Fifth of Feburary 2005

Well, it has been a year to the day now that I left on my travels. It doesn't feel like at all, and I still haven't done half of the things that I want to and done a bunch of things that were not on the plans but are expereinces that I cold not trade for anything.

I have been through 13 countries (although not all of them want to give you a stamp in your passport), travelled by air, rail, road, boat and foot. Slept in hotels, hostels, guest rooms in houses, in tents, on the floor, on a skate ramp, in geodesic dome and the occasional nap in a train station.

Expereinced extremes of weather from snow capped peaks to blazing desert flats. Been ill, depressed, elated, had transcendental moments and found emense joy in engaging with the mudane tasks of domestic living. Learnt to cook new dishes and encounter many a strange character, some that make yoou laugh, some that send shivers down your spine and others where kinship is born.

All in all it has been an amazing year and which ever direction I find myself heading in from here (home, east, west, north or south) the internal journey continues in leaps and bounds.

Oh yeah, and stay away from canned herring, particularly if you are sleeping in a tent at the time.