Letter to the backpackers

One thing I have learned with my not so travelled little brain of mine is that places do not make the journey, people do. For that matter I always try to write an e-mail at the end of my trips to thank all the ones I had the chance to get to know, to laugh with, to trust and even sometimes to love.

For the first time I'm doing the same country twice. You'll reckon that Australia is big enough not to be seen in "one sitting".

Here's my letter to the one's I did keep the address and that I look forward to see again. thought I'd share it.

"Hi Guys,

How better to start this letter by saying a good old "long tome no see"? I can't think of a better way but do let me know if any of you feel otherwise.
For the most forgetfull let me refresh your party-abused little brains of yours. My name is Luis and I am a bright little backpacker from Portugal. Blond with green eyes and a little anoying on the edges, I'll give you that one... But still a nice lad to have around.

Most of you met me in Australia back in august, september or August even 2003. Others, even thought Australians I did meet in greece and still today I owe you the invitation once made to discover Australia and so meet pretty much all the others. Other few exceptions (but no diferent for the purpose of this letter) are people I knew or did meet over these two years with whom I discussed a nice trip down under.

I'll get to the point. In something close to three weeks I'll be going down the same "road" as two years ago with a prupose. Spend something close to a year in Australia. Some did leave, some where sent away and forbid to come back so soon, others just stopped writting e-mail or never actually started as it is pretty much my case.

Two years is a long time, people change and interests along them. While away I did graduate and will be trying to fight my way back into Australia's working world. and believe it or not I would wery much like to see each and everyone of you even if just for a quick beer, a talk of "the old days" and a couple of souvenir pictures that might be missing from my last trip album.

So take this as my message in a bottle that I capped and sent over the web. No offense to those who did change e-mail and don't get this at all, to those who will be only curious enough to open the bottle and too lazy to answer.

Sorry to have made you all lose 10 minutes of these precious "cyber coffee house unbelievably excpensive minutes" and wish you all, where ever you might be and specially for those I won't have the pleasure to see ever again, good and happy life filled with love, excitement, health, joy and wealth.

From your friend,
Luis Estarreja"

Three weeks till departure. I can't wait.