It’s good to be back. I took my kids to school this morning. The air was fresh and the bushes were sparkling with dew. The Rhine (which they call the Rijn) was placidly flowing by, the odd boat tootling along. And Isabel and I had a few hours to reconnect last night. Which was especially nice. It’s surreal to be in my own living room, but I like it here. A good place to live.
The flight from Australia was fairly hellish. Fifteen plus hours to Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), then a transfer to the next flight. Sat on that plane for two hours before we were told that the technical difficulties were insurmountable. Shuffled back into the terminal, went through security a third time, and finally sent to a workable plane, then seven more hours to Amsterdam. And then I got on the wrong train. Could hardly see straight. A couple of “young people” offered to help me with my bags, which made me aware I was bumping into walls. Announcements in Dutch that I could almost understand. Then Amsterdam Centraal — what a scene. After being in North America, the UK, and Australia for six weeks, I became aware how different it is here. The public toilets aren’t the cleanest, the signs aren’t the easiest to follow…but these people are dynamic and cool, alive in some special way.
I don’t have a lot to say at the moment, I’ll just post a few pics. Then in another post, in a day or two, I’ll tell you about meeting Johann Hari — Chasing the Scream — and about an interesting and intense rebuttal of his views — e.g., the benefits of decriminalization — by someone who works for the drug company that invented Naloxone.
Isabel and the kids at the
Roman baths, Bath, UK
The boys and me in Cambridge
On the way to Australia
— can’t get enough of Abu Dhabi
The Festival of Dangerous Ideas 
Sydney Opera House
Sydney at night
Informed by unparalleled neuroscientific insight and written with his usual flare, Marc Lewis’s The Biology of Desire effectively refutes the medical view of addiction as a brain disease. A bracing and informative corrective to the muddle that now characterizes public and professional discourse on this topic.” —Gabor Maté, M.D., author of In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With Addiction
Welcome back. Maybe that odd feeling you describe is one interpretation of the old saw “You can never go home again.” Everything changes.
Hi Matt. Everything does change. And I’ve never been a big fan of change. Maybe I should try to change that.
Don’t ever change… even though it’s the only definite inevitability. Change is in the air. Someday a change is gonna come. Ch-ch-ch- changes…
Hey… Recovery is change! No wonder I was so pissed off all that time…:)
Marc, thanks for the photos… beautiful! and for the narration…a glimpse into your life. I am reading The Biology of Desire so will soon be able to add to the positive reviews on Amazon.
Hi Denise. You’re welcome. I have lots more but they’re mostly blurry. I’m a terrible photographer. I hope you’re liking the book!