Goodbye.

Holy hell.

I tried to begin writing a long thank you to you all, but it sounded corny and did not even come close to capturing exactly what the cranking wheels inside my mind are turning around. The best way I can explain it is that I am a tired, emotional drunk at the end of the evening... who walks straight out of the bar because they cannot bear the goodbyes. I am that drunkard. I don't think I will ever adequately convey just exactly what you all mean to me, and how you have helped carry my heart and mind for a while, while I walk the long way around the world.

I have never been afraid of flying. In fact, I am the crazy person who loves airports, purely because of the sense of freedom and opportunity that they emit. I love them almost as much as Greyhounds (I told you I was crazy). Yet, as I sat in Austin Bergstrom International Airport this morning, I experienced the shakes of a caffeine addict. I thought to myself, 'I didn't drink last night, I haven't drunk 15 coffees, I am not attempting to smuggle narcotics, WHAT THE HELL IS UP?'. It is you, dear North America. YOU DID THIS TO ME.

I have learnt more than I could have hoped for, usually in the oddest places and most unlikely of friends. I have added both facts and ridiculous jokes to the Rachel Gray bank of useless knowledge. I slept on your couches, drank your malort, made up tuneless songs about what was currently going on, told you my 4 rotating jokes, read your books, ate all your pumpkin flavoured edibles, heard your stories, rode in your vans, listened to your music, fell in love with your landscapes. I like to think I have begun to understand the psyche of an incredibly facinating country, so accessible yet so foreign. I was here during your tumultuous circus of political campaigning and got to speak to all sides, and learn a little something from all of them. I like to think that I have collected little fragments of all of you, my kind strangers, my strange friends, my kindred minds. I am going to carry them all with me, a chorus of little conscience angels and devils, and they will remind me of every single one of you and the adventures we had.

Basically, I want to say thank you. From the bottom of the bottom of everything, thank you. You are always welcome wherever I am, to whatever I have, to whatever I know. EMAIL ME, I want stories, information, updates, jokes, pictures, all. Every single one of you. No excuses (If you don't have it already it is raay.gray@gmail.com). Come visit soon, I will need a fix of all those ridiculous accents. Oh, I say awesome like you now! And I can make pumpkin pie! Forward my green card to Melbourne asap, please.

Love you, miss you, see you as soon as your damn customs and immigration will allow.

Rachel.