Tom Downey on the appeal of returning to places

"For some people there is a distinct pleasure in return: the possibility of gaining greater intimacy with a place you know. For me there is something else. I go back not just to see how a place has changed, but also to see how I’ve changed. Travel offers a rare opportunity to view myself outside of the web of work, family and friends that both defines me and confines me."
--Tom Downey, "Sleepless in Rangoon", World Hum, November 21, 2005