Chase A. Wolf's

Lisbon - View from the Torre del Belem

     Chase’s Log  3.28.2010.  Well, this is it, two months and fifteen countries later – Japan, South Korea, Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Maldives, India, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal – I’m heading home.  I’ve seen and done a lot; eaten amazing food and met wonderful people – my brain and body a little worse for the wear and tear, but the journey – to promote my new venture Global Shopping Adventures – has exceeded my most optimistic expectations. 

     The Gods of Travel, having played much mischief on me these past two months, were conspicuously absent – not even a last minute good-bye travel wedgie.  They know I’ll soon be on the road again – plenty of opportunity to bedevil me along the way later.

Rome - The Trevi Fountain

     At Lisbon, American Airlines upgraded me to First Class, and I changed into my long trip clothes – sweat pants and shirt – and settled into my comfy seat.  My neighbor, Mary, was delightful and also in the real estate business, so we had lovely chats abut many things and the time passed quickly.  Even the in-flight meals were most edible and it was nice to hear everyone speaking English around me.  That’s one of the things about travelling abroad for so long – you come to miss your native tongue.  Of course, the first thing as real traveler misses once they get home is the sound of foreign tongues, so there’s no pleasing the eternally restless.

Athens - Lunch in the Plaka

     Landing in Miami, I switched planes for the last leg to Tampa, my home, and after cruising through passport control and customs I sought out my gate and plane – only to find some tiny thing with wings and propellers waiting.  Frantic, I called Home Office – who served in the U.S. Air Force – and was assured that some airplanes did indeed have propellers and could, in fact, fly and carry passengers.  I looked towards the sky and just laughed as I watched them tie my bags onto the wings.  What else was there to do?

Mumbai - Me and Mahatma

     My good friends, Julie and Greg, met me in Tampa to welcome me home.  It’s always nice to have friends there when you arrive.  That night, I crawled into my own bed for the first time in two months, and of all the wonderful hotels I’d stayed in, nothing ever felt so luxurious. 

     What a journey, what an adventure, what terrific friends I made – and my last thought as sleep dragged me under, was to start planning my next trip – but not for a day or two.

The Maldives - Reunited with Lost Equipment

     The next morning I awoke, stood up and collapsed back onto the bed, passing out.  After all the places I’d been, all the people I’d come in contact with, all the exotic food I’d eaten without incident - some impudent microscopic critter had finally kicked in the door of my immune system – and probably on the flight home.  So, for the next few days, that’s where I stayed – in bed, feverishly moaning and groaning, slurping fluids, nibbling on dry crackers, megadosing on vitamin C, and, I’m told – once or twice calling out “Rosebud…..” 

Thailand - Nap Time with Kitty

     Once, I heard, or maybe it was the fever and delirium, a deep-throated chuckle from far away.  Of course – the Gods of Travel – getting in one last little prank.  But at least they waited until I’d returned home, so of all the things I have to be appreciative of – I added that to the growing list.

     Last Notes about Adventures From Somewhere:

     I want to thank everyone who has been following my adventures these past couple months.  I plan on staying stateside for at least two months, although I’ll be traveling here and there a bit and may post an occasional domestic missive.  I welcome all comments and anyone who would like to follow me on Twitter, I warmly invite you to do so.

     Adventures From Somewhere was created to allow my friends, associates and business partners, to travel with me vicariously and hopefully share my passion and enjoyment of travel and faraway places.

     I was made aware by Home Office that respectable travel journalists actually adhere to a strict code of ethics.  Having read their code, it’s clear I’m not a travel journalist, nor am I inclined towards such prudish stuffiness.   The title of this travel blog is “Chase A. Wolf’s Adventures From Somewhere Travel Blog,” not “Chase’s Sworn Affidavit of His Recent Travel Experiences.” 

     Although everything I wrote about happened – mostly – every traveler knows that it’s the interpretation of experience that conveys the essential story – and humans, wherever they live, love one thing in common – stories.  And, as Home Office has been known to say – and I agree:  a journey without a story is just an itinerary.

     Lastly, my thanks to everyone who made my most recent journey a success, including, but by no means limited to:  all my old friends in distant lands who shared their time with me; all my new friends – I hope we remain so; my darling Nastia who joined me in Istanbul; all the Aikido dojos who reminded me that the pain and joy of training are the same everywhere and in every language; all the wonderful agents and manufacturers who took the time to meet with me about Global Shopping Adventures; all the talented chefs and restaurateurs I met; the many taxi drivers who either got us lost or scared me near to death; Skype and LinkedIn – how amazing are they?; the Intercontinental Hotel chain which never let me down; the captain and crew of the good ship Orion in the Maldives; all the airlines who didn’t crash me into the ocean or a mountainside; Alarm Rooster, who never failed to get me up on time for an early flight;  I should even probably thank the various and mischievous Travel Gods, without whom – eh, never mind about them. 

     And of course, my gratitude to Home Office – whom I relied on for tirelessly editing, adding some historical depth here and there, who designed and maintains this blog, and, who coordinated distribution of all the Global Shopping Adventures documents that were sent to the agents and manufacturers I met with.  Some of you have inquired about the enigmatic nature of Home Office– who or what are they?  Out of respect for the wishes of those who comprise Home Office, all I’m allowed to say is that they’re utterly brilliant and loyal – no traveler could want more faithful support – but are humble to the point of eccentricity.  For now, Home Office’s identity will remain a mystery - but perhaps in future posts, I can coax them into revealing more about themselves……

     May your adventures be blessed by the Gods of Travel and may your business always be most excellent!!

     Chase A. Wolf – March 31, 2010