Every journey is a quest of sorts but, as we leave the familiar behind, what are we looking for? Perhaps it is the enticing prospect of the unknown. Perhaps we are in search of the simple pleasures of immersing ourselves, however briefly, in another way of life. Perhaps we just want a break from the monotony…
Standing behind the reception desk of a hotel in south west Iceland, the clerk was being as polite as his utter bewilderment and exasperation would allow. He was wearing the expression of someone who has just suspected he is the victim of a prank. His haunted eyes scarcely blinked as they flitted around the room,…
“Why don’t you call her?” I asked. A look of stunned incomprehension swept across my daughter’s face, draining it of all color. Had I suggested to her that she set fire to her legs, I doubt the expression would have been much different. “Well, I texted her over an hour ago to ask if she…
It’s something I’ve done hundreds of times. Sitting in my preferred window seat, I watch as the aircraft makes a ninety degree turn, lining up with its back to the lights that will guide its return. There is a slight pause. The dull throb from the engines turns to a roar as their full power…
10:02 The painfully bland hold music has already cycled through a couple of times. Perhaps I made a mistake. Did I use an incorrect conference call code? I quickly recheck my calendar. No. This is the correct code. “It’s only two minutes past the hour”, I say to myself, trying to resist my building frustration.…
Thank you for your message. I’m currently out of the office and will not be checking email during my absence. In case of need, I can be reached on my mobile phone. However, before you consider calling me, please be certain that the survival of the human race hangs in the balance – and that…
My father died on the day after my 23rd birthday. Now, almost 25 years later, I often wonder what things would have been like – what I would have been like – had he survived. These thoughts find a sharper focus now because, when my father was my age, he had less than three years…
Journeys And 