So here we are precisely three years after the end of my trip. As it turned out, SARS seemed to have died out. Instead we now have bird flu to worry about. I wish I could say the same for the war in Iraq. Although the "end of major combat" in Iraq was announced by Bush in his infamous "Mission Accomplished" speech in May 2003, we are still seeing daily fatailities and the enormous cost (currently about $275,000,000,000) of such a misguided action.
In my personal life, the period immediately following my return was rough, for the first time in my life, I was unemployed for a few months and almost lost my home. Fortunately a contract came along just in time and after a couple of missteps, I now have a great job with an awesome company that I really enjoy!
I always believe that life deals you an even hand. So with the problems I was facing with work, A truly wonderful thing happened in November 2003, I met Judy, the love of my life and proposed and married her less than a year later on September 25th 2004. We have both really enjoyed being married and though I wouldn't have given up my "single years" for anything we are so very happy together.