I'm done traveling now, at least until my annual backpacking trip to Kings Canyon in August.

The trip(s) cost me about $18,000 and about eight months of my life. To Mr. Frugal, a sum such as this might seem a lot. But I have dreamt all my life of seeing Europe, trekking in Nepal, visiting Southeast Asia, Japan, New Zealand and Hawaii, scuba diving in the tropics and mountain biking Moab……and now I have. If I die tomorrow I would not now regret never having gone and done these things. There is much left I still want to do, but these things I now check off my list.

In the Venice & Vienna page I listed European highlights and lowlights. For the rest of the around-the-world journey the list is:

Best city: Auckland

Worst city: Kathmandu

Best town: Luang Prabang

Most beautiful sight(s): The trails from Lukla on up

Most amazing sight: Hong Kong skyscraper scaffolding

Scariest sight: Seconds before landing at Lukla

Funniest sight: Chiang Mai house dogs dressed for chilly mornings

Strangest sounds: Nepalese rap heard on a portable radio in a Dole lodge

Most interesting experience: Scuba diving

Best value: Scuba courses and dives at Scuba Junction. Open Water course - $187, Advanced Open Water -$158 and free dives @ $6 per dive.

Biggest dissappointment (though not a regret because it is now off my list): Japan

Regarding the entire around-the-world trip….. the only regret I have is not having enough time or season to travel to Turkey and not including Tahiti or Fiji on my around-the-world ticket (they were on the way and would have cost nothing).

Where would I want to go again? Nepal and Thailand for more trekking and scuba diving.

The costs:

Around-the-world ticket: $2,500

Travel Insurance: $500

Extra f lights to Edinburgh, Paris, Lukla, Ko Samui, Chiang Mai and Luang Prabang: $800

Three month Eurorail pass: $1500

Trip gear: $400

Nepalese guide/porter: $250

Lodging: $5000

Food: $5000

Miscellaneous: $2000

I am settling back in to my old life, finding comfort in things familiar. I’ve spent a lot of the last five weeks creating this website about my trip for my students, family and friends. I’m climbing every week, though it will take a while to get back to the level I was at before I left. I’ve gone mountain biking four times and I am running three times a week and finally at my regular distance.

Yesterday I saw a really good film that we will be discussing tonight in my film discussion group. I am glad to be able to do that again as well. I’ve also been hanging out again with Allan and Margaret’s boys. David has been talking since last fall and is pretty good even with his cleft palate. Bruce finally started talking a month ago (they were worried about that) though he is very shy about it and speaks so quietly that you have to almost read his lips to hear what he is saying. And Paul – well, you can’t shut him up. He alternates between being a knowledge sponge and a knowledge fountain. If he isn’t asking you a whole lot of questions, he’s telling you everything he just learned from another adult. A couple weeks ago he and I hiked four kilometers up through a Eucalyptus forest to the top of Mt. Sutro. On the way, I taught him about invasive species and native plants. As soon I we got home he was explaining all of it to his dad.

Today I went to a Django Reinhardt tribute at Stern Grove park. The first group was this amazing jazz string quartet - The Turtle Island String Quartet.

During the break I remebered the street musicians I came upon as I was crossing a bridge in Paris - a guitar player and an accordian player - and made a note to add more about them on the France webpage.

After the break the next group started out with two guitarists and a bassist and then added a violinist and then an accordian player who just happened to be the one I heard on a bridge in Paris - amazing - a so was their music. Maybe I didn't have to leave SF to hear great music. Just wait for it to turn up here.

The last musician to be added was an incredible saxophonist, James Carter.

As I sat enjoying their music, I thought how lucky I am to live in this city, to be able to hear great music in a park on every summer sunday for free. That, and so many other things, I have learned to appreciate so much more since I have been back. I went to a lot of amazing places, saw a lot of astounding things. But this is the place I love. I guess you sometimes have to leave home to find it.