Home Is Where The Heart Is

Perth, Australia

Well I’m home.

‘Look So Fine, Feel So Low’ just came on via random selection on the home stereo.

In Singapore, checking my email, a few friends had forwarded me the alert for the premiere of the first feature film documentary of our national poet laureate Paul Kelly (coming in September – I bought tickets on the spot online in the Changi Airport!).

I knew I was getting close to home when that happened. Maybe I was already on my way home when I sang ‘To Her Door’ at the foot of the Trans-Siberian 9288km monument on the platform of the Vladivostok Railway Station. But then I went and climbed Avachinskaya in Kamchatka and I was on another planet. Again.

Cornwall to Kamchatka seems like an absolute lifetime in the construction. And even the post-journey deconstruction (or destruction at times!) homeward (Petropavlovsky-Kamchatki – Vladivostok – Novosibirsk – Beijing – Singapore) seems too long ago.

If you’ve been following my blog, then you may have a sense of the time I’ve enjoyed. The amazing people that I’ve met. And the natural and geographic planetary delights I’ve witnessed, sampled, devoured, swallowed, smelt, tasted, trodden on, laid down upon and smiled, even cried, before. And while I did write a good deal, I must say there is much I missed out – characters still treasured, places of passing wonderment, and friendships transitory and special that didn’t make always make it to the pages of my diary or to the cybernetic reaches of my blog. And similarly, while I didn’t write about them much, there were down times and times of infinite loneliness. Times of self-doubt. Times of anger and fear in the face of loveless moments. But that is the Road. And Adventure Road is never far from these shadows. And as Isabelle in Kamchatka says, one’s life is only ever directed in the present moment. Hear, hear!

I arrived home after midnight to a very well looked after house (Thanks so much to Kath!). Slept through till after midday today – I needed it. And I am feeling very disoriented. My house, which was still new to me when I left Australia, is almost a strange place. But the welcoming light of my spacious kitchen and living area, as well as the familiar objects around the place are helping me to slide back to Perth.

After two solid months of waking up wondering what decisions I have to make regarding what to do, where to go and how to do it, I’m suddenly feeling very lost. But this will pass. I’m sure.

Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Signing off from ‘Cornwall to Kamchatka’
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog/p lanetlars/1/tpod.html

Planet Lars
Chris