London: October 2007

Since our last issue, you will see that 'people' have been the central theme during his unexpected visit to the UK, having decided to cut short his visit to the Caribbean.

In this issue, you can read about Ray's emotional re-union with Nikki and hear more about ongoing conversations regarding a possible re-entry into the business world in 2008. The next 'leg' of Ray's epic journey has been researched and we are able to bring you up to date with his latest news, as well as pictures and stories about people Ray has been catching up with, in and around London.

Above: Ray is back in the familiar city of London - although only briefly!

"The journey back from St. Maarten was by far one of the worst of my flight experiences since I began travelling in November 2005" said Ray, when I caught up with him as he arrived. "I had booked to fly American Airlines to Miami so that I could pick up a British Airways flight to London" explained Ray. "Initially, I felt very relaxed, arriving early for check-in" recalled Ray. "But my anxiety grew quickly when I saw messages all around the hall that my flight to Miami had been cancelled" he told me.

After a tense hour negotiating with the check-in staff, Ray finally managed to get American Airlines to come up with an alternative plan. "They could not get me to Miami on time so instead offered to route me via Puerto Rico, New York and then on to London" said a rather irritated Ray. "Unfortunately, their flight to New York was also delayed which meant I missed the connecting flight to London and had to spend all night in the terminal before catching the first plane out the next day" added our very angry and grumpy traveller.

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Above: "This is probably one of the rarest sights in the world - one of the terminals at JFK airport in New York, completely deserted, at one in the morning" says Ray, as he spends the night there waiting for a flight back to London

Below: The green, green grass of home - "After that experience, suddenly London looks and feels so much more appealing" muses Ray, as he returns to Southfields and his relatives

After his two day journey, our weary traveller finally made it back and headed straight for his brother Paul's and sister-in-law Kitty's house near Wimbledon. "They were aware I was suffering a little and were very sensitive about it" recalled Ray. "For the first time since I became a nomad in 2005, I started to consider the issue of stability again - I think the experience in the Caribbean made me think about it quite a bit" said Ray.

Above: Ray's sister-in-law, Kitty - "She makes me feel 'at home', never judges me about the decisions I make and is always sympathetic if things I try don't work out for me" he said. Kitty, an actor, is pictured here during the "October Plenty" festival, an autumn harvest celebration presented by the Lions Part Theatre Company, mixing ancient seasonal customs and theatre. It begins on the Bankside near Shakespeare's Globe and ends among the food stalls of Southwark's Borough Market. "It is on October 28th and promises to be a brilliant day out" added Ray

Below: Ray's brother, Paul and Kitty react to the news that Ray will be staying with them again!

After a day or two in London, a surprise phone call was the catalyst for Ray to see Nic Meredith, a very close friend. "Before I decided to come back to London, I had considered the idea of going to see Nic, who lives near Sacramento in the US" said Ray. "The timing was not great, as he was actually in Europe to see his family, so it was fantastic to discover that our paths were going to cross for a day in London" added Ray.

Above: Ray and Nic enjoy the opportunity to catch up in London. The last time they were both there together was back in 2005. Nic is now married and is happily settled in America. Ray will be visiting him there in November

The chance meeting with Nic was one of several surprises in store for Ray. "I also got a call from a chap called Howard Carter, who had read in The Daily Explorer that I was going to be in town for a little while" recalled Ray. "Howard is an entrepreneur who I met in Thailand last year. He has successfully launched a new brand of mosquito repellent in the UK called Incognito and invited me over to his flat in Notting Hill for a chat about it" Ray told me.

Above and below: To reach Howard's home, Ray took a walk through some of the nicest parts of West London - "On a sunny day, there is no finer city in the world. I think I appreciate the place much more as a visitor than I did when I lived here" said Ray

Ray discovered that the launch of Incognito has been far better than expected. "Howard is a lovely chap and I was delighted to hear it has gone so well. Their natural insect repellent is selling like hot cakes in Harrods and Selfridges and Howard has some ambitious plans to sell the brand in other countries where it is also likely to be in big demand" said Ray. These countries include Singapore and Vietnam.

Above: Ray and Howard catch up in London, after first meeting in Thailand last November. "His business sounds very exciting and in some ways, I would love to be involved" said Ray. "But I am not ready to make the sort of commitment it would require, so will continue to support him from a distance" he told me. "To anyone who uses this type of product, I can tell you first hand that it is really effective and does not contain any nasty chemicals" added our solo traveller

Below: Howard is firmly committed to a greener environment and drives this unusual electric vehicle around London

One of the challenges for travellers in foreign cities is working out how to use the transport system to get around. "One of the luxuries of returning to London is not having to think about how to get from one place to another for every single little journey" explained Ray, "which is the equivalent of 'having a rest' from the usual effort required overseas. Despite the problems that occur, the tube network seems like one of the finest in the world and I can still use my Oyster card" added Ray.

Above: Ray (left) enjoys the 'luxury' of not having to work out how to get around a major city. "Even though it can get very crowded (right), the tube is still a great system" said Ray, from his perspective as a visitor

Below: Ray's friend Katy (right), from Brighton, uses the tube whilst in London for a meeting with him

The Big 'Catch Up' - Snapshots from London

Being in London gave our traveller the perfect opportunity to either speak on the phone or meet with many different people in his life. Here is a small selection of photographs that Ray sent to us at the Daily Explorer before his recent departure.

Above: Anna and Chris Barez-Brown, with their son Harvey

"Anna used to work as an associate consultant for First Place" explained Ray. "She is German and we used to have a contract with a German bank, so she was a valuable member of our team" explained Ray. "Now married to Chris, I had not seen either of them for a long time" he added.

Since Ray left England, they have had two children and Chris has had his first book published. "For anyone who wants a creative kick up the ass, his book is brilliant" said Ray. "I have always admired his company, called What If? and am currently exploring the possibility of joining their office in Sydney in 2008" said Ray.

Above: Ray's travelling friend, Michele Abraham, meets him at Piccadilly Circus

"We met in a backpackers hostel in Queenstown, New Zealand in May this year" Ray told me. "Michele is an Italian from Milan and works in film production. He is in London, seeking work opportunities and hoping to improve his English" added Ray. "It was very strange meeting with him here, having seen him last on the other side of the world" added our sociable traveller.

Above: Ray has a surprise re-union with Jelly Blount, who he last saw some twenty years ago and who now lives around the corner from his brother

"We were both invited to a dinner party by a mutual friend in Belsize Park, in North London" explained Ray. "I was thinking about how I was going to get home when I discovered that Jelly lives around the corner from my brother (where I was staying) and she kindly offered me a lift home" he said. "Later that week, I went round to her house for some supper, met her kids and talked about life, the Universe and everything for a few hours" recalled Ray.

Above: A mystery prize will be sent to the first reader who can correctly guess what Ray's friend Dominic Hicks is concealing in his hand! Dominic lives near Tunbridge Wells and runs a property investment company, based in Mayfair

"We do not see each other very often and it is always a pleasure when we do" said Ray. "He is someone I admire, as he has been very creative in his business life" he added. A few years ago, Dominic had to endure the pain of discovering that his young daughter had cancer. "Fortunately, she is now completely healed" Ray told me, "but at the time, I could see it affected him deeply. They way he handled the whole experience was admirable and my heart goes out to him" added Ray.

Above: Two of Ray's best friends, Scanes and Sarah Bentley, have featured regularly in previous issues of The Daily Explorer and The Daily Lama. They live in Richmond and are just about to move because.......

Below: Sarah is pregnant! Their first child is due in January

Ray explained to me why his bond with these two is so deep. "Well Mozzie, Scanes and I have known each other for over 25 years, worked together, lived together and grown up together and are extremely good friends. I met Sarah in 1995 when working for a software company called POINT in Munich and have been friends ever since. Imagine my delight when I introduced them to each other, and they hit it off! They were married in July 2005 and they make a great couple. I cannot believe that Scanes is going to be fifty this month" added Ray.

The Re-union with Nikki

As many readers will know, Ray and Nikki ended their relationship in May this year, having travelled together for about 18 months. "We never saw each other when we broke up" said Ray. "Nikki went to Cambodia in March to work on a community project, while I went off to travel solo around New Zealand. We both planned to meet up again in Asia later in the year. However, during this period of separation, we both decided it was time to move on and bring our partnership to an end and we never met up again in Asia. In hindsight, I regretted not making time to see her to complete things properly, in person" explained Ray.

As he was preparing to leave St. Maarten, Ray discovered that Nikki was scheduling a trip to London and contacted her to find out if she would be available to meet him. "I really wanted to see her so that we could have the conversations that are necessary and important when two people bring a long term relationship to an end" said Ray. "I have never had a relationship end before where my partner was in another part of the world and realise that the physical limitations are serious obstacles to this type of communication. I was delighted when Nikki confirmed we would see each other, for the first time in six months" added Ray.

Above: Nikki arrives at Ray's brothers house for their re-union and catches up with Kitty. The last time they saw each other was two years ago

Having established a life in Thailand, Nikki had returned to the UK to visit family and friends and organise a visa to return there with. "She always had a vision of her life taking shape there, even before we met, so I was truly delighted to hear that she has created a business partnership with a friend and they are both starting to create work opportunities on a regular basis" he told me. "The University in Chiang Mai value them highly and are sponsoring Nikki to obtain a one year work permit to ensure her availability for the training and education of their students" he told me. "The way she has created her ideal life sets an impressive and encouraging example for me, as I am currently envisioning what I would like my own life to look like" said Ray.

Below: Nikki displays her infectious smile - "It's one of the things I lreally love about her" says Ray

A couple of days after they met, I caught up with Ray to find out how things were between them. "Although some of our conversations were awkward and a bit uncomfortable, I am very pleased that we have made time for them and it feels to me like we are complete with one another in terms of our past" said Ray. We can both continue on our own journeys now without any distractions or concerns about it, hopefully in a mutually supportive way" he said.

"More and more these days, I am seeing how important it is for me to make sure I am truly 'up to date' with close friends. I cannot tolerate the idea that something terrible might happen to me, like a freak fatal accident, and that I would leave anyone behind whom I had serious unresolved issues with" explained our traveller. "Living in this way is very challenging, time consuming and requires courage, but I prefer it to dragging round loads of emotional baggage" he told me.

Above: "Everyone must decide how they respond to the challenges they meet on their own path in life" says Ray, after an emotional re-union with former girlfriend, Nikki

The Big 'Catch Up' - Snapshots from around London

Discovering that Susie Moberly, who lives in Ko Samui (Thailand), was also visiting London, Ray and Nikki hot footed it out to the West of town to find her. "Of all the people I met in Asia, she is one of my favourite friends" said Ray. "Her son lives in Twickenham, on a huge houseboat near Eel Pie Island and we arranged to meet there" he told me. "Even though I have lived in London for a huge part of my life, I had never been to that part of town and it was like a travel adventure in my old back yard" said Ray.

Above: Ray (left) and Nikki (right) make the most of the opportunity to hook up with the lovely Susie Moberly in Twickenham

Below: Susie's son, Giles, enjoys his houseboat life. "I met Giles in Bangkok last year so it was great to see him again back in England" said Ray

Below: The houseboat is huge and very secluded. Susie steadies herself for a shot from a ladder on top of the deck. "I am amazed to discover this kind of thing exists in London - there is so much I don't know about, even here" admits Ray

Going even further afield, Ray headed for Grove Park in Abbotts Langley to meet Janet Cox, who is the sister of one of his closest friends. "Her brother and I have known each other for the best part of thirty years and I hardly know Janet really" Ray told me. "The last time I saw her was in 1982, when she was 21!" he recalled. Since that time, Janet has married, has two daughters, aged 13 and 15 and a home near St. Albans. "We really enjoyed a brilliant, sunny afternoon at this rather swanky place, eating lunch al fresco and recalling our experiences of life for each other" added Ray.

The choice of venue was obviously right. "It is a beautiful hotel, park and golf course with superb lounges and restaurants. Neither of us realised that the England football team were staying there (between their Euro 2008 qualifying matches with Israel and Russia)" Ray told me. "Once we knew, we were discretely walking around, hoping for a celebrity sighting!" added our footie fan.

Above: The entrance to Grove Park, near Abbots Langley - "If anyone knows of it and has not been, I can highly recommend it" said Ray

Below: Janet gets behind the England team before their forthcoming match with Russia

Next, it was on to Henley to see Helen Chilvers, another person who has featured regularly in both The Daily Explorer and The Daily Lama. "I saw Helen just a few weeks ago so was already pretty up to date with her life, but we only met briefly so it was lovely to actually stay with her for a couple of days and have some proper quality time together" added Ray. "Quite unexpectedly, she introduced me to her Kiwi friend Julie Lambert, who is a spiritual coach. She talked with me overlunchabout thesortof issues we all face about creating meaning, direction and purpose in our lives. It was a very helpful and enlightening coonversation" Ray told me. 

Above: Helen wearing her latest shirt, which roughly translated means 'Trim and fresh looking' - "That's her" confirmed Ray

Below: Julie Lambert, whom Ray met at Helen's and had a very informative and useful conversation with about life issues

While Ray was in New Zealand, he unfortunately missed Annabel Watson's 50th birthday. "She is a long standing friend and I was not able to be there for her big day in June. Even though I sent her a message in my absence, I wanted to wish her all the best in person" explained Ray, so he headed for Wraysbury, near Staines where they live. "Her and her husband Thom are a great couple" he added.

Above: Annabel (left) and Thom relax after a hard day at work as they talk to Ray about what has been happening since the last time they were together in 2006

Up in Silverstone, Northampton - the home of the British Grand Prix - Ray spent a day with Andy and Penny Loveless and their three boys. "We all go back a long way, having worked together in Programmes for many years. Of all the people that I know who have faced the challenge of sustaining a marriage and raising children, they both have done an amazing job" Ray told me. Their kids are delightful and the energy in their home is very welcoming" added Ray.

Above: Penny and Andy in disguise for a recent fancy dress party (yes, really!)

Below: One for the ladies - "Andy was always a bit of a pin-up" said Ray. "He still has that certain something, although he is having to hold his dressing gown to make sure he doesn't reveal it to readers of The Daily Explorer!

Apart from catching up with family news, Ray and Andy found time to indulge in one of his new passions - virtual sport. "One of the reasons I love hanging out with Andy is that we both get to play together like ten year olds again" laughed Ray. "He has a new Nintendo games studio, which he says he bought for his kids, but appears to use it more than all of his three boys put together" explained Ray. "He invited me to have a go and I have to admit, after a couple of hours, I was completely hooked" said our playful traveller.

Above: Andy (left) demonstrates the perfect baseball swing on his Nintendo games set - "in some ways, he is just as child-like as Christian, Dan and Jude (right), his three wonderful sons, which I love about him. And you would be really impressed with the way that he and Penny have excelled in their role as parents" observed Ray

Below: From left to right, Andy, his son Daniel and friend Martin Dove in the garden to prepare for the traditional Sunday afternoon family soccer match. "Martin joined Merchants many years ago as a trainee when I worked there" said Ray, "and is now the Managing Director!"

Last but not least on Ray's brief tour of London and the home counties, was a welcome invitation to lunch with friends Anthony and Ginny Jaffe, who live in Ottershaw, Surrey. "Their's is definitely one of those stories that has a happy ending" said Ray. "The two of them met at Programmes (where Ray used to work) and had a thing for each other, then were apart for many years as Ginny went to live and work in Australia, whilst Anthony went to America. A string of chance events brought Anthony back to England, as it did Ginny, where they met again and realised they wanted to be together on a permanent basis, so were married a couple of years ago" recalled Ray. "They offer us all a great example that anything is possible" beamed our eternally optmistic traveller.

Above: Anthony and Ginny Jaffe - together again after many years spent apart

As we were compiling this issue of The Daily Explorer, we asked Ray to tell us what thoughts he might be having about next year regarding ongoing travel or intentions to resume work and choose a base somewhere. "Nothing is crystal clear to me at this stage, but in my mind I have formulated three options and am exploring each one" he told me.

Wanting more information, I asked him if he would elaborate. "The first is related to Australia" he replied. "Every time I have been there, I have loved it and wouldn't mind living and working in Sydney for a while. So I am talking to three or four people about different work situations there, including one which would involve launching a business there with someone I know" said Ray. "I expect to have more clarity about this by the end of the year" he told me.

What are the other two ideas? "The second is to continue 'pure' travelling, maybe stopping now and again to do the odd piece of work for clients in England" said Ray. "This meets many of my needs at the moment, although I am not sure if it is challenging enough on it's own. The third option is to embark on a completely new path around work, for example as a film maker or writer. I am attending a two day film school in San Francisco to become better informed about the realities of this option" said Ray.

Above: The Institute of Directors in Pall Mall, London has been a popular meeting point for Ray and many of his business contacts over the years - "I went there to meet one of my clients and will be returning to the UK at the end of October to do some work with him" said Ray. "If I am lucky, I may be able to contsruct a global portfolio of people I can work with as I travel" he disclosed

Below: Ray has identified one opportunity to work with a client overseas, by teaming up with Simon Lovegrove (left) to run a training programme for senior executives - "I am going to New York with Simon in early November to test the water and find out more about the programme and client" Ray told me, "so I will let you know what happens..."

Editors Note: Ray left for Spain in early October, to attend a one week course at Cortijo Romero, entitled 'Becoming the Author of your own Life'. We understand that this will give him an opportunity to explore some of the options he talked to us about and gain more clarity about his own roadmap for the future. In our next issue, due online in a few days, we will bring you more up to date information about how Ray got on there.       

MOZZIE BYTE

Below: Cortijo Romero, an holistic retreat centre near Granada in southern Spain where Ray has been attending a course, will be featured in our next issue....

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