Day 25 - Farewell - Halifax, Montreal, Frankfurt

Initially, we wanted to spend our departure day leisurely by the lake – one last time on the colorful chairs, soaking up a bit of sun.

But after we packed, there was a strange sense of restlessness. Instead, we decided to go out for a bit, wanting to move around – before heading to the airport.

Now we are sitting here, waiting for our flight to Montreal. From there, we continue tonight to Frankfurt – and then our journey will be over.

I had made many notes for this last contribution, and perhaps not everything is necessary. But I do want to highlight a few things that come to mind.

Toronto especially remains etched in my memory - perhaps because it was the beginning, along with that sugar house in the woods and our car breakdown. Of course, at the forefront was the visit with our African friends. That was much more emotional for me than expected.

During this time, we drove at least 3,800 km and I found it amazing! Not only because of the beautiful areas, but especially because driving here is so relaxed. There's no trace of aggressive behavior - quite the contrary.

Even when the lanes on the left are blocked, no one pushes on the right. Maybe it's due to the speed limits - or because people here are simply more laid-back. In any case: driving was really fun.

And then all the beautiful landscapes. So much green, so much water. And everywhere these pretty, colorful wooden houses - each a little different.

We saw four major cities, each with its own charm.

What I didn’t like as much was the food.

We had exactly three meals that I truly enjoyed. The rest: lots of protein, little vegetables, often quite heavy. Somehow always the same on the menus. Even breakfast mostly consisted of eggs, burgers, and fries – even if the place was highly rated. And then there was so much plastic – everywhere, even in restaurants. There’s definitely room for improvement.

What I found great, however, was that in every restaurant, tap water is free, and no one expects you to order something else. Drinks are also significantly cheaper than at home. And every server asks about allergies at the beginning - very attentive.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have many encounters with “real” Canadians – and I missed that a bit. The few we interacted with were super friendly and open. Perhaps having a camper would have brought more closeness – just like back in Australia. I would definitely choose that next time. Still, traveling with hotels (10 different ones) was also nice in its own way – it had its own charm - checking into a hotel every time - you know what I mean ☺️.

And then there’s the most important part:

The most special thing about all of this was that I made this trip with Mika. We had our routines and that was really nice.

Driving – Arriving – Resting – Activities.

Mika was in charge of the GPS, the music (which was great, by the way!), and in the evenings, he often played some music to help us fall asleep. We experienced so much and laughed a lot. He was the one who kept his nerves better during the car breakdown than I did - really amazing. In these 3.5 weeks, we didn’t argue even once. It was relaxed and uncomplicated, there wasn’t even a bad mood.

I asked him if I ever got on his nerves – he convincingly said: no. And honestly: he didn’t get on mine either. I’m sure that’s not taken for granted. It reminds me of the trip to Australia – it was just as special with Daniel. It’s these experiences that I’m sure I will never forget and for which I’m incredibly grateful. Also that everything went so well - what’s a car breakdown compared to that?

I’m also looking forward to being home now, which is nice (Mika has already planned out the rest of the holidays ☺️).

Thank you all for accompanying us. It meant a lot to me.♥️