Between these covers is an account of a solo voyage from Melbourne, Australia to Babylon, New York. Also to be found there is the story of a very meaningful decade of my life; that journey was at least as much of an adventure as was the ocean voyage (and no less solitary). This mental voyage may be thought of as an expression of musical thought . . . of reflective musing; and is not intended to be taken too seriously (but rather as an amusement). I wrote this from my logs and journals, and distributed the manuscript to friends and family some sixteen years ago. I made no attempt to publish it, perhaps because it was such a personal experience.



Some who have written of my exploits have cast it in the context of a mid-life crisis (and me in the role of a Don Quixote). That was fair enough, however in the current moment it would appear that such introspection and re-evaluation is more necessary than ever. It is as a function of this that I now publish the work. Although there is no suggestion that this decade of my life was any more or less significant than a decade of anyone else's, I share these experiences in the belief that they express themes that are common to all of us . . . and because the perspectives expressed have been so helpful in my own attempts to make sense of 'things' and of life.



Implied in this is the assumption that we do ourselves a disservice in neglecting the 'big questions' (and a need to genuinely reflect upon them). Although all will not concur with the way that I have sorted them out, I am confident that others will sense a chord of truth and integrity in the general need and approach. Two words stand out: intuition and serendipity. Although an historian, I am certain that there is a difference between events and happenings . . . as well as between eventuality and happenstance. Have fun!