I’m en route to Australia after a 21 year gap. My initial time in Australia contributed to my never-ending sense of adventure and created friendships that last until now.

I reflect on my initial journey, somewhat with amazement. The year was 1989 and I journeyed to Australia as an exchange student. As students, we were excited because a new technology called “facsimile” had been introduced. We could write a letter, send it over the fax machine, and the recipient would receive it almost instantaneously. Amazing!

I think about how I’m traveling now. I carry a laptop computer that weighs less than many of my hardback books. Email, Skype, and video chats are how I conduct virtually all of my daily communication. I have cell phones that have more RAM than my first computer. Converting local time to a dozen time zones around the world comes naturally.

The one thing that hasn’t changed, however, is my excitement about journeying to a  new place, even if it’s new again after 21 years.