But it's not used as part of a public road? Don't ask, it's definitely worth seeing but still doesn't that make it less a bridge, if it's not used as a bridge? Like for normal traffic? Anyway I enjoyed the stay in Colorado very much and hope to go back one day. Maybe employ Sonia to be my guide then :o)
After Colorado I spent the last weekend in London, or better to say in Sutton, south of London. With my friend Steffi and the Chandler family. This has been so nice. I knew Steffi moved last year but I didn't ask where to, so it was a nice surprise to spent the weekend, with Claire and Neill and their 3 kids and Steffi. Arriving in London I went to Greenpark and had a quick look around Trafalguar sq. since Steffi wasn't free till 6pm. And what can I say being back in europe for only 3 hours, I ran into a demonstration. The last 8 months everything exiting as far as it concerns politics happend on tv. But being back in europe I instantly was surrounded by political activists. I didn't know but the G20 summit was taking place only a few km from me. I should've paid more attention, but then the news in the states only had the snow chaos as headlines. What can you do...
So, so much to my last adventures, I will put up some more pictures within the week. But as for writing I think until I start my next travels there will be no more posts. I enjoyed the time, the people I met and the different countries I went to equally. I recommend it to anyone just thinking about taking time off to go travelling, don't think twice, do it. You won't regret it. No matter how long, how far or on how much a budget. It opens your mind and your heart!