I'm now starting to look for flights to take me across to the USA and Mexico. I'm in possession of a 5 year visa for the US, and I can get a 6 month visa on arrival in Mexico. My local visa expires on the 13th of February, so I expect to leave Thailand around the end of January.

There are several options for flying out of here. I want to leave from Chiang mai (mainly because Bangkok and its airport are awful places) and do not know yet which way to go. I can go through Japan (I love Japan), Australia (I love Australia), I can go through the Philippines (which is not one of my favourite places but I can get a JAL flight from Manilla to Los Angeles for $630, and JAL has plenty of leg room) or I can go 'around the back', through London to Miami and then to Phoenix. Once there I can fly onward to Guaymas and take a taxi to San Carlos. I will start seriously looking for flights this week.

I'm looking forward to catching up with some friends in the US and I am excited about buying new bits for the boat which will make the Pacific crossing more relaxed and comfortable.

When I get on board, I will start to put my manuscript together. 'Dancing Backward Through Fairy Circles' exists in the form of 30,000 words of notes at the moment. It's a big job to put it together and there's no guarantee it will ever be published...but, here's hoping!