Day 5 - Home Sweet Home

If anyone works at Guinness' Book of World Records, please head over to Toledo, OH to find what has to be the loudest swarm of cicadas on the planet. My campsite was louder than a frat-house after a football game, which was quite an annoyance to someone who desperately needed sleep(hint: me). Luckily, my body was so exhausted I managed to pass out for a good 5 hours before the annoying droning coming from the woods awoke me. I should've recorded them for an alarm ringtone...

So at 4am, I impressed myself with packing up my airbed and tent in the darkness and set off to finally complete my journey home. I'm not sure what surprised me more; the fact that I didn't forget anything at the site or that I managed to make a mess of my car in less than five minutes when I thought I forgot my wallet (it was in my glove compartment). After that minor heart attack, I was definitely awake enough to bang out the rest of I-90 before breakfast. Once again Ohio, you're highway tolls are straight-up highway robbery.

Cleveland was pretty cool looking all lit up before dawn, but unfortunately I don't have any good pictures, as it was dark and camera doesn't like that.

Seriously, this is the best I could do

Around 9am, I saw what I longed for since I hit the corn fields of Nebraska:

 "New York Welcomes You!"

I was finally on the home stretch. Emphasis on home. I didn't really realize how much I loved the woodlands of New York until I was away from it for a long time. The long, rolling hills of oaks, birches, and evergreens and nice, winding highways through the hills... ah nostalgia...

It's....It's just so beautiful...

I decided to make a pit stop at good 'ol Alfred State, my first college where I got my Associates, to say hi to some of my old professors, and reminisce of the good old days of studying at a school that didn't put me into incredible debt.

An hour later, I was home. It was so good to see my parents again. And... my siblings... I suppose.

And then two hours after that, I'm up at my uncle's cottage, with a beer in my hand and the lake in my sights. 

Gotta love this view

Thanks to everyone who've followed me on this trip, and encouraged me along the way.