Adventurer Mark Beaumont has reached the halfway point of his 288-day journey across the nations and the Commonwealth in the run-up to the 2014 Games in Glasgow.
The Scot, who has cycled the world and ridden all the way from North to South America, now has 33 countries under his belt after following the Queen's Baton Relay.
However, Beaumont, of Perthshire, admitted the trip had been conducted at an "amazing pace."
Speaking from Namibia, the broadcaster and author said: "You don't have a lot of time to think back. I'm sure once I get back to Scotland in the summer I'll think, 'Crikey, what just happened? 70 nations on the globe in seven months...' But it's been an amazing pace in which to see the world."
He added: "Like an expedition, some weeks seem to last for months and months fly by in no time at all. I've not really had time to pause and think back in detail, but it's been an immense journey so far."
Reflecting on the first half of the trip - starting Asia and the Pacific before heading to Africa - Beaumont said highlights included the fanfare when he arrived in Delhi at the start; visiting a remote province of Papua New Guinea called New Ireland, where the Queen's Baton was taken to meet freshwater eels that the locals believe to hold the spirit of their ancestors; and filming blind parathlete runners in Cameroon.
He said: "Each country throws its own welcome, but what has been amazing is to see how big a deal [our visit] has been - that sense that some small countries are using the Games to actually put themselves on the map."
While it's been hard to pinpoint feelings toward the Commonwealth in general, he said almost everyone had a strong connection to the Games themselves. "There's a massive sense of identity with them, and that's been a bit of a surprise. Talk about the Commonwealth Games and everyone's excited," he said.
As for the homesickness, Beaumont again compared the experience to one of his expeditions. "It's the hardest part of being away. But I love my job and my family loves my job. And with the technology we have it's easy to keep in touch, so it's been fine. With the amount of content we're feeding back on social media and via the telly every week, everyone in my family's been enjoying watching it."
The constant output means a gruelling work schedule for Beaumont and his team - a cameraman and producer - who start each day usually by 6am and work seven days a week. The team are editing on the road, often spending 24 hours in a mobile editing suite in a hotel getting the content ready for television each week. Beaumont said being on the other side of the camera has been different to what he expected, but that being a sportsman has helped him relate to the stories he has been filming.
He said he didn't know what to expect from the rest of the trip. "I'm wondering if it will feel more familiar as we get to the home leg.
"I get a sense the journey is picking up momentum as we build toward the opening ceremony.
"I'm really looking forward to getting to the Falkland Islands. And the Caribbean will be brilliant. He admitted he can't wait to return home with the Baton on May 11, adding: "Those final six to eight weeks should be amazing."
l Follow Mark Beaumont's journey with the Queen's Baton Relay at bbc.co.uk/queensbatonrelay or @BBCMarkBeaumont.
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