My months long journey has taken me through The Norma Expanse, Arcadian Stream, Dryman's Point, and now in the Hawking's Gap headed back to the Bubble. Dryman's Point is not the place to live; easily the least dense of terraformable worlds along the paths I've travelled. So far, though, Hawking's Gap has been quite bountiful. My last 2 jumps alone have yielded terraformable worlds and an Earth world.

If the Thargoids drive us out, Hawking's Gap may be the destination.

The Dandelion's spores are proving to be lucrative. While many systems are sparse, others have yielded terraformables and landable planets with accessible raw materials.

I will repeat this technique in the nearest Nebula; I suspect there will be previously discovered systems there, but this far out from the bubble I may be rewarded again.

Discovered my 2nd landable terraformable planet this weekend. From now on every landable terraformable will be renamed 'DinasiWorld-nn'; this one will be DinasiWorld02, as the first is somewhere along the DW2 path! System Plae AEB qy-z c13-21/A2.

I count 49 systems within 20ly of my arrival point in Temple; Already I'm confident in this exploration strategy.

I've devised an exploration maneuver I call "The Dandelion." When I reach a destination, I travel to each star system within 20ly of that destination, like the spores of a Dandelion. I will map each one regardless of planetary content vs. the journey outward where I focus on Earth-like, Water, Ammonia, and High Metal Content Terraformables. Given my leisurely pace I may map every planet in every system! I'm considering also to investigate what's 'reported' in that system upon completing my Dandelion. When FDev updates Elite Content to make more worlds more explorable, e.g., landable terraformables, this will be even more enthralling for me than it is now.

After unlocking the engineer Palin-I can get eventually level 5 engines-, I'm off on my own journey to Colonia via the eastward Temple region. Now that Guardian FSD drives are available I can meander out there my way, on my time. I may even cross paths with my fellow DW2 travelers on "The Great Return." Not sorry I missed that; my biggest regret of DW2 was the schedule; If it weren't for Spring Break I'd be just leaving Beagle Point. Now I can enjoy my own "5 year mission to explore strange, new worlds" as I choose.

The Krait Phantom is simply my kind of ship. Maneuverable, swift, efficient. While she may not have the jump range of my 'Conda, like any great sports car it makes up for its lack of 'top end speed' to be an absolute thrill to fly. Next up: kit her up!

I ground my way back to the Bubble by this past Friday; not in the least do I envy those who must still make that trip. While DW2 may be over for me, exploring as I choose has only begun. My biggest complaint of DW2 is the Waypoint constraints. I don't see how 40 hr/week working folk can do that, but I must remember most of those folk aren't teachers.

While the 'Conda served me well on this journey, my future expedition ship will be the Krait Phantom, again. The speed-manuverability, fuel scoop and thermal efficiency are worth the lower jump range. Of course the fighter pilot adage, "looks good, flies good" fits this gorgeous ship.

EXPLORATION PAYS! I earned over $1B on this trip! Started with $400M, ended with over $1.4B! Exploring is truly a Marathon (Nipsey shout out) endeavor; I'm definitely with Obsidian Ant on the pleasures of exploring in Elite Dangerous.

As I grind back to Colonia I realize this glorious expedition doesn't end when you reach Beagle Point; it ends when you successfully submit your exploration data. I now have a greater appreciation for those who sail the seas; their unbridled excitement and relief when they reach their home port after a long, arduous journey is indeed deserved.

Made it to Beagle Point; 1st expedition complete. I can't waste the free time I have, though; headed back home right now. The Abyss is indeed lonely; stars so sparse but many systems previously discovered! Either I trace our steps out here, or aim for a 'back door' route to Explorer's Anchorage or Colonia.