Sofia Manouki
God save us all, and most of all the ones who trust autobiographies. (This one doesn't count).
It tells the tale of a young traveller gathering stories from far-away lands with exotic names and colorful customs.
In East Asia, I discovered a natural, humble spirituality that encompasses all living things and binds them to each other with nothing less than an undeniable awareness of the whole. In the Middle East, where time is not something you adjust yourself to, but something you are vaguely aware of, I bartered curiosity with locals under the scorching sun. America was tough and its people strong in ways they aren't aware of. It was there, with constant access to modern comforts and technology, that I felt really exposed to the elements for the first time.
These days, for the most part, you might catch a glimpse of me switching trains, carrying an impossibly heavy backpack in antlike fashion, somewhere in Europe. A continent heavy with centuries full of wars fought with culture, religion and, of course, lots and lots of steel, gunpowder and blood!
Home. For now.