Not me. A chap named Jonathan.

[that's Jonathan, over my left shoulder - don't ask about the hats]

I met Jonathan first in Russia on my first night in Moscow back in April. He was halfway through a six month trip and had big plans. We ran into each other again in Mongolia and (along with a few others in our group) we discovered we pretty much had the same schedule ahead of us for the seven days or so [taking in camping out in the desert, catching the train to China and then hanging out in Beijing].

Anyway, I got back from my trip in May, Jonathan got back yesterday.
This post, entitled ‘HOME’ (and reposted with his permission) is what he’s just published and I actually love it.

Enjoy.

…to sort a few things out.

A few weeks ago I flew to Moscow for a couple of days and from there, caught the train to Beijing (stopping off for a few nights in Ulanbator, Mongolia along the way). The journey itself was perfect and pretty much exactly what I needed.

To put things in perspective: over the past month I’ve jogged around Red Square in the morning snow, galloped across the Mongolian desert in the afternoon sun and – thanks to a midday downpour – got soaked to the skin deep within the Forbidden City. ‘Spectacular’ doesn’t quite do it justice.

There’s much to catch up on [and a fair amount of moleskinerie to write up] but for now, it’s good to be home.

Moleskine entry: July 15th, 2010

It’s not too bad. Today’s date is July 15th 2010. In 20mins I’ll be in Canada which… is interesting. I was upgraded today. Seat 3G. That was nice.

Saying that, I am tired. But to be fair, that’s down to lack of sleep over and above anything else.

Son, Daughter – one day I hope you’ll read this. Read about ‘Dad’s Travels’. I bought my first map last week. Stickers a plenty all over it, yours too one day.

Where was I?

Yes, that’s it; Son, Daughter – take one piece of advice from your old man; Be Happy. There aren’t many things in life that are really, truly worth worrying about. Life & Death, certainly. But that’s it. Your life can be as happy as you want it to be. Good things happen to good people. It’s true! Now don’t mock the cliché, please. I mean it. My endless optimism has seen me all right so far. I hope and hope that, if anything, you get that from me.

Yours,

James
— who one day, will be your Dad, X

Moleskine entry: 27th September, 2009

Has it really been that long?

I haven’t been home in over two weeks. I miss my bed. Not for now.

The long summer of travel is drawing to an end (after a bonus Oxfam-related trip to the U.S.) and, this coming Thursday, I formally start at 1000heads. I’m told there’ll be plenty of travel involved but I imagine it won’t be anywhere near as intense as this.

It feels like I’ve been getting my hands dirty again.

You can only sit in an office and strategise for so long, sometimes you need to get there and just do it for yourself. Go out and learn a few things, rediscover why you love what you do so much and ultimately reset your point of view on the world.

This past summer I’ve been through the deserts of Africa, the mountains of Wyoming and glaciers of the French/Italian Alps. From baboons in Botswana to Zebra in Zimbabwe… I’ve been the luckiest man in the world.

The scenery, breathtaking. The wildlife, stunning. The people? It’s a cliché but it really has been all about the people. As I close my moleskine for another day, that’s not a bad thought to take end on at all.

The Sun is setting over London as we make our final approach. I need to draw this to an end. The deep red sky brings a warm smile to my face and I sigh.

Home. Home at last.

Probably the first in a series. Maybe.

It’s silly really but the view from my rear window always makes me smile -

Still unclear?

Let me turn the contrast up -

See that?

At night, when the light is on in the study, you can play shadow puppets on the house opposite. If you put your hands flat against your head, you look a little bit like Batman.

Brilliant.

That’s all.

There’s nothing to see here, move along…
Move along

It’s Sunday – Blogathon continues… Cheating slightly, but like I said, it’s the weekend.

No major content today, although I am having a good think about the stuff that I’ll post in the week…
Monday is when the fun begins.

That’ll be tomorrow then.

Believe it or not – I am.. in fact.. originally.. from Essex.

An Essex Boy in fact.

I like to think I hide this little known (well – not any more) very well.

What with the accent only creeping out on occasion and only slipping back into my native tongue whenever I cross the border…

Not many people seem to pick up on it.

All this aside – it is actually nice to get home every now and then.

As much as I could never live back in Essex ever again – (or to be more precise; back on Canvey Island in Essex), I do have a few, very dear friends who still live there.. and along with some of my family – they always give me an excuse to head home.

I moan and bitch about the place but secretly, I actually love it.

There’s no train station, (you have to get a train to Benfleet then get a bus/cab/lift onto the Island itself), there’s one cinema, one McDonalds, three schools and a lake…
It’s in the Thames Estuary (just before Southend) so therefore people speak with the ‘Estuary English’ twang – aka ‘The Essex Accent’ – the place has it’s ups and downs and it ain’t perfect but I guess it’ll always be home.

One thing I tend to do whenever I go home is take a walk along the sea wall – if the tide is in I’ll walk out into the sea along the old sea wall and stand in the middle of it. It’s one of the most calming things in the world a is one of my ‘secret places’. The place where, when things are stressing me out and the world is feeling heavy on my shoulders, I can just go and be.

Stand. Breathe. Take it all in. Y’know? Let everything go out into the big blue.. (or grey/brown).

Christmas has been good so far. Caught up with my best friend.. I call him my best friend.. he’s more like my Brother to be honest. My brother from another Mother if you will… But yeah – saw him, his family. Saw my family too. Still at my Mum’s at the time of typing – heading back tomorrow. Drunken Boxing Day Karaoke to tackle first!  Hehehe…

Cannae wait to get back to sunny Teddington… I don’t have many friends back here at ‘home’.

I’m reminded, as I write, that it may well have been a contributing factor as to why I moved away in the first place… Which is fine – I know who my friends are and I love them very much.

There just isn’t a large collection of them on Canvey.

So I’ve just got back from a weekend in Essex on the the beautiful, (no really), Isle of Canvey.

I caught up with some old friends, played some Wii, laughed a hell of a lot and drank a fair bit of wine too!
I know 99% of my readers have never been to Canvey before so I’ve taken the liberty of uploading some photos of the ‘idyllic’ seafront along with the ‘picturesque’ sandy beaches..

All taken with my trusty N95 too!

Once this is uploaded i’ll get to work a little post entitled -

The Mobile Geeks of London

(which I was supposed to write last week!)

But for now… Boats and Beaches!

“Woo!
I’m going to Gibraltar!
Woo!
Back to the Island!”

But first.. I need to pay my rent.. Hmm.

Can’t see that happening just yet – it IS payday today – and I have been paid some money.. but have I got enough for my rent?

Nope.

Hmm..

*wonders how much he can get for a kidney*

Cor blimey!

Its been so hectic since I got home – work is mental and anyone who’s anyone is trying to catch me for some catch up drinking and suchlike!

Oh gawd!

So today is Wednesday – I’ve gotta work my socks off up until Friday then the weekend will be here.. dunno what I’ll do with it mind – check my bank balance today – OUCH. A fair amount of stuff from Thailand hit today.

Damn. Basically.

So sod it – I’m gonna have to knuckle down and get the overtime in so I can afford to LIVE next month – Jeez.. Plus Im gonna need a spare bit of spendin money if I’m gonna have any chance of a decent summer..

I am actually considering a second job..

Yeah. I know!

Shockin huh? I gotta do something..

Hmm – maybe escorting?! Hahahahaahahahahahaha…

So yeah – been invited out in Staines tonight with Martin and Ash, tomorrow night I’m seeing my friend Nats, Friday… well Friday is Friday. Saturday I was gonna go back to Canvey and see family and friends.. but now I’ve been invited to a party in Brixton that I REALLY wanna go to.. oh its a tough life.. Maybe I could goto Canvey Friday night and then come home Saturday and go to the party then.. now THAT is an idea.. )

Anyway – im rambling..

I need to go to work. Its 720 and my train is in 15mins.

Laters all.