Today is Saturday, April 23rd (two days before my 42nd birthday) and I am writing this blog entry from my office in Southeast Indiana. This is my final blog entry in this series.

I have struggled for the last couple of weeks to try and find the words and to put my feelings into words in order to describe what my trip has done for me and my reasons for ending it earlier than expected. It is very important to me to put the proper closure on this experience and express in words my feelings and thoughts. It’s important to me for personal reasons and important to me that I adequately explain to you guys (my readers) who have read my thoughts and ramblings over the last four months or so and supported me with your comments, encouragement, thoughts and prayers.

But first I want to let everyone know what I’ve been up to the last few weeks since leaving Scotland.

I left off my Edinburgh entry after spending two lovely days in Scotland's capital. The weather had started to turn warmer (warmer in Scotland during March is a very relative term - the temperatures climbed from the low 30's into the mid 40's) and the sky was a beautiful blue. The countryside was turning green although I imagine it's always green in Scotland!

I was so close to the Home of Golf that the itch to head north to St. Andrews was overwhelming so I bought a train ticket and hopped on the morning train heading north for the one hour trip to Luechars which is about 7 miles outside St. Andrews.

Dear Readers:

I want to give a quick update to let you all know what's going on, many of you already do know...

I am back in the USA having arrived about a week and a half ago from London. I came back to pursue a few career opportunities that were presented to me. I will discuss more on this in a later blog entry as I have made no definite decisions as to my future.

I am fortunate enough to be able to base myself at my Mom's in Lake Tahoe while I have traveled around the USA over the last week talking with two different casino companies. My Mom is an awesome lady and I really really appreciate her support and love and I have nothing but love and respect for her!

I do have more entries for this blog and will write them next week as I will be away once again this weekend. I will do an entry about St. Andrews and then another one about London that will include pictures.

Depending on what the future holds for me on the immediate career front I will prepare a Closure entry. I understand if people do not want to be a part of this blog anymore now that I am back in the comforts of America and not out on the road and I appreciate your reading this and your support over the last 4 months. I will need to complete this blog and put closure on it for my peace of mind and for posterities sake.

Thanks and God Bless!

I must apologize for the time it’s taken me to update this blog, it has been too many days as I have been so kindly reminded by my friend's Phyllis and Linda! I have not been in one place long enough to find the time to do a proper entry as I have traveled many thousands of miles and have been in many cities and a couple of countries since the last update.

Where did I leave off? Oh yes, leaving London for Scotland.

Hello everyone! Today is Friday afternoon, March 18th and I am still in St. Andrews, Scotland. God's Country and the Home of Golf!

Alas, I will be leaving Scotland tomorrow and head to London after playing some of the best golf of my life, but more on that later!

I titled this blog entry "From Traveler to Tourist?" with a question mark to highlight a chance in my traveling habits as I left Asia and headed into the western world.

I was just checking some statistics on my blog. I have written 37 blog entries and have received 217 separate comments!! Thanks everyone for their comments, I read them all and greatly anticipate them and do take to heart the thoughts and suggestions. Once again, thanks and keep 'em coming. There is no such thing as a stupid comment.

Today is Sunday afternoon, March 13th and I am in St. Andrews, Scotland. St. Andrews is the Home of Golf and one of my favorite places in the whole world. I feel very comfortable and at home here. This is my third visit to this city and it feels very familiar to me. It is so nice coming into a new place and knowing where things are and how to get around and find the places I need to find. It is especially nice after 3 or so months going from unfamiliar to unfamiliar places with the stress and anxiety attendant in doing so. There was no anxiety at all coming here.

Oh, I also love the Scottish accents of the women here. It really does something for me!!

And the golf is awesome and I'm hitting the ball great eventhough it's been in the 30's and low 40's with winds from 20-40 mph. Real Scottish golf, laddies and lassies.

Another U.K. related question for Patrick since he answered so eloquently the reason why the Brits drive on the wrong side of the road: Why don't people in the U.K. consistently walk on the left hand side of sidewalks? In America most people walk on the right hand side of a wide sidewalk facilitating the proper flow of pedestrians especially on a busy sidewalk. Here in the U.K. it is hard for me to stay consistent when walking around, I try to adhere to walking on the left side but get no cooperation from the Brits as half of them walk and the right and the other half walk on the left. It drives me nuts!!

It is Monday morning, March 7th and I am in Edinburgh, Scotland - God's Country! I got here yesterday after a 6 hour train trip from London through the heartland of England and southern Scotland. What a beautiful ride and a very relaxing way to spend the day, trains are a great way to travel.

Being in the "Mother Country" makes me miss my friend Patrick as the limey accent is, of course, everywhere and it makes me homesick for a bar stool at Applewoods tipping back a beer or two with Jason, Leo and Patrick. When you travel you really learn to appreciate the contribution of England to the world as colonizers. The thing I don't like about their influence is that they drive on the wrong side of the road and have taught many countries in the world to do the same. This is dangerous for a guy like me that walks around alot and can't seem to figure out to look right first rather than left before crossing the street!

The Scottish, though, don't seem to like the Brits too much!

On another topic before officially starting this blog entry, I feel I have made an important breakthrough in international relations between Europeans and America. Its been very apparent for the last couple of years that much of the world is unhappy with the decisions made by the U.S. government concerning the invasion of Iraq. There is even some dissent amongst Americans although I personally agree with he decision. Anyway in the three months or so that I've been on the road I have sat at a number of bars and discussed American foreign policy with a alot of people in various states of drunkeness. Most had strong opinions that led to some heated arguments.

Now recently though I feel the attitudes changing into more acceptance of U.S. policy. I think my bar stool mates and I have come to an agreement that maybe the U.S. invasion of Iraq was wrong but the current (and end) result justifies the invasion. What do you think about that Seth????

I wonder if President Bush or his advisors read my blog, if so, this bit of intelligence will be good for them to hear!

Today is Wednesday, March 2nd. At the end of my last blog entry I said I was doing something unexpected and taking a bit of a long journey. I didn't mean to be overly dramatic or to worry anyone (sorry Mom!) because all I did was leave Asia and go to London, England.

That's right, I'm in beautiful (and cold/snowy) London after over 24 hours flying and layover time from Hong Kong. I'm writing this as I'm jet lagged trying to get used to crossing 8 time zones going backwards.

I decided to leave Asia after 12 or so weeks there to change things up and try something different. Not sure what my plans are after London but I will hang out here for a while and be a tourist.

This blog entry is about my time in Phuket.

It is Monday morning, February 28th and I am in Hong Kong! After leaving Phuket I just couldn't hang out in Bangkok any longer and needed a change of pace from Southeast Asia so I decided to fly up here to beautiful and mysterious Hong Kong, the gateway to Asia and the gateway to China!

After seven days in Phnom Penh it really was time to leave. My friends Frank and Thom were departing and I thought it was time I do so too.

Today is Tuesday morning, February 22nd and I am back in Bangkok after spending 9 wonderful days on Phuket Island. I could have stayed there much longer, the beaches are so beautiful, the water is as warm as a bath, the sand feels so nice on my feet and between my toes and the weather is always warm with a little breeze. It's a small paradise down there.

As soon as I got back to Bangkok I got sick, big time. I'm pretty sure it is just food poisoning from the fish I ate the first night back here in the city. At least I hope that's what it is, I don't relish any long term illness here in Southeast Asia. I've been laid up in my cell-like guesthouse room for a few days working through this illness form both ends and it sucks. I think I'm better this morning though as I am able to keep breakfast down. I've been sick a few times on this trip but NOTHING like this!!

This blog entry is about Phnom Penh and PARENTAL GUIDANCE IS SUGGESTED based on discussion of prostitution and drugs.