The travel bug
| Such wind as scatters young men through the world, To seek their fortunes farther than at home Where small experience grows. [...] Crowns in my purse I have and goods at home, And so am come abroad to see the world. |
| -- William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew |
I developed the travel bug very late in life (that is, after I could afford it). I've been to a few places and I intend to visit many more.
I was very lucky to be sent around south-east Asia in 1987. Over several trips I spent about a month in each of Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. I always said I'd travel some more, particularly in Thailand, but never seemed to get around to it. That changed in 1998.
London
In November 1997 I was sent to London for a conference. I took a few days off while there and had three days in which to visit one of the world's great cities. You can see the photographs of London.
Thailand
In February 1998 I (finally) had a real holiday! I took three weeks off work and returned to the country that captured my imagination all those years ago. You can see the photographs of Thailand.
United States of America
I realised that I hadn't had a holiday for a while. Remembering the resolution I made in 1998, I visited the USA in October 2000. My itinerary included Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, Washington, and San Francisco. Some of the e-mails I sent now make interesting reading. I took heaps of photographs (396, to be exact!), and you can see some of my favourite photographs of the United States of America.
Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam
In February 2003 it was time for a serious holiday! Other priorities meant that I had not had a holiday for the last couple of years, so now it was time to take the whole of February off work. I spent some more time in Thailand, interrupted by a tour of Cambodia and Vietnam. You can see the photographs of Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.