Well now, this is my first blog entry and it's difficult to say whether I'm excited, nervous, apprehensive or just plain dazed and confused about the whole thing. Yes, I haven't left yet but don't let that fool you that the trip hasn't already started. In my mind it already has and I'm nervous to heck that I haven't packed the right things and that I don't have the right paperwork etc for when I inevitably have my stuff stolen. But this I'm told is just a natural starting point, so without further paranoid ado, here is my itinerary for the next 9-10 months:

Nepal (Everest base camp) - Beijing ... Hong Kong - Bangkok ... Singapore - Perth - Melbourne - Hobart - Brisbane ... Sydney - Auckland - Honolulu - San Francisco ... New York - London.

The ...'s are overland, whereas the "-" bits are flights. The rest of my trip is a bit vague and that's what scares and excites me!

Next up: my birthday and leaving party to say goodbye to all my fantastic and great friends while I've been here in London. I love you all...