Now Jones, who will win his 54th cap, has hailed the North America tour as a personal bonus ahead of the Dragons' final game in Chicago.
Jones said: "It's great to be back involved with Wales. It's always an honour to play for your country and when you are out for a long game and the game is taken away from you, some things which are the norm are suddenly out of the norm.
"When I was selected in the squad, it was a great honour. But to play a part in both Test matches is great for myself and certainly a bonus at the end of the season I wasn't expecting."
Jones, 30, has travelled with Wales all around the world from Buenos Aires to Bloemfontein.
But the front-rower admits his first experience of visiting the 'Windy City' in Illinois has been a positive one.
Jones said: "I've never been to Chicago but it's been a real eye-opener. When you think of travelling, Chicago never springs to mind.
"We're very fortunate as professional rugby players and sport allows us to travel and see a lot of new places. You wouldn't swap this experience for anything.
"Chicago is a huge vast city with a lot of things going on but we're here to play rugby and that's the key focus.
"The tour has been great. There has been a good mix in the squad and everyone has been treated the same whether you've won 50 caps or waiting for your first - we're all equal. "Everything is geared to performing well and getting the result we need on Saturday."
