abode acrobat . net

The immigration authorities at Heathrow could at least have made more of a fuss. They acted like it was entirely routine to snub one’s country for nine months, then return as though nothing had happened. “Wow, that was an unusally long absence!” they might have said. “Was there something you were running away from? Perhaps you’d like us to check the things you fear about the UK really have abated before we welcome you back.”

Needless to say, absolutely nothing has changed here during my time away. Least of all me, I’m sorry to report.

Besides compiling a comprehensive survey of wireless internet availability worldwide (poor, on the whole), one aim of my trip was to test the hypothesis known as “The Universal Truth Of Travelling”: that you’re still you when you get there.

Of course, that truth would be plainly reassuring for most individuals; but I must admit I was slightly disappointed to discover that it applied in my case.

You’d have thought that landing alone in the heart of Bangkok, or bussing up the Australian coast with an entirely new and temporary set of friends, would be a perfect time for self-reinvention. Apparently not. Surely I could exaggerate my past and inflate my social standing? Maybe even change my name.

Don’t be fooled! You can run away from people, and you can leave behind your circumstances. But you can’t run away from yourself…