I have spent some time resting in the two days since I was freed, and I have only just switched on my computer.
These are the first words that I have written since I was captured four months ago, and I wanted to dedicate them to all those many tens-of-thousands of people who signed the online petition in support of my release.
To each and every one of you, I want to say that I am so grateful.
During my incarceration I had one very important lucky break. After about a month I got hold of a radio that gave me the BBC World Service.
I was staggered to hear that by that stage about forty-thousand people had put their names to the petition.
I'm sure every kidnap victim fears that they will be forgotten - left to rot while the world moves on. And the idea that so many people from all around the globe were voicing their support for me was - as you can imagine - a huge psychological boost.
And as I lay there listening to the radio as the weeks and months passed the petition just grew and grew. Often messages from it were read out to me on programmes like World Have Your Say, or Newshour.
I can't tell you how moving it was to have people who didn't know me in countries and cities that I'd never visited taking the time to wish me the best, and urge me to hang in there.
Sometimes I would memorise a sentence or two and repeat them over and over as I paced up and down the room.
I was in the psychological battle of my life, and all those who signed the petition made it that little bit easier.
Thank you, so much.
To find all the posts I've made on this case, click here.
The Globe and Mail carried a good piece: Scholar persuaded captors to free journalist. An excerpt:
Salman Dayeh, a 49-year-old independent cleric who teaches sharia law at Gaza's Islamic University managed to succeed where months of negotiations punctuated by threats, kidnappings and killings had failed. ...
Locked in a stalemate, both sides (Hamas and the Army of Islam) agreed to bring in an outside mediator. The only man they could mutually agree on was Mr. Dayeh.
"He is known for his justice and fair dealings all over the Gaza Strip. He was the only person who could command the respect needed to end this crisis," Mr. Khatab said. The cleric immediately agreed to help.
When Mr. Dayeh arrived, Mr. (Mumtaz) Dogmush asked one question, "What is God's opinion regarding the abduction of this journalist?"
The sheik answered: "According to religious law, the answer was clear: His freedom has to be returned to him. Keeping him in captivity is against religious law."
His answer amounted to a fatwa, or religious order. Mr. Dogmush found himself backed into a corner. He agreed to release Mr. Johnston.