I had wanted a little musical number to finish up on but I don't suppose that's particularly easy to do. Instead I'm just going to ramble for a bit and try to tie up some loose ends in my head.

So we've been to lots of countries and lots of towns and cities along the way. We've seen a lot of great things, met interesting people and spent a lot of money. So what now? Well, part of me is ready to move on and get my teeth stuck into things again. We've already got some tentative plans for when we get back. Our Christmas and New Year schedule is pretty busy, full of social engagements. After that I'm sure we'll work on a UK tour to visit the people we know who are dotted around the country. That may have to wait until February though and January for me will be spent doing a training course (you'll find it funny when you find out where I'm going). We've got no fewer than three weddings lined up for 2005 and I'm going to be 30 in March. On top of that we'll have to find jobs and eventually a house of our own again. It's almost like starting all over again and that's one of the things I'm looking forward to. Now we have a chance to start from scratch I'd like to think that we'll do the things that we want to do and, as much as possible, the way we want to do them. I have no idea how it'll all work out though as I'm sure that we're different people to the ones that left Heathrow on a plane bound for Mexico in April. We haven't descended into the madness that we call "going ethnic" that some people who go off to see the world seem to do. This was never intended to be a voyage of self-discovery.

I know that the traditional time for resolutions is at New Year but I feel that our return to England is going to be a much better starting point for the future. Above all else I think that the one thing I'm going to concentrate on now is not just going with the flow and I want to make sure that I look after what I want a bit more often. In the past I can't help feeling that I've been too easy going or perhaps a bit of a soft touch. Countless auto-wallahs and shop owners in India have taught me to say "no" and mean it! The last five weeks of our trip have been amazingly hard, they've also been an education the likes of which you'll never see in a school. In fact the whole of our trip has been an education really as well as a brilliant way to spend 8 months or so. I would recommend it to anyone.

But now it's over. We are leaving on a jet plane. We don't know when we'll be back again. As far as India goes, maybe not for a while unless it's Goa or Darjeeling. Some of the other places maybe sooner. Now though it's time for Christmas, it's time for family and friends and starting the rest of our lives. Despite any faults I think it may have, England is in some ways very much like the Hotel California. You can check out any time you want but you can never leave.