As I learned in meditation, nothing is permanent; everything rises and passes away. Including, unfortunately, wonderful things like extended vacations abroad. After six months of traveling, making friends and discovering a new part of the world, I'm going home.

The immediate reason for my return to the States is to attend my brother's wedding festivities. But I also need - and want - to get back to the real world, find a job and get settled.

Although I can't deny the fact that it was a stress-free, relaxing existence, I do believe I was productive these last six months. Here are a few of the things I learned on my journey:

Life's a beach. Don't sweat the small stuff. Stop and smell the roses. Mindless sayings, sure, but it was really nice to live them for a little while. The Aussies are great at work-life balance. When they leave the office, they're on fun-and-family time, and they spend most of it outside. While I'm excited to get back into a routine and have things to accomplish, I'm going to concentrate on bringing this mentality back with me, remembering to stay loose and enjoy everything as it's happening.

When Peter is permanently hypnotized and skips work in Office Space, he says, "I did nothing. I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be." Substitute 'excruciating' for 'everything,' and that's pretty much how I feel about the silent meditation boot camp I did. But I'll tell you one thing: having withstood doing absolutely nothing for 10 straight days, I now feel like I can do anything. Go figure.