In November 2008, I was fortunate enough to travel across Arizona visiting cultural organisations throughout that great State. The project was part of a research sabbatical supported by HI~Arts and the Scottish Arts Council.

The city of Yuma is a similar size to Inverness in the Highlands, and I came here to visit the Yuma Art Center.

I have found my new hot desk at the International Sonoran Desert Alliance offices in south-west Arizona. This week I’ll be in residence here in Ajo (pronounced ‘Ah-ho’), the largest town to be found in the US half of the Sonoran desert.

I moved on from my retreat at Diamond Mountain in the middle of the week – brain and body sore from a strict regime of aikido, debate class and sleeping outdoors.

Yesterday I picked up a surprisingly large hire car and moved on to the second stop on my trip, Tucson.

It has been a long and historic day.

I woke early at 6am – which isn’t so bad considering that is 1pm British time. I think I may have beaten the jet lag by staying up late last night.