A WORLD view is a privilege.

Over the past seven weeks I have taken in the sights of New York and worked in both Turkey and Lebanon: the latter a more harrowing cracking open of my world view.

All the while, especially in this past week, I have marvelled at the privilege of it.

As a younger woman, setting out on my naive exploration of the world, I felt this exploration was my due and inwardly railed when life took other turns and my wanderlust was cut short, for reasons all of my own making and that I would never trade.

I am not a particularly well-travelled individual. I have my share of travel yarns, all outdated and surpassed by stories of the trials and tribulations of parenthood.

Yet, there are a few and I consider myself fortunate to have them. So many others cannot afford to travel or be away from their responsibilities. So many too wait for a day when they can travel, but life gets in the way: an illness, a parent to care for, grandchildren and adult children to support.

For me, travel is an enormous privilege and one I will never take for granted.

Bear with me while I anchor myself back into the home routine. There are grandchildren to mind, Girl Guides to lead and inspire, work emails and reports banked up to 'billyoh' and studies to finish, not to mention a long-neglected garden to tend to.

For the next two days though, you’ll find me pottering around the house, tidying things and packing things away. I may even pour myself another cup and catch up with your beautiful blogs.