I joined her a month later in LA, and we spent a month travelling around the California region. We then flew to New Zealand, exploring all that the North and South islands had to offer before carrying on to Sydney, Australia. We lived and worked there for 4 months, renting a flat in the centre of the city. After taking in some of the East Coast, Cairns, Canberra and Wellington we were off on the final leg of out trip - South East Asia.
For me, this part of the trip made the experience feel like proper travelling, as opposed to just a souped up holiday. It was quite a culture shock, and I think we both gained a lot from our 3 months. We started in Bangkok, Thailand and made our tour in a clockwise fashion, travelling through Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia and finishing back in Thailand.
So, after a long flight we found ourselves back in England, planning our next big plan. Was it worth it? Completely. If I hadn't have gone I'd have been missing out on a whole set of experiences that I wouldn't have even known should be there. And, I think, this background photo speaks for itself.
Mark Seddon 28 May 2003
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