'I went on the trip of a lifetime - but there's no place on earth like Manchester'

This week marked my return to the Manchester Evening News after four months travelling around South America.

During that time, I was fortunate enough to visit six countries, two wonders of the world, as well as trying - and failing - to master several languages.

Upon my return to Manchester last month, under typically grey skies, one question kept cropping up from friends and family: Did I feel sad to be home?

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"Actually, not really," I replied. Yeah, I'd had an incredible time and experienced things I'll remember for a lifetime, but my trip also gave me a renewed sense of gratitude towards home.

For all of its abundant charms and beauties, South America is also a continent with its problems - many of which are well-documented. In Rio de Janeiro - just one block from the Copacabana beach - I witnessed mothers sleeping rough on street corners with their young children.

In Colombia, I heard from people who grew up during the dark, violent days of Pablo Escobar and saw friends and family killed at the hands of the Medellin Cartel. Others spoke of their country's enduring collective trauma and pain over its reputation for violence and drugs - one it still struggles to shake off 30 years on from Escobar's death.

In Argentina, I found a country grappling with soaring inflation that has left many of its people struggling even to afford a pair of jeans. Meanwhile, a favourable exchange rate leaves tourists such as myself marvelling at our ability to buy a steak and a bottle of wine in a restaurant for the equivalent of a tenner.

The New Year is always a good opportunity for us stop and take stock of our lives. And while it cannot be a