I call the Devil. He reappears as someone else in Fiji, and as someone else again in Italy. I learn different things from him each time. There's also an underlying theme of life happening right here before us and how we must open our eyes before we die. There is no prelude, just life itself, right here.
Life is progress.
We're at its deep and solid core. I had a lot of letters and e-mail messages from travelers, especially female travelers, who told me I inspired them to travel, especially to travel solo. I received came from writers who told me how much my writing meant to them. Ironically, in the process of writing my book about my travels, I somehow turned from a traveler into a writer. I still love to travel, to talk about it and dream about it, but what really consumes me these days isn't traveling, but writing.