 Heading back home... I had just been over 10 months away from home, in Europe and the Middle East and sadly, it was time to head back home... I was getting close to the very bottom of my funds, and I had just enough money to get to Heathrow Airport in London, after crossing the English Channel on October 22, 1981 When I finally arrived at Heathrow I had no money, I couldn't even get anything to eat at the airport, I was literally waiting for my meal on the plane... I was ready to jump on my flight back to Houston, Texas... It was going to be a 9-hour flight on a '747 *Pan-Am Jumbo Jet', and I was looking forward to a restful flight, after having a meal that is... I was so hungry and really tired, and I was afraid I would fall asleep and miss my meal. I remember asking the guy sitting next to me to wake me up if I was asleep when the food arrived, he said "No problem, I'll wake you" he said... and before I knew it, I was fast asleep... (*Pan Am, was once one of the largest Airlines in the world, they went out of business in December 1991) It had been an exhausting journey so far on that particular day, to say the least...First, a bus ride from Amsterdam to London, crossing on a ferry from Calais directly to Dover and from there onto Victoria Station in London and then a train ride to Heathrow Airport... altogether about 16 hours... All those hours on the road helped me reflect on my 'previously unimaginable adventure' around Europe and the Middle East... Without a doubt, it had been an amazing adventure, with lots of challenges along the way but somehow, I managed to overcome them. I had definitely changed a bit and had broken several paradigms I had been brought up with, even the tiny but significant paradigm of "dancing without a partner" ... Things were going to be different from this adventure onwards in my life... Freedom to travel to different countries and unusual places, while making friends who opened up their homes and hearts to me along the way without prejudging me or qualifying me based on my socioeconomic background or status, was truly something I fell in love with... After this journey, I was left wanting more of that, not only in the near future but for the rest of my life. Conventional life was not in my sights any time soon, and I was keen to learn and explore the rest of the world on my terms... While I was in Amsterdam I started making my travel arrangements, booked a bus ride to London and my flight back from London to Houston and also contacted my brother Mario, who had just moved a few months back to a town near the border with the USA, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, and he said to me..."I'll come to pick you up at the airport in Houston and then we can drive back to Monterrey" I said, excellent, thanks so much because I have no money left to travel down to Mexico... I truly was skinned... Mario, my brother, was actually quite supportive of my adventure, both morally and financially, and as I had mentioned previously, he was the one who sent me a 'cash boost' back in July that helped me travel a bit in Sweden while I waited for some money my old job in Mexico owed me... He also did one more thing for me...He gave me an American Express Credit Card, an additional card attached to his own card, for any emergency I might've been faced with and, up until then, I had not made use of it at all... Well, when I landed in Houston, I was feeling great, as I had had two meals on the plane and plenty of rest! I went through customs nervously, it is usually an awkward moment with the passport control people at any US airport, they usually look at you up and down, like a persona non-grate or low-class individual or a criminal or, as their worst nightmare... How long are you going to stay in the USA? They asked me, looking at my passport and then looking at me, double-checking I was the one in the picture... I said, only a few hours thanks, I'm travelling to Mexico later on today, or so I thought... they stamped my passport and let me in... I was expecting to see my brother out there waiting for me, but he wasn't anywhere to be seen... So, I called him up... Well, it turns out that there had been some nasty weather or a storm the day before and he wasn't able to drive across the border to get to Houston, so he was not going to come to get me... OMG, what do you mean? what do I do now? I have no money... and he said..."Don't worry, do you still have the AMEX card?" Yes, I do... "OK, then get yourself in a hotel, take it easy, have a look around Houston and then get a flight to Monterrey for tomorrow evening and we can meet here, you can use the AMEX card to pay for all that"... Really? Wow!! Cool stuff! My brother had saved my neck again... I got myself a room in the Holiday Inn near the airport, fortunately, they had a free shuttle bus from the airport, and once at the hotel, I organised a flight to Monterrey for the day after... I was going to spend a day in Houston, and I had no idea what I was going to do until I arrived at the Hotel... They had some brochures at the counter about the NASA Johnson Space Center …and their Day Tours... Hmmm, that looks interesting, I thought...  NASA SPACE CENTRE I got all the details about it and decided to book the tour, I might as well do something interesting while I'm here, I thought... *Learn more about the Space Centre here > https://spacecenter.org/exhibits-and-experiences/nasa-tram-tour/saturn-v-at-rocket-park I slapped everything on my brother's AMEX card, honestly thinking, "I'm sure I can pay him back once I get a job back home"... However, I don't think I ever did... (Sorry, bro) The next morning, I checked out of my hotel after that one night and my flight was due later on that Friday evening, after working hours, so my brother could fetch me at the airport in Monterrey. I slapped everything on my brother's AMEX card, honestly thinking, "I'm sure I can pay him back once I get a job back home"... However, I don't think I ever did... (Sorry, bro) The next morning, I checked out of my hotel after that one night and my flight was due later on that Friday evening, after working hours, so my brother could fetch me at the airport in Monterrey. I left my bags and stuff with the hotel concierge, and I waited for the tour Van to pick me up and went to the NASA Space Centre. That NASA tour was absolutely worthwhile, I never thought I would ever get to see a real rocket with my own eyes or samples of moon rocks and all that... It was a wonderful way to turn a 'plain day of waiting and doing nothing' into something magical! Watch the Saturn V Rocket Video here> https://vimeo.com/650957155/649289c2d0 After the tour I got back to the hotel, had something to eat and got on their free shuttle bus to the airport to catch my flight...  MONTERREY I arrived in Monterrey and my brother was waiting for me... I was just 21 years old, and he was 31...but somehow, he was in my eyes much older and more mature than that, he was living in a huge house, all by himself and had a great corporate job... he had it all together... he even had a dog, a very pretty 'Old English Sheepdog'... He was living as a grown-up does...and he was still single at that time! The first thing my brother said to me when he saw me at the airport, was … "How was your flight?... You need a haircut" he looked at me disapprovingly...and he was right, I'm sure I needed one, I hadn't had a haircut while I was travelling throughout Europe, due to lack of money and reluctance, and looked a bit shaggy... Then he said..."What's my dad going to say when he sees you like that?" I said, shrugging my shoulders, I don't know, I'll get a haircut when I get home... I don't remember a lot about my stay in Monterrey, however, I do remember that the next day we went somewhere, probably to his workplace, it was Saturday and there was some kind of party, there was a Nothern Mexican band, playing northern music of course, and there was some meat on the BBQ and drinks... I remember thinking...This is a bit of an unusual town for my brother to live in, being a Mexico City's 'cool dude', but he looked happy...and that was the main thing... It was a brief but pleasant stay in Monterrey...and I'll always be grateful for my brother's help in those days...What would've happened if he hadn't been there for me?... who knows... That night I caught the overnight train down to Mexico City...it was the cheapest way to travel and more comfortable than a bus, or so I thought... *Back then there used to be a passenger train from Monterrey to Mexico City, called "El Regiomontano", it was a 15-hour ride, a bit slow and old fashion compared to the trains in Europe, but it was a cool ride and a new experience for me. This train line doesn't exist anymore.  MEXICO CITY After that long and slow journey, I finally got back to Mexico City... I remember clearly how the train was approaching slowly the *Buenavista Train Terminal in Tlatelolco, I'd never been on a Mexican train before and never been to this terminal or this part of the city, fortunately, my parents were going to be there to fetch me... *This old train station was demolished and is now a shopping mall... I was a bit nervous because for the first time I was going to face my parents after I had told them on my letters that I was not going to continue with my studies and that I wanted to continue travelling...that was a scary moment in my life...I had no idea what they were going to say... I truly had no idea what I was going to do with my life, all I knew was that somehow, I was going to get a job of some description to get some money and somehow make a living, save some money, and eventually take off on my next adventure... I returned to Mexico City, my hometown, absolutely broke, well, nearly, I put my hand in my jeans pocket as we were approaching the station, and I found a $20 peso coin!... (About a dollar) Oh, look, not so broke...that put a smile on my face but … that was all I had... As I got off the train, I saw my mum and dad coming towards me, they were smiling and looked really happy...a good sign, I thought... Dad said as he grabbed my backpack..."How was your Mexican train ride? I'd bet not a good as the European trains, right?" A manly thing to say, 'man to man', I guess...Cool, I said, it was long and slow but not too bad... And then Mum said...as we hugged... "My son... I'm so glad you're back and I'm so happy to hear it all went well"... Then she said the most amazing words that will stay with me forever... "So, tell me...Where will you go next?"... 
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