“All travel is circular … After all, the grand tour is just the inspired man’s way of heading home.”
— Paul Theroux, The Great Railway Bazaar
I’m ready for home. Hot showers, familiar faces, family, and every day life. It’s been a challenging 2 months filming in the Himalaya and I’ve got the Kathmandu cough and blistered hands that are my usual take-home souvenirs. I’ll admit there were times when I wondered whether committing to a documentary film trilogy was a smart idea. We won’t be done with The Eleventh Step for another year and sometimes the journey and effort feels daunting. Making any film is difficult. Making a low-budget film even harder. Making a micro-budget film in harsh overland conditions, in developing countries with limited access to resources or support….probably the hardest. While I was re-packing duffels for yet another 5am departure, camping in dirt beside a remote highway, or paddling alone over another horizon line far from help, I would remind myself that struggle lies at the heart of any good story.