“Mikael, is your Expedition really dead? Have you given the idea up forever?”

These are questions I have received almost daily, since the day I wrote The death of an Expedition, part two. I wrote that piece two months ago. Since than I have returned home to Sweden and Stockholm. It has been a time of chaos, many thoughts about the future, more travel, plenty of worries, much laughter, enjoyment and, believe it or not,much happiness! But that is on a personal note, but this fact easily override the disappointments of having to give up the Expedition!

But, is the Expedition dead? My motto for the last few years, have been to take one day at the time and see how things develop. As I am writing I know that there are people in the Arab World working to find the funds needed. But for me personally, I have more important things on my mind right now. And, I still feel completely burned out after working day and night to get the Expedition on board, to suddenly find out it won´t happen.

So my answer to all of you who have taken the time to write and ask:

I have no idea. At least not at this part of my life. But, I just want to add, by choosing to travel through the desert by camel in unpopulated areas, for such a long time as I planned, this is of course, kind of a personal pilgrimage. Searching for the meaning of life. I can tell you I have found the basic platform of that already. So, looking at life this way, the Expedition has already been succesful!

And, there´s a reason for everything, I am sure there is a major reason I had to return back to base. A lot of very positive things have already happened. And if things don´t happen,it was just not meant to be. Stay tuned to see how it all develops!