Goodbye love -- Hello frozen hell

  Toronto, Canada
Tuesday, February 19, 2002

We boarded our Continental Flight in the Rio de Janeiro International Airport in early afternoon. Our journey was coming to an end, it was hard to describe my feelings, a little relief that this very long and difficult trip was finally over, a little joy that we have accomplished something great, a little wiser that we learned so much, and mostly, a little sad that we have to leave Brazil, South America, and the southern Hemisphere. We were far from our home, yet we feel this is our home. Neither me nor Juliette cried, but the feeling in our hearts was the same as saying goodbye to true love.



With my fake student ID, with less than $100 left in my wallet, with all the wonderful memories, we flew from Rio to Buenas Aires to Houston USA, to Toronto Canada. Juliette would like to visit Canada before returning to France, and the tickets were cheaper, so we flew together back to Canada.



Just as we exited the Pearson International Airport in Toronto, the -20C temperature was a complete shock. We had no warm cloths, so we wore everything we had and found a hostel in downtown Toronto amid freezing temperatures, it was Juliette's first experience of Canadian Winter, she must be shocked.




After our 5 months travel in Latin America, Canada, my home, was a reverse culture shock. I'm not used to the Canadian efficiency and much preferred to the "mas o menos" lifestyle; the people, even though they spoke English, were not friendly; there was no soul, there was no fun, it was just like the Canadian winter I remembered; it was dreadful, it was miserable, it was not my home. Why did I leave Rio to come here? My mind was torn, my heart was divided, I wanted to take the next flight to anywhere, I'm in total culture shock -- in Toronto, Canada.

Everyone has experienced a culture shock when travelling to a foreign country, many books and magazines and travel TV programs have well documented these "SHOCKS" to prepare the travelers prior to their adventures abroad, but little has been written or talked about the reverse cultural shock when returning home after a long trip abroad. I have heard stories through other backpackers about their experiences of lost in their own home country upon returning from a 1 year around the world travels. So "Home Sweet Home" is not completely accurate for everyone. In reality, as I have mentioned this to Juliette, a true traveler is not homeless, but more accurately, an adaptable being who can survive in any culture or environment given time and patience.

We gathered in last of our money, my CIBC bank receipt reads $12.89, Juliette found a Western Union to get some money transferred from her French bank, we bought two one-way Greyhound bus tickets to Ottawa, my home.