Full Circle

121 days. Over 30,000 miles -- by plane, train, rental car, van, mini-van, bus, mini-bus, scooter, tuk-tuk, pickup truck (front), pickup truck (back), taxi, bicycle, slow boat, longtail boat, big boat, kayak, sandal and elephant -- a full lap and back from whence I came. It's impossible to really encapsulate the trip, but I'll throw out some thoughts. I don't like how often I say 'I' below, but as it was just me, I guess it's inevitable.

I petted a kangaroo, and saw a beggar that was saving for a Ferrari and ones that seemed to be saving only for today. I did somersaults with a hill tribe kid named David. I went into the houses that Buddha, Muhammad, Confucius and Jesus built and bowed (and knew that they would all bow to each other if they ever met). I was stung by a Turkish bee, and I hung from a Kiwi trapeze. There were laughing Turks, dignified Spaniards and happy Vietnamese kids who formed a receiving line to shake my hand.

I tried to out-bellydance a bellydancer. I slobbered in slumber next to complete strangers of myriad nationalities. Laotian children said hello to me with frantic happiness. H'mong children threatened my life. Pointing and grunting literally became a language to me. There were huge mountains and flat landscapes that each amazed me in their own way. There were rainbows and rainclouds and rainforests, huge ancient monuments and Turkish Delight. Sunrise and sunset fought to a lengthy aesthetic draw.

There were new birds in the sky and old-looking puppets in water. I maintained a complex and mercurial relationship with my pants. I drank beer. I ate bamboo. I climbed a mountain and walked in an underground city. I heard a Ramadan drum and the splash after dolphin's leap. I chuckled, grinned and gaped at sights I had never imagined I would see. I met great people from all over the world, and was reminded that there are great people all over the world--no matter where you go.

I understood a little better how lucky I am to live where I live, to enjoy what I enjoy, to know what I know and to not know what many others do. I realized how fortunate I am to have been able to look around the planet for a while, and that there is so much more I want to see. It really was the trip of a lifetime -- that is, as long as I am allowed to have more than one of those. Going for the sake of going can be addictive.

Thanks, everyone, for reading.... and for the comments and emails. They meant more than you know. I have enjoyed writing this very much, and think I'm going to continue doing a blog now that I'm back. So, hopefully you all haven't become bored of this one!

I just spent a long time uploading and captioning photos, only to accidentally delete them. I'll start again, and hopefully get them linked on here soon... thanks again.