There are three major segments to my trip - first, I'm going to England for what will swing wildly from the intensely personal to the very public. Then I'm travelling on mainland Europe for awhile, which is rather straightforward. Then, I'm heading on out to Ecuador (yes, that was a bolt from the blue) to work a volunteer placement and meet some of the people I have been fundraising for here in Montreal.

I also thought I would introduce my travelling companion for at least the first part of my trip. He is one of my best friends, and we have a lot in common. He is also my stepdad. John is a middle aged Lancashire man whose hobbies include running marathons, Liverpool Football Club, beer (the making and the drinking) and westerns. His previous travel experiences include a meeting a dodgy set of "waitresses" in Hamburg, expecting the Elgin Marbles to be children's toys, and giving drivers everywhere the finger.