Forthy: Around the World in 60 Days

Introduction

2007-12-31T02:00:00.003-06:00

Wow Guys! Forget Philleas Fogg around the world in 80 days... I've decided to circumnavigate the globe in 60!

It's a breakneck schedule with stops planned in Canada, England, Dubai (UAE), Thailand, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia... and then back again!

My goal is to cover every land mass known to man - from the plains to the city, coast, desert, and jungle... to the rainforest, mountains, lakes and even the occasional volcano.

Why the urge to circle the globe?

Well, two months a go, my H1-B Visa was approved by the US Department of Immigration for three years. However, the Visa doesn't start until October 1st. My current one expires July 31st.

Without a visa for 60 days I am unable to work here in the states.

With two months free of restrictions, what better time than to fulfill a lifelong ambition and travel around the world.

This is set to be absolutely breathtaking and an incredible experience that I hope will open my eyes to the world culturally and environmentally, although maybe not economically, which my boss, Alan Fuchsman, is all for.

"We like an Account Executive in debt," he told me. "They sell more!"

With that said and done - its time to embark on the journey of a lifetime...

This is my story.

To read it, click here

Welcome to Bankgok

2007-08-19T13:48:00.000-05:00

Up until now I'd been fortunate enough to meet someone I knew in each of the countries I'd been in.

In Thailand I was on my own.

Picking up my bags from baggage claim, I did what all the other backpackers were doing and boarded a bus to Khaosan Road.

The bus was almost full with most seats taken so I looked around and saw a guy who just looked like my friend Oleksiy from the Ukraine - Bic shaven head and everything.

Turned out he was from the Tirol region in Austria where I spent three winters learning to ski when I was younger.

That was where the similarities about ended though.

Turns out the guy was in Thailand to stay with the monks and learn how to fast and meditate with them.

In the future I think that's something I would love to, but right now I simply didn't have the time to spend six weeks in one spot.

The bus stopped at Khaosan Road, I wished him well.

Khaosan Road

Within seconds I saw the first place offering a special to stay the night. I stopped and looked at a Kiwi guy considering the same offer.

"What do you think of this place?" He asked.

"Not bad," I replied.

"Yeah, not bad. Should we do it?"

"Yeah let's do it."

We marched in, booked two rooms, and arranged to meet for beers at 5pm.

We'd arrived.

Sights Around Dubai

2007-08-18T15:27:00.003-05:00

The modern emirate of Dubai was created with the formation of the United Arab Emirates in 1971. However, written accounts documenting the existence of the city have existed at least 150 years prior to the formation of the UAE...

With a whole day ready to explore, Forthy went to find out more....

Jumeirah Mosque

Starting at one of the largest sacred structures in Dubai, the Jumeirah Mosque is a dominant city landmark and definitely worth a visit. Built in the medieval Fatimid tradition, this stone structure is a tribute to modern Islamic architecture.

While non-Muslims aren't allowed to enter without an organized tour, it is said that strolling through the mosque at sunset you will be washed in shadows by this elegant formation.

Persian Gulf Coastline

Dubai is situated on the Persian Gulf coast and is roughly at sea level (16 m above). Its a hot and, at times, humid climate (drier during extreme heat) and with August being the peak of Summer, the temperature reached over 100 °F each day Forthy was there.

The highest recorded temperature in Dubai is 117.1 °F - maybe just a little too hot for the beach!

Sheikh Zayed Road
The longest road in the UAE, E 11, is known as "Sheikh Zayed Road" (شارع الشيخ زايد) and it streches from the city of Abu Dhabi and ends in Ras Al Khaimah, running roughly parallel to UAE's coastline along the Persian Gulf.

The first stretch of the highway between Trade Centre Roundabout and Interchange 2 is home to most of Dubai's skyscrapers, including the Emirates Towers and the Burj Dubai.

While driving conditions are erratic and unpredictable (See this article here) this highway is a necessary road to journey as it also connects other new developments such as the Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina and Dubai Waterfront.

The road will soon have most of the Red Line of Dubai Metro running alongside it too.

Emirates Towers

The Emirates Towers complex is located on the Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, and is a symbol of Dubai City. The two towers, which rise to 355 metres (1,163 ft) and 309 metres (1,014 ft), respectively, stand as the 12th and 29th-tallest buildings in the world.

A curiosity of the design is that the towers have a similar number of floors; the taller office tower actually contains 54 floors, while the hotel tower contains 56 floors. This is because the individual floor heights of the office tower are greater than that of the hotel.

It amazing to comprehend that these towers are set in over 42 acres of gardens in the middle of the desert, with lakes, waterfalls and public seating areas.

Ski Dubai

Even more difficult to comprehend, in fact what will blow you away is finding a ski resort in the middle of the desert!

Only in Dubai!

Ski Dubai is claimed to be one of the largest indoor ski resorts the world, with 22,500-square metres of indoor ski area.

It is a part of the Mall of the Emirates, which is one of the largest shopping malls in the world and has 5 runs that vary in difficulty, height and gradient - the longest run being 400 meters with a fall of over 60 meters.

I declined to sharpen up my skiing skills on the world’s first indoor black run, choosing to be a spectator instead.

Burj Dubai

Dubai is a land of excess, and perhaps the greatest example it the Burj Dubai - a supertall skyscraper under construction in the Downtown Burj district which will soon become the tallest man-made structure ever built!

The Burj Dubai will reach over 800m (over 2,600 ft!) which is 250m greater than the CN Tower in Canada!

Construction began on 21 September 2004, and the tower is expected to be completed and ready for occupancy by September 2009.

With a total budget for the Burj Dubai project of about $4.1 billion, the price of office space at Burj Dubai is said to have reached $4,000 per sq ft and that the Armani Residences, also in Burj Dubai, were selling for $3,500 per sq ft. Expensive is an understatement!

Breakfast of Champions

2007-08-17T21:00:00.006-05:00

The weekends starting Thursday night and finishing Saturday night in Dubai leads to fantastic Fridays - where the temptation for ex-pats to go out on an all-day drinking sessions is nigh on impossible to resist with the offer of full English breakfast buffets, free drinks coupons, and no work the next day!

This was one ex-pat cultural experience I felt duly obliged to take part in!

And, not just that, but once the breakfast buffet finishes, they bring out a full Sunday roast buffet too!!

Absolutely delicious and absolutely marvelous!

It wasn't long before we were well on our way and started an impromptu pub crawl, drinking diesels and singing karaoke - well ahead of the proposed start time of 8pm ha ha

Sadly, as the night drew on, and despite such early fine form, the incessant dessert heat got the better of me.

With a full day of activities lined up for the next day, I was forced to call it an early night after we'd arrived at the club. Much to the disappointment of Jenny, her boyfriend and her editorial staff too ha ha (above left and right).

Next: Sightseeing around Dubai

Dune Bashing in Dubai

2007-08-17T17:04:00.000-05:00

A must for everyone who is visiting Dubai. This is one safari you cant do back home!

Jenny told me no trip to Dubai was complete without heading out into the desert, so she arranged for us to be picked up in Jumeirah by a 4x4 wheel drive and driven along Al Awir Road to meet our tour guide.

It was crazy to see wild camels roaming the desert on our way!

Our tour was arranged to depart in the late afternoon. But, before the several planned photo-stops, camel-riding and belly dancing show, it was time to hit the dunes!

And, I have to say, the next 20-30 minutes of dune bashing were brilliant!

You traverse up and down the dunes, being thrown around in the back seat as the driver switches directions. It's like the 4x4 equivalent of a rollercoaster!

The drive continues across the desert and we were able to get out and explore the desert on foot which was a great experience.

The sheer size and expanse of endless sand is like the first time you head out on the ocean and are deep at sea - it's never-ending!

For many, the highlight of the excursion was watching the sunset. It sets so fast! I barely managed to catch the last edge.

It was met with a lot of emotion by some of the locals with cheers and applause and set the tone for our next stop - a camel farm.

Riding a camel through the desert though is definitely something you have to experience in your lifetime.

One thing you don't grasp immediately is just how tall Camels are! They're also not quite as graceful as horses when they move, but we still managed to keep ours under control, and I think the knobbly fella was quite sad when we had to part ways with him.

Our final stop was to a small campfire where we were able to learn about and try on traditional costumes while enjoying a delicious barbecue dinner and shisha (the famous Arabic water pipe).

We were also able to enjoy watching a belly dancer performing her show around the campfire by starlight.

It was a great day and a wonderful way to round off the Dubai weekend!

Next: More sights around Dubai

Arriving in Dubai...

2007-08-16T23:01:00.005-05:00

Arriving amidst a backdrop of intense heat not too dissimilar to the inside of an oven, describing Dubai in the United Arab Emirates as hot is an understatement!

Yet, I was still overjoyed to be there. One of my very best friends Jenny moved to Dubai some time a go and it had been a long time since I'd last seen her.

Back in 2002, we had barely known each other, and yet, studying abroad in America we became best friends, traveling over the course of the next year to both the West and the East coasts together, as well as to Mexico.

After moving back to the UK and graduating, Jenny moved down to London and eventually to Dubai to continue her Journalism career, while I moved back to the states to pursue a masters degree and accept the marketing and advertising position I currently hold.

Getting through passport control in Dubai first though was a nightmare. It felt almost like revenge for all the restrictions the US have placed on Arab entrants, as it took almost two hours to get through and get my baggage.

Little did I know, the chaos of the airport would epitomize the country's infrastructure as a whole!

Either way, we quickly got down to what we both do best -- drinking!

Alcohol is insanely expensive in Dubai, but warned ahead of time I'd stopped in duty free and picked up a case of Budweiser, bottles of wine and vodka, and a case of an unknown beer Tsing Tao (when in Rome!)

Beers on the rooftop overlooking Jumeierah

Also, Thursday night marks the start of the weekend in Dubai where residents typically take Friday and Saturday off work, returning Sunday. So, with all the booze and no work tomorrow for Jenny and her friends, it is needless to say that Thursday night was a night well spent!

Next: Breakfast of Champions

Forthy is off to Dubai...

2007-08-16T19:40:00.003-05:00

After some great days catching up with friends and family back home, my visa-approved passport finally arrived, marking the end of coming home and the start of the next leg... Dubai

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2007-08-15T19:40:00.002-05:00

Grandma Peg, or the Pegster as she is more affectionately known, turns 97 tomorrow.

As a child, I think this quote by Rudolph Giuliani, would have summed up The Pegster, "What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. And, most importantly, cookies."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Continued... Forthy is Off to Dubai!

The Spirit of Gardening

2007-08-13T19:39:00.003-05:00

Hanna Rion once wrote, "The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses."

While relaxing at home, I realised my dad truly loves his garden, as he diligently kept commenting so, during my stay. He's put a lot of hard work into it and I think he can be proud of what he has achieved. As Lou Erickson once said, "Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration." I think my Dad would agree.

Continued... Pegster's Birthday...

2007-08-12T19:39:00.004-05:00

I'd missed out meeting up with Richy over the weekend, so the next day I took the opportunity to make a return trip to Liverpool to meet and catch up.

Richy and I first met after I scored the winning penalty to beat his football team 1-0. There were arguments between both sets of supporters over the validity of the penalty, particularly between our two fathers.

Needless to say, this continued on to Richy and I, who fought the battle during the first few days of our St. Bede's careers. "Your dad's so old he looks like your grandad!" he'd shout. "Yeah, well your dad's so scruffy...Your dad so scruffy he looks like a binman...!"

That was 13 years a go and we've been great friends ever since, traveling to France, Magaluf, Tenerife and even a place called Borth in Wales together.

We also completed our A-levels at KGV College together but have never actually resolved who got the better grades I dont think, have we Richy...? ha ha

Continued... The Spirit of Gardening...

Night out in Liverpool

2007-08-11T22:38:00.003-05:00

Soon to be the European Capital of Culture for 2008, a night out in Liverpool rarely disappoints.

Voted 'Best Bar in Liverpool' (Heat Magazine Nov '06) and winner of The Publican 'National Bar Team of the Year 2006'... The Revolution on Wood Street has long been a favourite for Liverpool's vodka loving locals and students alike.

As it's website describes, "Fresh, spacious and particularly funky in appearance it offers a different but equally special experience seven days of the week. Lounge by day and party by night to choice sounds and sumptuous sights."

Following on from Revolution, we hit up Gbar, which is probably the busiest gay late-bar-come-club on the scene, and a two-in-one venue too.

Upstairs (actually on the ground floor) houses a late night dance bar that is packed to the rafters at weekends with a liberal attitude. Downstairs they were playing trance. All in all, not a bad night!

The full set of pictures including pictures from Ormskirk earlier in the night will appear here.

Thank you to everyone who has expressed best wishes to John for a full and speedy recovery! We are all very appreciative.

Continued... Meeting Richy...

Liverpool Royal Infirmary...

2007-08-11T19:37:00.002-05:00

One of the first things I did on arriving home was visit my brother John in hospital. Back in July he suffered an infection to his broken leg. As a result, his blood cell count was significantly lower than the normal levels. This, in turn, meant that any further operations on the leg had to be postponed until he was deemed well enough. The result is that poor John has been stuck in hospital indefinitely.

While John has been in good hands, he still seemed suspicious of any new visitors...

John himself continues to cope remarkably well, citing boredom as the worst condition of all because of his extended hospital stay. The doctors say they will be ready for the next operation any day now...

Continued... Night Out in Liverpool...

Journeying all the way home...

2007-08-10T19:37:00.002-05:00

After the 45 mile return journey from Aldwick to Reading, I was fortunate to meet Chek and Kelly (who'd been in London to watch a Westend show) to hitch a ride back home to Ormskirk, Lancashire.

After days of juggling transport from trains to buses to the underground, taking a car ride home was a welcome relief, and once again we were treated to a beautiful August summer's night drive home.

I could never tire of coming home, as Lin Yutang once said, "No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow." Too true.

Adding a further 200 miles to the journey so far, I've now covered
over 4,500 miles since leaving Kansas City, MO on Thursday. Quite a feat...

The only thing better than returning home to a loving father, is a loving father with a bottle of champagne... With my future now secured in the states, and the trip of a lifetime coming up, this was really was cause for a celebration!

Continued... Liverpool Royal Infirmary

Interesting Points of Travel...

2007-08-09T19:36:00.002-05:00

Points of interest from my travels in West Sussex. The first is this Huf Haus (above left) for which the whole project had taken about two weeks to get to this stage.

Ready made walls and the roof are transported from Germany and connected like giant lego bricks on this site two doors down from my Aunts and Uncle's. The roof itself was lowered as one piece!

Also: Sound advice (above middle) and a leaving letter from a lovely lady (above right). Wouldn't you like to know what it said...

Continued... Journeying All The Way Home...

Training It...

2007-08-08T19:35:00.002-05:00

After a night out celebrating in London with Dangerous et al, and then Reading with Bavers, Chek and Kelly et al. I took the opportunity to visit my mother's brother Brian, who I hadn't seen since her funeral, March 12th 2006.

The journey from London, back to Reading and now on to Bognor Regis in West Sussex, added another 130 miles to the trip, but with such beautiful scenery on the way (see below) the trip alone was well worth it!

Continued... Interesting Points of Travel...

Staying at Uncle Brians and Aunt Lillians...

2007-08-08T19:34:00.003-05:00

When I was younger, Uncle Brain and Aunt Lillian bought us some of the most exciting, interesting and all-round entertaining presents for our birthdays and Christmas. For one of my brother's birthdays, Brian put on a ventriloquist show for all of his friends, and boy did he and his friends love it!

With so many, many happy memories, saddened recently by the death of my mother, I was looking forward to reconnecting with Uncle Brian and Aunt Lillian to reminisce about what was a very happy upbringing for me.

It was an absolutely wonderful stay, catching up on older times and celebrating new times ahead. Their hospitality knows no bounds and I was in full agreement with Brian when he said he could never tire of the view from the rear of the house (above right).

Aldwick, where they live, was beautiful in the August sunshine, and is a parish in the Arun district of West Sussex with a population of over ten thousand. It is also a part of the built-up area around Bognor Regis.

And Aldwick became, briefly, the focus of the British Empire when King George V convalesced at Craigweil House (now demolished) in 1929. This visit led directly to Bognor attaining the title 'Regis'.

Local legend suggests the King's last words, upon being told that he would soon be well enough to revisit his favorite seaside resort, Bognor Regis, were "Bugger Bognor!"

With such a wonderful stay, I promised both Uncle Brian and Aunt Lillian that unless faced with similar circumstances as King George V, I'd do my best to visit again sometime soon.

Continued... Training It...

Forthy's Visa Interview

2007-08-07T19:33:00.003-05:00

The penultimate moment of an emotionally exhausting 5 months hard work climaxes today. Sleeping in, I suddenly realised it was do or die. I had to get there.

Traversing the London underground, there was no margin for error. Yet, I kept missing connections, and panicking that I'd blown the whole interview, I finally arrived fully suited at the embassy over 25 minutes late.

Thankfully, it didn't matter.

After being shepherded through security I took a number, sat down, and then sat some more. My advice for anyone about to go through these interviews: bring a good book!

So how does it work? The whole process has two stages.

The first is to check you have the correct documents, passport photograph and everything outlined in the interview letter. Once this has been submitted you are told to take a seat while the information is processed.

Take a seat and get comfortable, you'll be waiting another hour.

When you're number is called again (in a vein not too dissimilar to a doctors surgery) you meet a clerk through a glass window that brought memories of banking at Natwest. I was asked some very straightforward questions, job title, where I went to college at etc. And then I was good to go!

I submitted my passport, stood in line to pay the mandatory additional fee to have it mailed back with my visa stamp and I was good to go.

It took the whole afternoon for less than 10 minutes of interaction, but who cares. My US H1-B Visa is now APPROVED!!!

Time to Celebrate!!! :D

Continued... Staying at Uncle Brian's and Aunt Lillian's...

Return to Reading

2007-08-07T19:32:00.002-05:00

Back in the Summer of 2006, I caused some major mayhem in the city of Reading. In fact a week later, Bavers had called me to tell me never to come back again - so severe was his hangover, it had lasted four days!!

This time they were prepared for me, well almost. Turns out they'd never heard of an Irish Car Bomb, described by urbandictionary.com as a "potent mix drink" involving Guinness Stout, Irish Whiskey, and Bailey's Irish Cream.

Having now been on the move for well over 24 hours, covering 3000+ miles from Toronto to Manchester, and an additional 253 miles through road and rail, it was nice to reach my latest final destination.

After a few more drinks it was time to call it a night: My crucial US Embassy interview was just 12 hours away and I hadn't been to bed yet!

Keys to the house and a home cooked meal too... Bavers you're a legend!

Continued... Forthy's Visa Interview...

Manchester, UK

2007-08-06T19:32:00.003-05:00

Arriving in Manchester, UK to connect to London, one of the first sights to greet me was this telephone box. It's full functionality, despite the smashed exterior, I found strangely reassuring.

Not even a "welcome home" sign could have beaten the immediacy that this represents of being back in the UK.

Walking onwards, I was perhaps naive to believe that the new 24 hour drinking laws had extended to 7 a.m. Monday mornings, finding Yate's closed.

I would have loved a pint at this point to mark my homecoming, but would have to wait till after the 4 hour national express bus ride.

Continued... Return to Reading...

Leaving Canada...

2007-08-05T19:31:00.003-05:00

Calling ahead to my next destination, former roommate Dangerous Dave sounded quite grim, "Err... Forthy, I may have some bad news..."

He sounded quite serious.

"Well, basically you haven't got a place stay. I'm really sorry, but I couldn't find you a place. I might be able to find you a floor, but thats the best I can do... I'm really sorry."

With my flight boarding shortly, and now with nowhere to stay ahead of Tuesday's crucial US Embassy interview, where would I shower, dress, even leave my luggage? There's no way security would let a scruffy (smelly) individual into the US Embassy with two black suitcases!

I had to call around and think fast. How do I not know anyone else who lives in London? Everyone from uni who had moved there has now moved on, or I've lost contact with them. There had to be someone...

Suddenly it hit me.. Bavers!!

I called him up and the legend pulled through, "Of course you've got a place to stay Dom - I'll leave the key out!"

RESULT!

This was a double bonus. Not only do I now have a place to stay, but theres never a dull moment in the presence of Bavers - we've had some quality nights out over the years! Like this night for example.

So, with a little detour, Forthy now has a place to stay and is off to Reading, Wahay!

Bavers: Pulled through (Picture taken June 22, 2006)

Continued... Back to the UK: Manchester...

Toronto Weekender

2007-08-04T19:31:00.003-05:00

Arriving in Toronto during the Caribana festival weekend you'd think there would be a buzz in the air from the ensuing festivities. After all, Caribana has been billed as North America's largest street festival, frequented by over 1.3 million visitors each year for the festival's final parade.

A Buzz?? Not likely though!

As one local barman put it, "All the locals leave as soon as they see Caribana weekend is approaching. And, to be honest, I would have left too if I hadn't been forced to work!"

Charming! But why??

According to other locals, the festival causes a huge surge in crime -- something exemplified by the non-stop sirens we could hear all weekend. The majority of bars and restaurants were dead.

As a result, the full-blown crazy weekend we had lined up was scaled back somewhat. Not even David Beckham's arrival with the LA Galaxy could shift our emphasis from visiting theme parks and sight-seeing, rather than the all-night parties that Toronto is globally renowned for!

I still had a fantastic time though and the highlights of the trip were:

Canada's Wonderland (often referred to locally as Wonderland) is the 330 acre theme park located in Vaughan, Ontario -- 30 kilometres north of Toronto, Ontario. It is considered one of North America's premier amusement parks, with more than 200 attractions.

With Canada's Longest Wooden Coaster - The Mighty Canadian Minebuster, Canada's First Inverted Coaster - Top Gun and Canada's Only Flying Coaster - "Tomb Raider: The Ride," the owners claim North America's largest variety of coasters can be found here. If roller coasters aren't your game though you can test your level of thrill by being spun 360 degrees on Cliffhanger, free falling 230 feet on Drop Zone, or be courageous enough to catch some 120 foot hang time on Psyclone.

The CN Tower, located in downtown Toronto is a communications and tourist tower standing 553.33 metres (1,815.39 ft) tall. While they were still building it in 1975 it became the tallest free-standing structure on land in the world. However, on September 12, 2007 (after holding the record for over 30 years) the CN tower was surpassed in height by the still-under-construction Burj Dubaia - a hotel, residential and commercial building being built in Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- which, take note folks, is most importantly one of forthy's future destinations!!

This is a must visit, and while the wait to get to the top is a looooong time - nothing can beat standing on top of the world.

The Toronto Blue Jays @ Rogers Center. Sightseeing around the city, I was amazed at the abundance of spare tickets for Saturday's Blue Jays game against the Texas Rangers. Over the course of the weekend, the Blue Jays defeated Texas in all three games, only to lose to the NY Yankees on Monday.

As it turned out, we were able to avoid the touts and managed to catch some of the action for free from the CN Tower (as this picture shows :)

Chinatown. Toronto has the second largest Chinatown in North America. And, driving by, there were dozens, maybe hundreds, of restaurants serving not just authentic Chinese, but also Vietnamese and other Asian fare.

The Hockey Hall of Fame is home to hockey's greatest players. With an unrivalled collection of photos, statistics, profiles, global coverage, trivia, games and Cyberstore merchandise.

Other worthy mentions are: The Hummingboard Center/Sony Centre for the Arts (below, top right) The Air Canada Centre (home of the Toronto Maple Leafs) (below, bottom left) Bravo! (below, top right) - the Canadian English language cable television specialty channel owned by CTV, and the Scotiabank theatre (below, bottom right).

Overall, this was a great trip. With over 2.5 million residents, Toronto ranks as the fifth-most populous municipality in North America (and the 46th most populous in the world).

Toronto also ranks as a city I'd highly recommend to visit. More shots from around the city are below, including the Roy Thomson Hall, home of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (below, top left) and the view from the CN Tower (below, top right).

Finally, this part of the city offered arguably one of the best views of the city...

...And was a great place for a last lunch before catching a flight to the next destination: London...

Around the World in 60 Days: Toronto, Canada

2007-08-02T20:39:00.007-05:00

Starting off the world tour in Canada, I expected the Canadian officials to greet me with open arms (what with me being from the Commonwealth and all!)

What I soon discovered however, was the complete opposite, and very quickly I faced the tricky task of explaining that yes my US visa had expired, no I wasn't exactly 100% sure where my friends in Toronto lived, nor what they did for a living, and yes two huge suitcases did seem slightly excessive for just a weekend stay in the city.

The next thing I knew, I was being led away and off to a separate area to face further questioning from the border patrol. Suddenly the burden of proving the truth was now on me!

Could the trip be over before it had even begun?

Fortunately, the second interview/interrogation went a lot better than the first, and quickly making up/guessing that my host was a fitness instructor, I managed to buy enough time to convince them that the whole reason for this trip was merely an extended layover on the way to London to get the new US visa that they were so concerned about.

Apparently many British have used Canada as an escape route from the states when their Visa's expire.

Not Forthy though, and after charming the officials at the second attempt, this was to be the beginning of the trip of a lifetime!

Continued... Leaving Canada

Mum's Birthday: The start of a trip of a lifetime...

2007-08-01T16:34:00.002-05:00

My mum would have been 59 today. Its quite fitting that since her death her birthday has grown greater in significance each year. Not just because it marks the birth of such a remarkable woman, but also because each birthday has signified the start of a new beginning for me...

Last year, August 1st marked the last step in completing my MA and the first day of my optional practical training in the United States - something I had been working towards since 2002.

What started on this very day last year led to me landing the job I had dreamed of, and fulfilled the exact goal of where I wanted to be in my career and in my life.

What starts today is even better: a trip around the world for 60 days, during which I receive my H1-B visa, allowing me to continue working in the US for another three years.

Is it just a mere coincidence that my mothers birthday also marks arguably two of the most important dates in my life so far? Of course not. While my heart continues each day to ache and long to be with my mother again, it is also indescribably comforting to know and feel her presence on days like these, and all the good days that come as a result from these milestones.

Sacrificing your happiness for the happiness of the one you love, is by far, the truest type of love. My mother sacrificed everything she ever had for me. And I will always truly love her. I love you mum.

To continue click "Newer Post" below or click here

Dominic Forth

2001-08-24T13:52:00.000-05:00

Dominic Forth