first star on the right and straight on til morning.

And I fly home from NeverLand tomorrow. Sad I know, (a tear falls onto the key board, the guy next to steve looks at him strange and thinks to himself "crazy American")
But I guess one can't stay in Neverland forever.
Its be awesome!! its been the Adventure I was looking for! As my Odyssey comes to a close I do feel a little like Homer. Seen and done things that no one will believe, I have conquered giants and Cyclopes. And now I am on my way back home after finding what I needed to find, after doing what I needed to do, in my own way, and in my own time.

My greatest fear is that I have not changed, that things will be the same when I get back. If I have not changed on this odyssey of mine then I did something wrong. I feel that I have changed, so I just hope that the world has changed as well. At least a little bit. Haha. For a changed man to go back to the same land finds himself lost. I may have been lost out here, now I am found, I just don’t want to be lost back home.

The things I have learned here I could not have learned any other way. This trip, this odyssey, this adventure was probably the best thing I could have done this summer. I have progressed in the best way that I could have this summer. And the words “what if” or “should have, could have, or would have” will not flow out of my mouth because I did what I set out to do. I have climbed my mountain and I have dreamt my dreams. I accomplished my goal(s), and I will never utter the words “I failed”

Can you say the same?

Luxembroug to Normandy to England

So I have been in Luxembourg last day or so. I came here from Venice Italy because I thought it would take me longer to get back to London then it did. That train ride was long and tiring but its all good now.
Tomorrow I am going to Normandy to see the D-Day beaches then I am taking an over night ferry to England where I will be for a day or so and then I fly home this Friday the 16th.

Italy has great things to see but the people suck

hahahah
so I once wanted to learn Italian but now I dont. Italy has great things to see but the people here are jerks.
Spencer and I went into this place just to see if they had something we wanted to eat. They didnt so we left but the guy came out and yelled at us for a few mins. because we just came in and walked out without talking to the guy. Yesterday a women yelled at us at the store have no idea what she was saying. yesterday and today the train people yelled at us. I sure hope they feel better because we had no idea what they were saying.
Italy does better then France on the scale of who are the bigger jerks. and that is saying something. Worse than the French? wow good job Italy. that is something to hold up your heads about. Sorry to all my Italian friends, but its true, about 95% of Italian people freakin duch-bags!!

No but today was a great day. We went to Pompie and spent about 6 hours there. It was awsome, saw just about everything there! it was great. Tonight we ate bread, meat and cheese. A typical meal for me. haha so other than stupid Italian people today was great!.

Naples and mafia home town

So Spencer and I came to Naples today. Checked in our hostel and the like. We went walking around and we found our selfs in a really sketchy area. I am sure it is where the mafia hangs out. But its ok it was still day light and we walked fast so nothing happened but it was kind of sketchy for a little bit.
other than that it was a chil day. tomorrow we are going to Pompie which is super awesome to see!!!
then. . . maybe to pisa I dont know. we shall see!
well ya'll love you.
ciao

Spencer is here safe and sound

So my brother came today here to Rome today. It is awesome. We went and saw the Colosseum and some other stuff today. It was freakin great. It is awesome being here with spencer. Its going to be a good time with him here.
We will be here a few days until Tues probably and then I dont know where to next but somewhere really cool!!
Well kids. love ya

The beach at Rome

ahhhhhhh
what a good day. went to the beach with a guy that I met at the hostel. it was great, sunbathed went in the water. Later I pulled out my guitar and my buddy pulled out his harmonica and we jammed out for a few hours. People around us really like it. So that was cool.
so it was just a good relaxing day.
tomorrow I think I will try and have a day trip to Naples. I dont know what there is to see there but hey I have one more day before Spencer gets here so I have to do something. ha
Well everyone, hope all is well. I am not sure what life is like for you with work and school and family and the like. I dont really worry about life right now, soooooo I guess just think about me when your life gets to stressful cuz I like this no life thing I have going on is pretty sweet!
ha, well cheers everyeone

that was a long tain ride. . . .

well I am back in Rome. I took an all night train last night it was long. there was 6 beds in the train where I was. I was on bottom with 3 beds on each side. My bed wasnt flat so I didnt sleep very well and my back killed. but it was alright. I am pretty tired today. ahah.
Well Spencer comes Sunday so I have a few days just to hang out. Tomorrow I think I will go to the beach and I dont know what else. . . I will see tomorrow when it comes. No need to rush things.
well ya'll love ya

chateau d'If and the beach

I went to Chateau d'If today. that was super cool. of course its different then the movies, everything always is but it was still super cool.
after that I went to another island near by and went to the beach for a few hours. The water was nice and cool really calm no waves just real nice.
anyways tomorrow I leave for rome. i leave at 140 but i wont get to Rome until thrus at like 11 am. so its going to be a long day of traveling, but hey thats ok.
anyways I wont post anything tomorrow seeing as i will be on the road all day or rather train tracks, lol.
love ya'll

sunsets into clear oceans

So last week I called the missionaries here in Marseille to see if they coudl find someone that I could stay with when I came. I again called them last night and they said they didnt find anyone. so I booked a hotel and a hostel. then at like 1030 a member called the other family where I was staying and said I could stay with them. so i cancelled my hostels and hotel and i am staying with a member couple here in Marseille.
today I went to Veiux port, or old port. and walked around it was pretty sweet! and i went to this cool church that was on top of the hill and which one could see the entire city and bay.
then i went and walked around a little bit more and watched the sunset into the ocean behind chateau d'If. which I will go to tomorrow.
Its super nice weather and hot. but its really nice. i like Marseille its a chill city.
so I will be here tomorrow night and then i leave Wed for Rome. Which it will take me over a day to get there but oh well its cool.
well love you all!!

castles and stuff

hey so today I went to Carcasonne to see a sweet awesome castle. I put pics up on my facebook page so go have a look. It is pretty much awesome!!!!! ya to bad you had to work and go to school and stuff. dont worry I am having enough fun for all of you. dont you worry.
so I am still in Montaubon until Monday when I leave for Marseille.
well all, dont do anything I would do. . . wait. . .oh never mind.

bars, music, dancing and trains

So last night was le fete de musique. which means that every corner has a band playing on it. I was in Lyon and a bunch of us walked around and saw a bunch of bands play. We later went to a bar on the river (Rhone) and watched a salsa/regge band until about 3 am. We walked home which took us about 45 min. because the busses and metros went going that late. I had a train at 7 so we didnt sleep at all. I got on the train and travlled to a city close to Toulouse called Montauban. I am staying with a family that I knew on my mission but have since moved here. I will be here until at least Monday morning. Then I hope to go to Spain before heading back to Rome.
so I have not slept in over a day, I am kind of tired but man it was a party last night. haha.
Tomorrow looks like sleeping in, watching the USA game, and doing whatever else I want. sounds like a good day.
cheers.

back in Lyon

hey ya`ll. so I am back in Lyon France: I will be here for the next few days: this way I can see more friends and stuff here: also it is better to slow down a little bit:
So my friend Brent went to Rome today and will go back home tomorrow: it was awesome having somone with me: We had some good times!!!!!!
I had this pizza in Venice it changed my life: We even wrote a song about this pizza: it was that good: Brent asked the to kiss the girl that worked there, I guess she had a boyfriend: sorry Brent. . . . so really this place was amazing:
But the other things where awesome as well: It is cool to see things that are still standing after 2000 years: wow its awesome:
After standing in some places that I never thought I would go in my life I think to myself how great my life is:
I have found my favorit cathedral: it is in Florence. For me it was better than Notre Dam in Paris. it was sooo cool. to bad you couldnt be there, but its ok I thought about you. ahahaha
Well friends, family and loved ones. till next time.
love, Steve
cheers!!!

Italy

hey yall I am in Venice and I freakin love it. we only have a short time here so we wont do all that it has to offer but thats ok. anyways its super expensive to be on the computer here so i dont have much time.
Just know I am alive.
I miss you all but I am not to upset about it. I dont have to worry about life right now. suckers!!
love you all. I hope to write more when I have time and money. hhaha.
ciao.

Florence

So we are now in Florence. We left Rome this morning. We will be here a day or so. Try and see The David and some other stuff then we will go on to Venice. Rome was pretty sweet, I really loved it. it will be awesome to go back and take more of it in with Spencer. anyways all is well!!! love you all.

from Rome again.

ok so far. . .
I have been moving pretty fast like I have said before. But I am excited to stay here in Rome a few days.
Hostels are different for sure. Most are decent. The people here or just in any hostel are pretty crazy.
Last night the entire place was up dancing and drinking. It seems to be the thing to do when you are young and just traveling. Well I guess thats what you do if you just dont care about anything or your life. It is not a life that I want to live that is fore sure. I dont need to drink my life about to be happy, like it seems most people do.
Anwyays life is good. it is super cool to see everything and meet new people. I have been super tired. its hard to sleep on buses and trains. and Hostels arent the best place to sleep either. but hey I didnt come on this trip to sleep so its really ok. I will sleep later when I am dead. haha
Well I am sure i will have much more to say when I start seeing stuff in Rome tomorrow.
ciao

bored

I dont have anytime at all to write maybe I will later. but I am just chillin in Rome. nothing new. I think it might be fathers day back home, I can't remember. I know I am bad. but if it is HAPPY FATEHRS DAY DAD. If not then well that stinks for me and I just dont know my dates. anyways love you all.

Rome

So I am in Rome today. I wont see any of it until Monday when my friend Brent gets here. So I will be just chillin for a day or so. Anyways I am sure i will have more to say when I see stuff but for now I am just chillin around. anyways. love you all.

Lyon, France

So last night I was in my mission home: which was awesome: the missionaires loved it too: I played guitar for them they all filmed it and all: haha I even went to a lesson with the office elders: it was great: I wish I could have stayed longer but oh well:
Today I am in Lyon France with a member: I leave tomorrow to go to Rome: I meet my friend Brent there for a week: I wanted to leave later but all the trains where booked so this was my only choice to get there on time: oh well.
anyways love you:

Geneva!!

So I made it to Geneva this morning. it was a long train ride hahaha all night. But I am at the Mission home. They are letting me stay here the night!! haha sweet huh!! so I am staying with the elders here! its awesome! but today I am not a missionary now. haha kind of weird but its cool. Tomorrow I leave to Lyon and then to Rome.

Denmark and long train rides

Went to Denmark today. Let me tell you that it was hard to get there. The trains going there are super slow, and oh man. Took me forever. But I got what I wanted and so I am super happy. Its s surprise for all of you!
No I am back in Hamburg but I am taking an over night train to Geneva. Its like a 15 hour train ride. haha. So I'll sleep on the train, or try to more like it. I'll go see my mission home tomorrow and spend the night there in Geneva that is. Then on to Lyon for a day or so. Then to Rome where I will meet a friend for a week. Then. . . who knows where.

yesterday and today

Yesterda I was in Eindhoven, Netherlands and today I am in Hamburg Germany. I am on my way up to Denmark real quick and then back down to Italy.
The Netherlands was cool. it was real clean and nice. I have been bouncing around a lot. One day here one day there. I like to keep moving. But its hard to see all that a city has to offere when I am just going from city to city but thats what I need to do now. I hope to get down to Geneva or Lyon France this week. or I may just be on the road until I get to Rome. who knows really. hahah.
I couched surfed yesterday in the Netherlands and that was cool. There was another traverler there from Michagan who is traveling for 7 months. and I thought my 2 months was long but she is going for a life time. haha.
Well all you back home . . . .love you all.
you guys are welcome to write me emails
stevencandland@gmail.com if you want. if not Ill see you later.

LUXEMBORG

So last night I was in Lille France: I had to stop there and spend the night: All Hostels and Hoteles where full: But this one guy put me in a room where they had thrown some extra stuff like randome stuff: haha so that was way nice of him because otherwise I would have been on the streets for sure:
I left there today and now i am in Luxembourg with a member family: i'll be here a few days so that will be nice to stay with some people i know:
Because my train tickets are for local stuff and not high speed trains it takes forever and a day to get anywhere: Because the trains stop at every stop: so its a lot of traveling: but its alright I see more of the counrtry side:
its hard to typ on french key boards so if stuff looks weird then you know why cuz i cant typ: haha
well till next time. . .

love, steve

June 2

So i tried going getting a train to pairs today: it was way to much money so i took a train to Dover, England and took a fairy over: Then I took a train to Lille France where I am spending the night: Tomorrow I am going to Luxembourg: and I`ll be there for a few days:

London and thoughts

So I am in London. and its raining and wet. haha
so I havea no idea what I have got myself into. This feeling of. . .whatever the heck I am doing is pretty crazy!!! I feel a little lost, a little lonley a little bit. . . .all over the place. haha I guess we'll see how this goes. . . . .
Anways I found a hostel to stay at for the night. tomorrow I'll probably be heading to Luxembourg and stay there for a few days.
So the things going through my head are all over the place. I am thinking of what have I done. . .ahah, I am thinking I have no idea what to do, I am thinking of home, I am thinking of friends and of family. But hey I knew this was going to happen so I guess this is just the start. hahah wow.

The Day Before

It is the night before I embark on my Odyssey, my quest, my adventure, and my life changing trek across Europe.

My feelings are over a wide spectrum. I feel excited, nervous, thoughtful, ponderous, ready, a little bit sad and everything in between.

This trip has been something that I have been planning for about two years. It seems strange that it is here. The moment has finally come. Tomorrow has been riding on the back of so much planning and preparation that is almost seems unreal that I leave tomorrow.

I am unsure of what to say. Am I ready? I have my bag backed, my passport, my train ticket, money and etc. So am I ready? Yes and maybe no. I don't think I am ready for the soul searching, mind pondering, and self discovering that I will encounter. At least not to the degree that I know it will be. This trip is exactly for those purposes, but I do admit that I know it will be much different than what I am expecting.

I am ready however to find out what I want in life, to come back home and be ready for whatever life or Heavenly Father wants to throw at me. This trip and this odyssey is a preparation for my life.

What I want from this trip is to be taught and to be conditioned for the life that is in front of me. What that is, I don't know but I am ready. Well as ready as anyone can be.

This is my spring training for life. Ready or not, here it comes.

God,
I am ready.

Concerning Tents

This may come to a surprise to some of you. As I am a very avid backpacker there is one thing that I do not have. That is a light weight tent. However I have never had the need for a tent. I have always made due with a tarp making my own shelters when needed. This conclusion is what I have come to, with help of course of a loving family.

The tent I want (the MSR noted in my earlier post)would cost me about $500. So the decision is now made that instead of using that money on a tent I will use that money for hostel when needed. Keep in mind that though $500 is a lot that will only account for about 26 days of staying in a hostel. What you may ask will I do the rest of the time. I answer with this, I will make my own light weight tent costing no more than $60 and have a strong will that I will be staying with people and sleeping on couches. The times that will come up where I will not have a place to say I will sleep under the stars and if need be I will set up my tent that was crafted by my own hands (and the hands of others I highly assume).

A tent made by me will be traveling Europe with me. Crazy? Maybe, but hey, why be normal?

Which Tent?

So I am deciding between two light wight tents. One is called the Big Anges Fly Creek UL2 made by Big Anges and the other is called The Carbon Reflex made by MSR. I like the MSR one because it is lighter and I am kind of bias toward MSR because they are awesome but the Big Anges is cheaper but weighs more. So check them out at the following URLs and let me know what you think.

for the Big Anges Fly Creek go to
http://www.bigagnes.com/Products/Detail/Tent/CopperSpurUL2

and for the MSR Carbon Reflect go to \
http://cascadedesigns.com/msr/tents/fast-and-light-tents/carbon-reflex-2/product

DONATE FOR THE CAUSE

Ok, so anyone can donate whatever they want, however anyone that gives $20 or more will get a patch that I will sew onto my bag. This patch will have your name or whatever else you want it to say. Hey its only $20, for a sweet awesome patch!

Think about it!

pre-voyage 02/28/2010

A two month trip covering 10+ countries in Europe for $3,000. Yes that price includes everything. Plane ticket $1,183,eurotrain pass about $1,125,692 left over spread over 60 days equals about $11 a day. $11 for food, local travel, entertainment and other living expenses. $11 will translate to about 5-7 euros.
3,000
-1,183
- 1,125
= 692
692/60 = 11.533

Lets put this into perspective, a hostel is anywhere from 10-30 euros, bread 1-3 euros, local travel (buses, subways, etc) 2-10 euros. Two months that does not even include the comfort of a hostel, but the comfort of the streets, open fields and the random couch. Two months that does not include anything more than bread in my diet, a trip that does not include a walk down Le Louvre to see the face of the mona lisa (it looks just like all the posters you see anyways), but a trip that includes the best story of my life.

Why go you ask? "You are crazy" (almost everyone I talk to) Well the quick and most true answer is because I want to. "But wait, you are just going because you want to? because you can? because you are better and cooler than me? and I'm to afraid to do anything like that because I can't leave the comfort of my home? because I can't do that, because I don't have the money, because I am getting married, because I have school and work, because . . . ?" (everyone that is afraid of life)

Well . . YES! Do I need anything more?

I am not afraid to live my dreams. I am not going to wait for life to catch up, life is the one that needs to catch me. I am not going to wait for something to happen while I waste my life away. You coming? sorry there is to much to do to sit still, "I'll see you later" (Steve)

TRAVEL PLANS

The following is my plane ticket round trip.

Mon, May 31, 2010 Salt Lake City, (SLC) to London Heathrow Airport, (LHR)
Depart: 11:15 AM Salt Lake City, UT (SLC) American Airlines American Airlines
Arrive: 03:15 PM Chicago, IL (ORD) Flight 3761 operated by
AMERICAN EAGLE
(on CRJ-700 CANADAIR REGIONAL)
Requested Seats: 7D
1 Stop - change planes Chicago, IL (ORD)
Connection Time: 1 hr 55 mins
Depart: 05:10 PM Chicago, IL (ORD) American Airlines American Airlines
Arrive: 06:50 AM London, Great Britain (LHR) Flight 86
Next day
(on Boeing 777)
Requested Seats: 35J

Total Travel Time: 12 hrs 35 mins


Sat, Jul 31, 2010 London Heathrow Airport, (LHR) to Salt Lake City, (SLC)
Depart: 12:50 PM London, Great Britain (LHR) American Airlines American Airlines
Arrive: 03:20 PM Chicago, IL (ORD) Flight 47
(on Boeing 777)
Requested Seats: 36J
1 Stop - change planes Chicago, IL (ORD)
Connection Time: 3 hrs 25 mins
Depart: 06:45 PM Chicago, IL (ORD) American Airlines American Airlines
Arrive: 09:10 PM Salt Lake City, UT (SLC) Flight 3751 operated by
AMERICAN EAGLE
(on CRJ-700 CANADAIR REGIONAL)
Requested Seats: 6D

Total Travel Time: 15 hrs 20 mins