Circumnavigation Complete!

On August 10th, 2007, at 10pm I landed in Detroit Metro Airport, completing my circumnavigation of the world. Groggy, jetlagged, and tired from the 18 hours of flying (not including layovers), I gathered my bags and met my girlfriend, Monika, and the next day the rest of my family. It is good to be home and wonderful to have completed my voyage. My research is not quite complete-- I still must arrange interviews in Dearborn, Michigan, and then begin to sort through and analyze all of the information I collected.

Over the next few days I will be updating my blog on the places I have missed and the topics I did not cover. I also hope to post several video clips now that I have a very quick internet connection.

Thank you to everyone who helped and supported me on my adventures this summer. Thank you to the Circumnavigators Club for making it all possible. Thank you to the many organizations and interviewees who welcomed me to their communities. Thank you to my family, friends, and translators who showed me around their beautiful countries. Thank you to my professors and adviser who have continuously guided and pushed me. And thank you to my girlfriend and my family in Michigan for understanding when I miss phone calls, when leave weeks of gaps in between blogs, and when decided to take on the small project of traveling around the world.



My pack before:









And after:



(Note the extra bag and bulging seams)






**Note: The title of this post was previously "Mission Complete" but I have revised it after one of my readers wisely pointed out that my mission is not over by simply circumnavigating the world. Not only do I have more interviews and much writing to do on my project, I also hope to continue my goals of further understanding, greater inclusion, more collaboration long after my paper and thesis are complete. Some may see similarities to my post's former title and our President's "Mission Accomplished" banner, but I have revised my title in an attempt to learn from mistakes.