BOSTON - 21 Feb
I've finally shaken free of the gravitational, inertia producing force, of being back in my hometown. If this is my Odyssey, then I've been one of Circe's pigs, trapped on the island called Manhattan. Strangely, the true power of New York is felt when you leave it and return. Having seen other cities, I can more readily appreciate the cultural variety that exists in that city.

So, realising that I couldn't spend the rest of my life surfing the internet, playing Final Fantasy X and watching the Cartoon Network, I've decided to continue my adventure.

But first, I have to finish the exploration of self and family before I can leave my home, refreshed for part two of my journey.

Returning to Arizona for my Grandparents' 60th anniversary revealed to me that I had not truly met my family as an adult. All of my memories were either from a child's perspective or from the self-examining fog of my adolescence that barely allowed any of the outside world in.

I've started a project for my family. Collecting the stories and snapshots of the everyday moments of their lives. Too often this happens late in life, or worse still, trying to recreate the story of a life that has passed. I'm much more interested in living biographies.

And writing these stories will help prepare me to write my own story.