Every journey has a beginning and an end

Every journey has a beginning and an end

IT'S THE MIDDLE THAT COUNTS, THE ACTUAL JOURNEY!

A headline written by the late Joanna Barbara Miles for British Airways when they changed their stopover from Abu Dhabi to Dubai on their Colombo route in 1997. Other than winning a gold at the ad awards for the print campaign, how very true. The headline I mean.

Many people I know miss the magic of the journey. As far as they’re concerned its how fast can I get from point A to point B. For me, many of my journeys are filled with warm memories. As far as I remember from being a kid.

I remember travelling deep south with family in my dads old Humber. My mother in the back seat with the kids narrating stories to us of highway robbers who lay logs on the road to stop vehicles. Deep dark night and the jungle all around us.

Taking the night train to Jaffna with the family during school holidays, the sleeping berths and all kinds of family back chat.

Trips to India by ferry. The amazement of seeing everything through a child’s eyes.

The one night getting pissed with Millie and Davy at Otters, onwards to White Horse, deciding to play pool at Shooters and then the sudden decision to drive to Hikkaduwa at midnight - pissed. Driving down Galle Road singing rugby songs while drumming on the dashboard at 130kmph (The fastest that car would go). My electronic shutters had failed, all three of us were smoking, so the car was just filled with smoke!

Leaving for Kattaragama at midnight from Moratuwa. The long stretch of roads where I could just gun the engine. The kid sleeping peacefully in the back and narrating all my childhood stories to the wife while driving. The utter silence other than the occasional heavy vehicle, the beauty of the night.

The numerous night flights to Singapore… Leaving on a Friday and back to Colombo on Sunday.

The trips to India. Once getting so pissed on the plane with Pervy, landing in New Delihi and somehow in drunken stupor thinking I was in Singapore. We actually finished the brandy in business class and the stewardess just left us with a bottle of Tia Maria! The next morning I was late for the launch of the workshop and Laila actually concocted this story that I was suffering from gastritis! When I entered the sessions the regional director very concerned and asking me if I was OK! I had no bloody idea what he was talking about and still in the clothes from the night before, stinking of Brandy.

Flying back and forth from London with my daughter. Bugging her on the plane as all she wants is to sleep. The companionship.

Clubbing in Colombo after getting pissed. That one corner I will never ever forget from Holiday Inn to Galle Road, I took it at over 100kmph. Mahesh sitting next to me and unflinchingly saying ‘Machan, you just took that at 120kmph!’. And hearing the screech of Pahan spinning behind us in his car and Davy coming to shuddering halt to avoid hitting Pahan.

Train journeys to Norwich, Swansea…

Something as simple as just chatting and walking in the park…

The stories are endless. Just proving it’s the journey that counts.

So everything will have a beginning and an end. Enjoy the journey!

I have, I do.

My globetrotting begins again from the end of this month. I look forward to many more.

This time around I leave many people behind in London, who I love and will miss desperately.