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Just saw the new version of BBC’s Dr. Who. It was pretty fun! It had some vitage space sound effects in it.

This week has been nutty. Lots of memories flooding back for some reason. Not to mention excitement for the future.

My trip running around the world is shortly coming to an end. I’m on my way back west in the plane heading towards London wondering what the next few months are going to have in store for me. Like Nat, I feel slightly nervous about leaving Asia for some reason. Maybe it’s an anticipation of the unknown. Not the unknown associated with taking a twelve hour bumpy bus ride from Bangkok, Thailand to Siem Reap, Cambodia, but an unknown of a different kind.

I’m going to miss the adventure and possibility of anything happening just a few steps ahead of me. I’ve found comfort in the dusty, less developed places of the world. There’s something about traveling through places far less convenient than home that makes you feel alive, healthy, and curious. You want to keep going, keep challenging yourself to find a more remote place, a place with less people, with less money, with less - just plain less. I wonder if the person that coined the phrase “less is more” went traveling and discovered this. It’s funny how the adventure and the desire to go deeper and deeper into remote areas takes you closer to a simple time - a time with lesstechnology - a time where people were more concerned with keeping family and community amongst simple things such as trees, temples, and villages.

After visiting these places and traveling for months, some things about yourself become more clear. You start to grasp a stronger sense of what drives you in life. Your passions, wants, needs become more apparent. Although seeking adventure in remote places takes you further away from developed and populated areas, you realize more strongly where home is. You realize what you miss, who you miss, and find that no matter where you go, where you stay, there’s a place you call home. That home for me is Wisconsin. My family, friends, the lakes, the atmosphere are those things that I associate with home and no matter how far I reach or travel, I know where that home is.

I’m not saying I’m done traveling, and I’m not saying I won’t ever live somewhere else - just the opposite in fact. I find myself drawn to live in a new place, and to travel to even further reaches of this planet knowing that it will continually revitalize that sense of where home is.

So dear family and friends, know that wherever I am I carry you with me and you carry me home.

It was hard to leave the warmth and familiarity of Thail.and Free (spotty) wi-fi from beach front, all that sun, fresh fruit, inexpensive pad thai, and not a single worry in the world (aside from our packs being rummaged through on an overnight bus ride).

Just prior to our departure of Thailand we took part in the Thai New year. It’s a huge water festival! Walking or driving into the hot spots will get you 100%, no 110% soaked from head to toe! Everyone throws buckets of water on you. We were riding around on motorobikes which made it even more interesting. If you were to cruize by the groups of people stationed on the road ready to soak anyone, they would chuck the water at you very forcefully. Ooof! Thank goodness for helmets and sunglasses. Keeps the impact low enough to keep driving. If you slow down, however, they will nicely come up to you and gently poor the water making sure not to miss a single spot. It’s even more exhilirating when they’re sneaky and use a bucket full of ICE COLD WATER! Gah! hehe

Leaving Thailand was no easy journey. We booked a bus from Bangkok, Thailand to Siem Reap, Cambodia for $6. That would be about .50 cents per hour of torture. As soon as you cross the border into Cambodia the roads turn to dirt obstacle courses. The bus we were in was questionable. The seats were battered and lacking any comfortable support from the thousands of journeys it has probably made over said roads. Top speed? 10Mph. We may have walked the journey in the time it took to painfully drive it.

Even being incredibly tired did not cut through the bumps and jives the bus had to make. Pot holes, sink holes, and the occasional breaking down of the bus. In fact, after a dinner pit stop during a rain storm, the bus refused to start back up. The bus driver asked for help push starting the BUS. I’ve done cars before, but a bus?! So in the rain, in my flip flops, I offered to help to no avail. The engine wouldn’t fire up. Someone got under the bus with what looked like a hammer, and ten minutes later we were jostling down the road again.

Cambodia is an interesting mix of poor, and rich. I hadn’t seen a Cadillac Escapade (or whatever it is) since I’ve left Germany, but there was one driving down the streets of Siem Reap going right past the homeless beggars. It’s such a weird contrast.

We spent three days exploring Angkor Wat (the temples that were featured in Tomb Raider). It’s amazing how much popularity the movie has brought to the area. Sunsets, elephant rides, monkeys, shops, and a googleplex of temples! Words can’t do it justice. Just go visit. Or wait for the pictures.

After Siem Reap was the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. It was here Rachel, Nat, and I sent off on seperate journeys. They went into Vietnam, I went down into Singapore and over to Australia.

Singapore. It’s a city. Just like any. More expensive, and well it can be conquered in two days. Not much to be said except that I met some really awesome people while I hung out there. Myra, from Canada, whom I’m hoping to meet up with again in London. Steve from Bristol who ended up in Sydney at the same time as me - we had some pints and a visit to the beach. And a couple, Shaun and Steph, from New York! It was fun to hear the NYC accents again. If there’s one thing you notice while traveling, it’s that you don’t meet many Americans at all. Come on now people, get those passports and come visit!

Upon arriving in Sydney, Gordon picked me up at the airport. It’s so great to see a familiar face after traveling for so long! I admit I didn’t recognize him immediately though. He was sporting a full on beard that was no where to be found when he was in the states! His family took great care of me, I’m indebted to them for hosting me so generously. Since Asia I’ve lost 13 pounds. I think I managed to put half that back on with the hearty food of Oz (and Gordon’s mom’s yummy cooking) and possibly the last half in London.

A small side trip from Sydney to Melbourne proved worth it after seeing a fun indie band called “The Lazy Sons” I was craving some live music for quite a while.

That brings me back up to London. I’m staying with life long friend Dan over looking the River Thames. I don’t think I could manage England as easily without Dan and Ellie’s generosity. We had some proper, full sized pints of cider (yes, that means there are more people than myself in this world that enjoy cider for those of you that made fun of me in.. ahem.. Sydney haha) We also took a trip up to Norwich to say hi to Dan’s wife Ellie and son Matthew. A gorgeous home from the 1800’s. I don’t know how else to explain it except that it looked like a classic picture book English home amongst the countryside. It smells so wonderful! Greenery, lush gardens, peace and quiet… and a huge dog named Digby. hehe. A very playful and large dog. I also played with Matthew and his brand new space ship, I met Ellie’s mum for the first time in my life and luckily got a haircut out of it :), and also left my wallet at the house much to our dismay and quick return to the house. One of the more entertaining events of the day found us at a local store attempting to assist Ellie in choosing a fancy - er excuse me - a civilized hat for the wedding Dan & Ellie were to attend. I had a blast you guys, thanks for hosting me!

That about does it for now! I’m off to walk around the city while there’s sun! It’s bound to disappear in a couple of hours with all the clouds hanging about.