Here There and Who Knows Where

We leave our footprints wherever we go, for the winds, waves and rains to scrub away. After us, others arrive and seeing a pristine beach with no markings, leave their temporary marks. But, unlike footprints, we leave memories and influences of ourselves with those we have met. In turn, we too bring from these faraway places, memories that will stay with us for a lifetime. Whether it is the images in our minds, or the photos that we return to, the mysteries of new lands, knowledge gained and new friends made, makes for life-changing experiences. Travel has thrown open the windows to the world and our diverse humanity. Those who venture to faraway lands are born of curiosity, making life a wondrous experience. With that said, there are many people who will be quite happy living in their village from birth to death, with no interest in exploring what lies over the nearest hill. In their minds, they are totally satisfied with life within their community. In total contrast to this simple existence, your two writers are very curious. Instead of a quiet, settled life, we climbed to the top of our respective hills, looked down on what lay before us and immediately wanted to see what lay over the next hill. Rather than staying close to home, curiosity has led us to many countries, taking in the sights, sounds and splendour that Nature offers, rubbing shoulders with the local people, tasting their foods and gaining a new appreciation for their cultures and religions. This all makes humanity who we are, where we live. After meeting all manner of people, exchanging opinions in diverse discussions and searching out explanations, our earlier perceptions are often replaced with real-life understanding. The only constant we all face in life, is change. Irrespective of where we live, our daily lives are influenced by the demands and complexities of a changing world which challenges our emotions, beliefs, morality, integrity and opinions. We have to decide whether we will embrace any particular change, resist it, and accept that others will embrace what we reject. We then have to come to terms with living in harmony amongst a diversity of people with conflicting likes and dislikes. With more information available today, than in the history of mankind, we seem to be more ignorant than ever before. Separating fact from misinformation, also becomes more difficult and travel enables us to consider our world in better context. We will also explore the human condition, which we find fascinating, confusing and informative. This often presents more questions than answers, but that is what makes us think, and on many occasions, very deeply, as we consider alternatives, offer insights and encourage conversations about happenings in all corners of the world. We don’t know what lies ahead . . . Come with us as we share with you, our own journeys of discovery. We hope these will inspire you to begin your own adventures, grow your knowledge and gather many, very special memories. Arrange your thoughts, arrange your backpacks and join us as we share with you.