A Love Affair With Mother Nature

I've learned a few things about myself during this little jaunt around the world. Left to my own devices, I will go to bed at 2am and wake up around 10am. My ideal outdoor temperature is 58 degrees, no warmer and no cooler. I can live without TV quite easily, but really like having the internet. I will eat local food, even if it isn't very good (newest addition to my diet in Australia – Vegemite). And while I do like working, I could pretty happily keep this lifestyle up for a few more years (sadly not an option).

But perhaps the most interesting thing I've learned is that I really, really like nature. And this is big for me. I once spent an entire week immersed in nature with my good friend Andy at Boy Scout summer camp – and it sucked. I just remember it being hot and buggy and wondering why on earth anyone would leave the comforts of air conditioning, chlorinated water, and paved roads to come to this hell hole. It didn't help that I failed my swimming test, the toilet was a hole in the ground, and my scoutmaster used to take his teeth out after meals. But I don't remember even taking the smallest enjoyment in the lake and the trees and the sky and the fresh air.

This trip is different. I am loving the solitude and remoteness of the back country. Admittedly we've picked some good spots to enjoy nature – the rainforest in Borneo, the fjords and sounds of New Zealand, the towering limestone coast of south Australia – but I'm finding that I could walk endlessly through nature reserves, stare at the stars each night, wander around lake fronts and rolling hills. It's quite a departure from most of the travel I've done in my life – Europe to me has been mostly about the small villages, Africa has been about different cultures, Asia has been about the food. Even in the US, I've been to Las Vegas five times, and the Grand Canyon just once. But down in this part of the world, nature seems to be my thing. We are off now for a bush walk on the gorgeous south coast of Australia – just call me the modern day Mic Dundee.