I knew that my life was going to be significantly different if we successfully landed on the moon, and that I'd be trying to explain it for the rest of my life.
I try to avoid the conspiracy theorists who say it never happened and appeal to common sense. Besides, satellites have now photographed the moon and you can see evidence of our landing at Tranquillity Base.
Lunar walking is easy. You move in slow motion and it's actually very comfortable, although you are weighed down by a space suit and backpack.
My favourite holiday memories as a boy are of a summer camp in Maine, climbing Mount Washington and enjoying the great outdoors. I have always loved sport but only learnt to ski when I was 50. I still get onto the slopes now when my bones and muscles allow it.
I started scuba diving in 1957 and have long been an advocate of ocean exploration. I am fascinated with deep-sea wrecks and have been fortunate enough to descend in a mini submarine to see the Titanic.
You can swing around the moon for 150 million dollars but I don't think we will have tourists landing on it for at least another 50 years — much less a hotel.
My favourite dance is observing other people dance. But appearing on Dancing with the Stars was a great experience. I hoped that if the public could see me on the dance floor they would remember what the nation achieved in '69, and what we might accomplish in years to come.
The man I would have most liked to sit next to on a flight would be my father's physics professor, Robert Goddard. He introduced the first liquid rocket in 1926.
I've had to deal with depression and alcoholism but I began recovery in 1978. I am proud to say that I have 32 years of increasing sobriety — but it's not easy.
Next month, it will be 42 years since Buzz Aldrin became the second man to walk on the moon as part of the Apollo 11 space mission.
