Todd's family meets the new baby.

When you think of expeditions, armies, or sports teams for that matter, you generally think of all action, the big battle, or the big game. It is true that there are a lot of exciting moments during these events, but there is often a less glamorous, more unseen side to them. In an army it often takes seven people to support one person in the field: logistics coordinators, supply people, medical people, cooks, the list goes on.

On an expedition, although we are out in the field a lot and see tons of cool stuff, there is a lot that goes into making this all happen. We are constantly solving new problems, researching upcoming areas, appraising our current situation, and planning for our future activities and their needs. There is so much to do that it is easy to forget stuff, but undone research or tasks can often lead to delays for the whole expedition, so we must all be very careful.

I woke up to an early knocking on the door. It was Chanda; she was on a task to solve some banking issues. Since a lot of the organizational paperwork was in my name, she thought she might need my assistance, or more importantly my signature and winning smile. It is always fun doing errands with Chanda. Chanda and I always have a good time, as we both share a certain determination to get things done (we don’t lollygag), but also a playful spirit while we are going about our errands. We always seem to get into some kind of trouble, but nothing that doesn’t make us laugh, and generally nothing we can’t solve. One of the best things about doing errands with Chanda is we always treat ourselves to coffee, desert, or some kind of good food; this was a tradition we started in Argentina. All this to say, when Chanda knocks on the door asking help with some of her errands, I never know what I am getting into, but I know we will have fun doing whatever needs doing.

Off course, we started the morning with coffee and breakfast, but we soon investigating our banking options. Essentially we needed to wire money here to Thailand, but Western Union prices were through the roof. We knew that was an option, but an option that we preferred to avoid. We investigated international banking account options, wire transfer regulations, and a number of other things. We tried three different banks, and we constantly had the problem of no work permit in Thailand, no bank account; who would have thought it was so difficult to open an account? Well, the third bank we went to was the charm, and after waiting for about 45 minutes for a bank representative, we were in business. Banking issue solved, and the need for food was at a critical stage.

A nice little Italian place that I had eyed while I was working on the Russian visas was just the place. Although, I love Thai food, Italian was a welcome change. Seeing the cheese plate on the menu, there was no turning back: bleu cheese, parmesian, brie, and another one made my day, or so I thought.

After lunch we returned to the office (Starbucks with free wireless). I checked my e-mail and the first thing I saw was a note from my mother that said,

Howdy uncle,

You have new niece. Megan Karen, born July 5 at 2:00 a.m., 14 hours after I arrived. All is well and she was 8lbs 1 oz and 19 inches long. She is beautiful and reminds me much of Lauren [my first niece]. Sonja [my sister, Megan’s mother] popped her out after a short labor. All of us were surprised when Sonja's water broke, as we were about to sit down for dinner.

Wow, I am an uncle again! I first got the news that my sister was pregnant when we were first leaving on this expedition. Nine months later, I am in Bangkok, and she is having a baby. Sometimes it is easy for me to believe that time stands still back home while we are on the road, but the fact is it doesn’t!

It hurt me to be away, as a family we always make time to go visit the new parents and see our new relative, but now I find myself more than 10,000 miles away, almost completely on the other side of the world. However, it will be kind of cool to remind her when she is 15 or so that I as in Bangkok when she was born.

Best regards to my sister Sonja, her husband Andy, my nephew Nathanial and my new niece Megan.

Well back to work on sorting out the Russian visa process.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.