i have landed prematurely in asia. originally, i thought my flight would take me into the airport on the european side, it seems my feet have wondered and have walked on asian soil.

fear not, my head lies comfortably on European soil. while the differences are minor in such a grand city as istanbul, i am now the furthest from my family, friends and what i once called home.

to be honest, what i just did was unbelievable... jumping from city to city/country to country every four days has destroyed me. it's hard to think about all the great conversations, stories, and situations by moving from one to the next.

i now hope that i can splice together a story line that is truly representative of all that i've seen.

as i sit in the cafe of my istanbul youth hostel, i know this trip wouldn't have been possible without all the great hosts and more importantly the last two great hosts, andy smith from jaiku & Nadya Peek in amsterdam and Joshua Kauffman & Gwen in eindoven. andy and nadya gave me spare keys and a huge bed to dream of a better world. joshua and gwen gave me a spectacular dinner that charged my mind and body.

one of the most unexpected benefits from this trip is seeing so many great couples. from will and sue, alex and matt, dries and karlijin, andy and nadya, joshua and gwen... i am in total awe of their love and affection, and their generosity in giving me a humble home for me lay my head.