Ahhh....the Islands

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"(I am) happy with that inordinate happiness that comes of exhaustion and achievement, and with which nothing else in life - no joy of either body or the mind - is even able to be compared"
- George Orwell, Burmese Days

So after…

• Spending 5 months…
  
  
• In 8 countries (US, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Australia, Malaysia, Myanmar)…
  
  
• On 3 continents (North America, Asia, Australasia)…
  
  
• With people of 35 nationalities (Canadian, Korean, Malay, Indonesian, British, Turkish, Kiwi, Ozzie, Brazilian, Indian, Spanish, Swiss...)…
  
  
• While sleeping in 58 different beds in 58 different hotels, guesthouses, bungalows, dorms, ships, trains…
  
  
• In 55 different towns, cities, and villages (Bangkok, Pai, KL, Hoi An, Pakse, Sydney, S’Ville, Siem Reap, Pak Beng, Nah Trang, Koh Tao…)…
  
  
• Accessed using 31 means of transport (planes, tuk-tuks, boats, trains, horses, elephant, jumbo, truck, tube, bicycle, moto, subway…)…
  
  
• While reading 45 novels, books, magazines, maps, and guides…(Orwell, King, Welch, Greene, Crichton, Lama Surya Das, Time...)...
  
  
• And filling hundreds of pages with thoughts, impressions, feelings, descriptions, names, places, dates, times…and of course trivial numbers like those I have listed here…
  

...I am back in Hawaii.

And for the first time in my life, I have to say that there is nowhere I’d rather be then the USA.

Visited Countries Map

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Photos

Honolulu
Actually a picture from another trip to Hawaii...don't have a camera now :-(

Comments

[Danny]

Say Hi....
Say hi to Barry and Rachael for me! And take a picture of Rachel's tummy.

[Jim Crouson]

back in the USA
It's a great country, isn't it? Even with all of our problems the level of tolerance, and freedom is just staggering (especially to the many people you had spent time with in many of those countries). Welcome home!

[amanda]

a beautiful end to a beautiful journey. as i read this last blog my passport is setting next to me....despite all the bullshit that i (we?) complain and protest in american culture and politics there is always an overwelming feeling of familiarity and comfort in seeing holding onto an american passport. welcome home...

[Jax]

Welcome Home.
Enjoy the journey home. And enjoy life as a journey. Loved the blogs. Are you sure writing isn't your calling?

[Syd G]

Gr8 blogs :)
once you get back into your day to day routine you'll be itching to travel again soon i bet! Lifes too short :)

[cousin heather]

I'll be in hawaii at the end of this month, for my highschool reunion. Will you still be there? Probably not, it doesn't seem like you spend more than a few weeks anywhere. Anyway, your dad came by the other day...he misses you, it's cute. Hopefully I'll see you one of these days. Take care!