It’s true – after 535 days travelling around Asia and Australasia I am back in old blighty!

I touched down on English soil two weeks ago – and yes it has taken me this long to get around to updating my blog. After a massive hug from my dad as I passed through arrivals my next concern was getting a cup of proper English tea. After 18 months of crappy tea bags and dodgy Asian milk words can’t describe how good REAL English tea tasted.

With renewed energy from my cuppa I hoisted my backpack onto my shoulder for one last time and made my way to the car. Driving down the A303 towards the green fields of Devon the sun was shining and in car climate control meant the chilly February air seemed decidably warm. Probably a good thing, as although I was wearing trousers my only other clothing consisted of a vest top and pair of flip flops!

Passing Stonehenge I craned my neck to get a look at the ancient stones and realised that despite having driven past scores of times I’d never bother to stop and take a look at one of England’s most ancient sites. I was filled with a determination to ‘see’ some of England. My first job (once I had some money) would be to get a Great Britain guide book and set about discovering some of the country I’d spent the last 26 years neglecting to (really) look at.

My first day home was a non stop round of seeing people and making plans to meet old friends. But the first thing I did was jump into The Baby (my 1991 Mini Cooper) and take her for a drive. Whilst I’d been away she’d had a full engine rebuild and tune (thanks James) increasing the bhp from 55 to 92, and she was suitably quick!

The next few days passed in a haze of people who were incredibly happy to see me. It’s a really nice feeling when someones face lights up as they set eyes on you. Everyone feels the need to give a slightly awkward hug and then you set about talking about anything but what you’ve been doing for the last 18 months. The the next time you see each other, there’s no glimmer in their face, no awkward hug and the conversation revolves around your day to day life – it takes about 24 hours to begin to feel like you never left!

Don’t get me wrong some people are interested in where you’ve been, but most are only interested in those places they’ve already been to or places they intend to go – their interest being a front for syphoning off some of your travelling knowledge. I also found myself re-telling the same stories time and time again – as if 18 months didn’t give me enough amusing anecdotes to tell a wealth of different stories.

I’ve been back for just over two weeks and I sit here writing this in the same University classroom I used to spend my days in before I left. I’m back in lectures, learning the same stuff I was before I left and attempting to find a client for my final masters project. Nothing has really changed, the room has a few more computers, the classroom has some different faces but essentially, Preston, Exeter, my whole life remains unchanged. It’s like I’ve been asleep had some amazing dreams woken up in a slightly shifted version of reality!

So it’s back to study for me. I am quite surprised at how much I’m enjoying it. I like the feeling that I’m learning something and challenging my brain again. I will be (I bet you haven’t heard this before) trying to get the blog up to date very soon. I’m going to take you all the way back to Australia then write all about my adventures in Indonesia, Malaysia and Southern Thailand. Then hopefully pick up with my everyday life in England. After all ‘The Journey’ doesn’t end here there is plenty more of life still to discover.

* Posted by j150vsc on 06/03/2008.