I write this as I fly over the Atlantic Ocean on my way back to Toronto. The Air Transit flight was delayed by more than two hours. This delay initially made me very cranky as I am really tired from the crazy schedule of the last couple of months. Yesterday I was in Amsterdam, the day before in Istanbul and this flight started in Paris. Too many late nights and early mornings recently. In between all those cities are the transport issues – the metro, the buses, the trains and the checking in and out of hotels. I actually don’t mind any of these elements of the intrepid traveler. It is the packing and repacking of my bag that I really hate. I continue to be in awe of my little Mountain Equipment Coop bag. It has been used and abused and overstuffed and the zippers stretched beyond any theories of natural physics and it still is as new. The wheels have travelled over desert roads, down sandy beaches, through mud in the pouring rain and over countless miles of cobblestones – old ones throughout Europe, and new ones, faked to look ancient, in China. It has been lugged through mounds of cow s*** in India and in and out of a zillion boats in Thailand and Indonesia and Vietnam and Laos. The pull handle has gotten a little loose and I think I shall soon retire it from active duty. Since January 09, it has been stuffed and un stuffed nearly every single day for 11 months:  5 months last year and 6 months this year. 10 countries in 09 and 22 countries (so far) in 2010. I can now heartily recommend this lifestyle and this bagl!
Sitting in the departure lounge, waiting for the airplane, I was able to watch Canadians. There were two A330’s departing from accompanying gates – mine to Toronto and the other to Montreal. I am used to watching and analyzing groups of people – for me that is what travel is all about. Most of the rest, you can capture on the Discovery Channel or in National Geographic. It is the differences and the sameness in cultures that fascinates me and keeps me thinking ahead to the next destination. As I scanned the very large group in the Departure Lounge – around 600 people – mostly all Canadians, it was easy to pick out the French ones (other than the obvious language clue!!!) and then divide the rest into groups. It was the first time in six months that I have seen this many of my own tribe together and it was hard to distinguish what makes us unique as Canadians. I am afraid to say we just don’t look as distinctive as other countries. This group was as diverse as others are homogeneous – ethnicity in Canada just isn’t very pure – I am always trying to explain this to people I meet who ask if there are any people like them – Indian, Chinese, Thai, etc in Canada.    Hmmm.
It is weird to be going ‘home’ to no real home. My house is not mine anymore and I have waited for some kind of panic to set in about this. It just hasn’t. Maybe it will once I get back to Calgary. I left there on November 24 – it has been a long time to be on a walkabout, yet I am still very happy being free out here in the world. When I talk to other travelers – they understand what I mean. Most want only two things - more time and more money to continue their journeys. The non travelers just shake their heads and talk about missing their own sheets and their own pillows, or their families or their dogs or their cats and I understand that intellectually but just don’t think I am made that way.
The reason I am going back to Calgary, other than to see family and friends, is to figure out the Alberta Health Care regulations. Albertans cannot be outside of the country for more than 6 months less a day – inclusive – to keep their health care. Inclusive means that every day out of the country counts. A weekend to Seattle counts, a month here or there counts and the total days cannot exceed 182 or something close. Exacerbated with this is private travel insurers will not insure you if you do not carry basic provincial health care –  I will endeavor to figure out the fine details of this policy, to find out if there is some wiggle room.. I just don’t see my desire to be warm in the winter passing any time soon. If I can afford to be away, I intend to be away. I prefer to travel on the cheap and I am thinking the next trip will have a base – maybe rent somewhere south and do mini trips from there. Que sera sera – just not sure how it will all unfold.
In France I discovered an amazing website – thanks Clem – that may hold many of the answers for next winter. It is workstay.com or workaway.com….have a look and for those of you who like my kind of travel and adventure, I know you too will be excited about the possibilities.
 For the time being my plan is to visit my Dad and help him with a list of chores he has lined up and then return to Calgary on July 6.. My brother and sister in law are retiring to their cabin in Buck Lake and I will rent their house in Calgary for a few months. This will allow me to retrieve all of the stuff I had to store in many addresses and garages across Calgary and repatriate the stuff I have in Ontario. I will have the time to find my things, analyze them and then decide ‘in or out’. My house sale last October was so crazy fast it still remains a blur – I don’t know how I made it through that chaos. Lucky to have good friends and family – many hands…..yadayada. Workwise, I have some full days of court mediations booked after Stampede and may unleash that Private Investigator license again. Cheating husbands beware!!!! Both jobs are really fun and I look forward to getting back into both those fields. I have a two or three week Cat sitting gig at one of my friend’s….hey – work is work! Also tennis. I am returning fat and flabby, resultant from incredible curries and nan in India, endless Baguettes with the girls in Vietnam, amazing French meals in France , way too many trips to McDonald’s in China and Hong Kong, and most recently fantastic Dutch pastries and Fries with gobs of mayonaise in the Netherlands....yummmm.
I have a few regrets this year – I wished I hadn’t missed Richard and Deb in India – we were sooo close….meters away at the Taj, I didn’t get to Cambodia to see Hils endeavors, or see if Kate and Renee’s menus worked out at the non profit in southern Cambodia;  Connecting with G in Grenoble didn’t work and I missed having Thai street food because of that damn civil war. Janice is still somewhere in Africa and it was too bad we could not have spent some time together someplace Asian. I also wished I had gone to Japan to visit Josh instead of spending so much time in Hong Kong.    
The highlights were the relationships that were strengthened: I didn’t really ‘know’ Carolyn before India and we were perfect travelling companions – same rhythm, same style. We had so much fun together. Spending a month with Laura and Sharon in Vietnam was a gift we all gave each other. We met a world away in Laos yet we are now family – when do you ever get to spend a whole month with your good friends? Two weeks with the very interesting Italian/Swiss Manfred in Kochi India and the really fun beach time in Goa. Then my two weeks with the Ngyuyen/Goge family in a small village in France….what an opportunity that was.   Then on to this past week – meeting and staying with Andrea’s parents in their small town in Holland – so so nice. And then Istanbul with Andrea – a lifetime of laughs there.
So – back to the future – again. In my head It seems like I have been gone about 2 or 3 weeks…until I think about all the things I have seen and all the people I have met along the way. I have had a few serious marriage proposals…..some not so serious:  I have met more married men with ‘open’ marriages then I want to remember…..I think most men who travel for business must be from that same demographic….funny how that works in every country – isn’t it?
Not many people are lucky enough to live their dream and I remain grateful for all that I have. Thanks to all of you who sent me notes of encouragement and updates. I am sorry if I did not reply to them all but now I will be able to see many of you in person. The others in faraway places – know that I am coming to stay a bit if invited. Also know that whatever home I have, you are welcome. You won’t get the French gourmet meals that my French friend prepared every single meal, but I will know where every McDonald’s and 7-11 is in my neighborhood.
I will continue to sort the pics and post them – this is my online diary so as I remember things I am going to capture them here in anticipation for my ‘less than alert days’ that are bound to come.
Hey – the movie just ended and the map popped up – we are now flying over Newfoundland!!!!   Cool – last year I was only home a week before I was restless and headed off to Newfoundland to kayak around the icebergs!!!! This year I spent waaay more money than I did last year and will have to spend a few frugal months to make that up…..or get a real job……ahhhhh, maybe not quite yet. There's a Stampede and a whole lot of two-stepping dances to attend in the next few weeks!