Once more, and with a bare minimum of planning, I find myself about to fly overseas - this time for a few days in the Czech Republic. Unlike previous excursions, I don't intend to immerse my arms in latex or attend any events. This will instead be a genuine holiday, albeit a short one. Despite a light itinerary; I'll be visiting Prague, and hopefully getting over to the Sedlec Ossuary for a bit of traditional sightseeing.

Although it's been over twenty years since the Velvet Revolution, my 1980s Geography education still compels me to refer to the region as Czechoslovakia. I must try not to make too many awkward socio-political faux pas when over there. Picking up the language should be an interesting challenge, but I'll no doubt adopt the standard technique of shouting random European words while gesticulating frantically.

As usual, I'll be spooling the minutiae of the experience via my Twitter and Flickr feeds - assuming of course I can find decent internet connections along the way.

Of course, today is a most ominous date to travel, and it would be wrong to not at least acknowledge that. The way I see it; the best way to remember such a terrible day is to not succumb to fear and carry on with life regardless. The alternative is unthinkable.

However, if anyone asks what my business is, I will make sure I pronounce 'tourism' very carefully.

It's been a long time since I've taken opportunity to reflect on my life's direction.  Although I had hoped to be back in the US by now, or at least globetrotting in some capacity, I remain land-locked. The momentum built up during last year's adventure is still there, however. Just trundling along amid other distractions.

The main distraction of the moment is the full time web-development job I seem to have fallen into. I'd normally be able to balance such a grown-up responsibility with everything else that's going on in my life, especially as the office is less than half an hour's commute away.  However, within a few weeks of my starting, I found my role upgraded to de-facto team leader - a challenge approached with the usual level of dumbfounded bewilderment.

Although it's a great opportunity to brush up on my PHP and Javascript skills, the additional responsibilities have been somewhat draining - hence the lack of blog updates and general life-living.  I'm learning enough to help spruce up my website and others when I get the time, so it's not all that bad.

The Seven Wonders in Seven Days excursion seems to be on hold for a moment, pending sufficient funds. Although I can't say I'm surprised, I hope we make it out at some point. There's been a lot of effort behind the scenes to pull things together, so I'm still along for the ride. (And it's nice to see fellow traveller Alissa popping up on Coronation Street recently!)

Closer to home, I'm still thrashing out CGI for 'On the Shoulders of Giants'.  Although I was a lot more productive prior to the whole gainful employment thing, I'm still churning out various scenes and monitor effects in my spare time.  In an ideal world I'll be doing this full time, but for now I do what I can when I can.  Now the film's coming together, I find myself rather impressed with how it's turning out, and look forward to putting together a genuine demo reel to flaunt my wares.

The movies I worked on overseas are also coming to fruition. 'The Breakup' has already premiered at the 2011 San Antonio Film Festival, where it received an encouraging reception.  At the end of the month; 'Amounting to Nothing' will be released to an eager local audience at the Josephine Theatre in San Antonio, hopefully to much mirth and merriment. I'm really happy for both film crews, and just wish I could be over there to share in the glory!

Sometimes you get the breaks. Sometimes you get broken. Life goes on, and there's plenty more opportunity ahead…

So, the deadline's in for the first Seven Wonders in Seven Days challenge. I admit that I haven't had much chance to look into it that deeply. Starting a new job means I can't sit around playing on Twitter all day, so chasing things up has been low in my priorities.

I also doubt the relevance of this research so early into the journey. If previous missed itineraries are anything to go by; we won't know exactly which planes we're on, what hotels we're staying at, or even what airport we'll be travelling to, until a few days before departure. We won't be flying for another eight months, which means any planning made during the winter season will be obsolete by summer. Such is the nature of travel. Things fall apart, centres cannot hold. No amount of research can counter a missed connection because something changed between now and then.

What intrigues me is how quickly we adapt to surprises. My best guide when travelling is chaotic serendipity - the exhilarating feeling of being a stranger in a strange land. Not quite sure where I'm going, but enjoying the journey as I get there.

The only constants in this expedition are the Wonders themselves. They'll be around for a while, I'm certain. Everything else is malleable. Time. Location. Co-ordination. So maybe a bit closer to the time, once we know it's happening.

I like to think I've been reasonably positive about this endeavour - I was the only person who entered the original competition after all!

New stirrings are abound with Seven Wonders in Seven Days; with the travellers each receiving a weekly question to answer. My mission (which has been implicitly accepted) is as follows:

Simply, we want to know what the best meeting place is.

Will it be a café, a bench or a local tourist spot?

It sounds easy enough, but there is one small caveat. Chi-Chi is attempting to get from the airport to the Wonder in a little over 3 hours, so the location has to have sound local travel routes. Things like the language barrier and local time will also need to be taken into account.

Due to my enthusiasm for trotting the globe, I'm going to have to do this three times; for The Great Wall of China, The Colosseum in Rome, and Chichen Itza in Mexico.  So, if anyone has any suggestions, or knows anyone who might have a bit of local knowledge, feel free to pass the message on. Otherwise, I foresee a few evenings of strenuous Googling ahead.

Probably more than a few…

This week brings another setback with the Seven Wonders in Seven Days expedition. Due to the lack of short-notice sponsorship, the trip has been postponed until July 7th 2011. Almost nine months away.

Although not entirely unexpected, I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. I have approached this with the full knowledge that things may not work out entirely to plan, so any disappointment is fleeting. Chi-Chi has offered reimbursement for costs, but I would rather that money go straight to the cause. The Donation Page is still open, and every penny matters.

We now have until May 2011 to secure sponsorship. Although that date seems as distant as the corners of the world, I'm sure it will creep up on everyone before we know it.  For now, at least, I will still be participating in the expedition; visiting China, Italy and Mexico as previously arranged. Of course, this assumes circumstances won't change, but July is far enough away to ensure I can plan around it.

For now I recommence my search for work. One of the fortunate things about participating in Seven Wonders is that I have been in contact with many positive, enthusiastic people. People who happen to work, or know people who work, in roles that I am very much interested in.

Time to polish up my CV…

The Seven Wonders in Seven Days expedition has thrown me another curveball. This time it's a positive one, albeit potentially exhausting!

Due to the recent schedule change, fellow traveller Alissa Juvan had to drop out of the Mexico stop on her journey. (Fortunately she is still going to Peru.) To that end, I have graciously offered to fill in another spot, extending my itinerary with flights from Rome to Paris, then Mexico City, and finally Cancun. From there I shall be meeting Chi-Chi once more at the lofty steps of Chichen Itza – a Mayan archaeological site. I confess to knowing little about this particular area of the world, so much research needs to be done to ensure I make the most of my new destination.

This small excursion has grown to become a transglobal expedition. One which I intend to embrace fully. The logistics still need to be hammered out, not least of which confirming sponsorship. I am still fighting my packrat instincts, and shall attempt to travel as lightly as possible. I think another luggage bag will be essential though.

In other news, the radio appearance was successful. It gave us the opportunity to promote the cause, although Alissa did most of the talking! After the radio appearance, we hammered out a press release for local media outlets, where my crafty wordsmithery came to the fore.

From what I gather, there will be a major announcement about the expedition real soon now. So I, and by extension the other travellers, shall wait with anticipation.

Donate to Seven Wonders in Seven Days

It's been a busy few days for the Seven Wonders in Seven Days team. First, the mildly frustrating news that the expedition has been postponed by just over a week. For me, at least, it's not a problem as I seem to have a lot of free time on my hands right now. I just hope these few extra days will be enough to secure sponsorship and ensure everyone has a smooth journey.

In better news, I shall be joining fellow traveller Alissa Juvan on the radio this evening. We're going to be interviewed on Bradford Community Broadcasting Radio, so it's a great chance to spread the word and hopefully solicit more donations. Going back to Bradford is going to feel a little strange for me. I moved out about a year ago and didn't intend to look back. But life has a way of coming full circle at times and it'll be interesting to see how the town's turned out.

Speaking of donations, I am dutifully impressed with how much we have raised so far.  Since my inclusion in the team, we have seen donations treble. (No doubt due to the hard-working efforts of others!) The target is still a fair way away, so more donations are always appreciated!

Planning and preparation for the Seven Wonders in Seven Days excursion continues unabated. After a few trips across the Pennines to Manchester, I find myself in possession of a nifty looking Chinese Visa – valid over the next three months for a 30 day visit. This gives me some comfort and a bit of wiggle-room should circumstances change.

Change has been a constant thus far, and my most recent discovery is absolute proof. It seems that I won't be flying straight back to England from China after all. Instead, I'll be getting on another plane from Beijing to Rome, meeting up with Chi-Chi again at the Colosseum for the Italian leg of the journey. Although the organisers hoped to get more folks involved; time can be a cruel mistress, and the final schedule needed confirmation as soon as possible.

I'm fortunate to be at a point in my life right now where I can make the most of these opportunities, so naturally I've leapt at the chance to explore yet another country! On paper, this is technically a minor diversion, and would certainly break up the journey home. But the practical ramifications need to be considered as well – all that boring stuff like changing money and confirming lodgings. As it's in the European Union, I shouldn't have to apply for a separate Visa, so that's a blessing in itself. Nevertheless, it's more stuff to make my life interesting!

I should hopefully be in touch with Alzheimer's Research Trust in the next few days, to liaise with their support staff and ensure the charity aspect of this venture is not lost amongst the sightseeing. To that end, I'm amazed at the generosity shown by the last few donations received via our donation page. We've seen a positive swing in the last week, but could always use more! There may be some PR duties on the horizon to get the word out on local radio and beyond, so I'll make sure to be as polite and effulgent as possible. (And possibly not using words like 'effulgent' while I'm at it!)

Less than a week until take off, and the busy times are about to begin!