Well, I am back in NYC. While I have been back home for over a week, I felt that I would be remiss not to provide a little bit of closure to the adventure that was my life for the 7 weeks that I was in France and Spain (with a dabble in the Netherlands and Germany).

In the end it was, as I said, it was an adventure. I saw so much, I learned so much- I was in a constant sponge state, absorbing new stimuli and learning new ways and means of accomplishing what had been very simple tasks back home. I think that because the experience was not easy, because it was not a cake walk, because it did require a new level of alertness, and did force a certain level of uncomfortability (if not discomfort), on a few different levels, the experience was that much richer. In fact, wasn't 'shaking it up' the whole point of why I did the Switch program?

It is easiest to continue on in a comfortable daily routine. But I have realized that when you are living in this state, you are in danger of blocking out all that is new and different- of forgetting to look around you and to appreciate your surroundings and all the cool stuff that is going on within it. I have a better sense that the new is the stuff that stimulates our brains and our senses, and makes our lives that much richer. So keep your eyes open for it, even within the context and comfort of your routine. The challenge is to find the right balance- between keeping yourself on your toes, while still keeping two feet on the ground.