Plitvice National Park, Croatia

Fri 4th July
This has to have been the most surreal 4th of July of my life so far. Around 5:00pm this afternoon, I happened to look down at my sports watch to check the time and my eyes caught 4.07 in the upper right corner. “OH MY GOD! It's the 4th of July and I didn't even know it!” Pretty much every American I've ever known was currently in the middle of a barbecue, drinking beer and lighting off fireworks and I completely forgot my nation's most important holiday. Well I didn't forget it, but it's pretty easy to lose track of the date when you've been on the road for 3 months. Bevan often asks if it's Thursday and I'll laugh when he's 4 days off and it's actually Monday. Yes, we're living in La La Land and it really is grand.

At this time last year, I was sitting in a ballpark watching the Colorado Rockies baseball team at Coors Field, drinking beers with Sarah, eating hot dogs and singing “Well I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free,” in drunken tears. This year I'm sitting in Platvice National Park in Croatia having a pretty damn good holiday, thanks. Of course I miss home and wish I had friends and family around me right now, but that'll be next year once this whole life changing trip is just a distant memory. Meantime I'm just going to gaze out the back doors of this van at the open meadow behind us filled with wild flowers and breathe deeply... cause chances are I'll never be here again. But chances are pretty good that I'll get drunk at Coors Field again very soon.

By the way, Platvice was incredible and not a bad way to spend 4th of July: sixteen crystal clear lakes cascading into one another through a series of waterfalls. Check out the pics.

The amazing final view of the 4 hour hike