The Longest Way Home

The Longest Way Home is, in short, a site documenting "a guy traveling the world in search of a place called home." The long version is considerably more so. This is an exhaustive view into a world that few are lucky enough to experience firsthand. We are treated to scores of photographs, some functioning as day-in-the-life documentation, and others as breathtaking works of art. For anyone hoping to follow in his footsteps, you'll find lists of useful gadgets, tips on getting a visa, advice on changing money, help with securing cheap flights, and even learn how to spot fake batteries. For the epicurean amongst you (and I assume there are a few), we find reviews of the most memorable meals, ranging from the mouthwatering ("The best chocolate cake in the world can be found in the Philippines!"), to the stomach-turning ("Embryonic Duck is not quite formed to stage of having feathers, and the bones are still soft. A lesser staged Balut is also found which is basically a jelly slush.") There is also, of course, the standard blog. Standard, in this case, apparently includes navigating the longest underground river in the world and visiting an open-air, lock-free prison in the Philippines that effectively operates on the honor system. You'll even find longer, more fully-formed stories that expand on the writing in the blog. As he admits, it's not exactly Shakespeare, but the stories are nonetheless compelling and insightful firsthand accounts, typically concerning the quotidian occurrences and interactions that truly constitute the heart of such an experience. For each country visited, (seventeen so far, after four years, six months, and twenty-five days of travel), we're given thoughts on language and the people, Do's & Do Nots, FAQs, and of course, an appraisal of its attractiveness as a potential home for our protagonist. Ultimately, it is this, the raison d'etre of the journey, that lends to all of his adventures a somewhat noble quality and puts this travel log in its own league. More quest than vacation, the travels documented in The Longest Way Home help to remind us that, while traveling can open our eyes and expand our world, there's nothing quite like coming home.