Seven years ago today, we left Australia. After almost a month in India, we briefly returned to Melbourne (where, by that stage, we were just stopping off to sort out some final administrative stuff), and then set off for Kuala Lumpur.

Southeast Asia has been home ever since.

I'm well aware that the whole concept of "Asia" is a bit of a nonsense. Yet, as experts acknowledge, it's an idea that "tugs at the mind. It has a curious potency."

If you don't count our 1993 Siberia trip, our experience of this entity-of-the-mind started in 1997. In Singapore, to be precise.

While based in New Zealand or Australia, we spent quite a bit of time in Asia (mostly in the Southeast, but with occasional forays to the South, Northeast, and West of the continent). Some of the stretches were fairly extensive: 2.5 months in Thailand; 6 months in Singapore; 3 months in Indonesia.







Always we wanted more.

So, finally, we shifted to Southeast Asia (where we set up home in Malaysia, then Indonesia, then Malaysia again). For the first few months of this year we were peripatetic, before returning for the last third to Malaysia.

We've not for an instant regretted being closer to the Asian action.













What it is that's so fascinating? I don't know. Of course, I love all the oft-cited things: the rich cultures, fascinating history, good food, and striking diversity. But I guess there are plenty of other regions in the world that can offer this combo.

I can't help but feel the lure has something to do with the global role this massive landmass inhabited in the past, and the way the pendulum of history is now swinging back towards it. As Frankopan puts it, Asia feels like the beating heart of the world.

There are changes ahead for us. Our hope is that Asia will be continue to be part of them.

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