Way back at the beginning of last year I vented about some things that conspire to discourage the traveller.

Visas were then the main target of my ire -- and hey, I didn't know ANYTHING about the frustrations of visas at that point.

Now I would like to single out another problem that wraps itself stubbornly round your legs and tries to wrestle you into sedentary submission -- the need for the "permanent address". I can't remember how many times this has come up recently. Royalties forms, insurance applications, job applications, tax declarations -- they all assume you have a "home". Sometimes a PO Box will suffice -- but often it won't.

Basically, the world wants you to be fixed. Life revolves around the fixed.

At the moment, I'm torn between relishing my nomadhood and just giving in...

The dilemma is exacerbated by uncertainty. At roughly the same time as the "visa" post, I ruminated on the trials and rewards of mixing career and travel.

At that point, Malaysia was only a remote possibility. And, look, we've had a great year. Nigel's teleworking. I've had a university job. We've had the chance to do some awesome things.

But now we're back in another "can-we-crack-it-again" phase. And for various reasons, the acutely uncomfortable uncertainty (are we staying or are we not?) has gone on -- exhaustingly, debilitatingly -- for months.

If you just travel, you have control. If you travel-and-work, you're always dependent on the next stage working out. Always waiting to see if it will.

It's a personality flaw, for sure, but while I seek, value, and embrace change, uncertainty just kills me...