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