Thursday, February 17, 2011

End of the line and 40,000 miles.....

Well, it's the 18th of February and the trip which has gone since late September of 2010 is at an end. In a way though the trip started in Mid April 2010 since I started work in Wyoming. I'll have hit I think 40,000 miles by the time I'm back home in Michie, Tennessee. I'm at, I THINK 30,000 or so.

All sorts of crazy ways I've traveled. Car, Plane, Bus, Train, Motorboat, Row boat, Sail boat, Camel, Donkey, Horse, Horse cart, Tuk tuk, ski lift thingy, subway "tube"and of course good old walking!
10 months from home in Tennessee...... but so much has gone on since then and I've grown as a person greatly again. But only possible because I had much much help.

I'd like to try to thank everyone that has helped me along the way in these past months.-

My Parents first and foremost. Without your guys support in so many ways I have no idea where I'd be now. Most likely something not as interesting and most likely unfulfilling.
Thank you Mom and Dad.

Like to thank the staff at Fort Bridger State Historic site. Without you guys re-hiring me again and again I wouldn't have the money to go on these amazing trips. Thank you Linda for hiring me way back in 2006. Thank you Syd for always helping me out in tough times at the fort and your support too. Cecil..... I'll get back to you.
Then everyone else at the fort too that's helped me seeing as there are to many to list!

My Aunt Connie has to rate VERY high here! When I was stuck at the crossroads of staying in the Nile* Valley or going onto the Sinai then Petra Jordan she without missing a beat gave me a nice sum of cash to get me to those place. That would have been very good in itself, BUT then the riots began in the Nile Valley and I would have had a VERY tough time of it in Egypt and getting out of there and then to Thailand here. THANK YOU CONNIE!
"*Or Nail if your an average Egyptian which has a 5 year olds grasp of English"

I'd like to thank Philip Alderton and his great Alderton clan. You made those holiday seasons feel so much better even though I was far far away from home. Plus Philip for all the help on our wacky 3 week Euro road trip and 4 weeks in the UK.

Then like to Thank the Skinner clan of Dublin Ireland. You guys are so kind to let me stay so so so many times in your home these past trips and even more so back in December even in these difficult times.
And of course Kasper & Tomas for enduring my friendship and company!

Like to thank William and Mel and the rest of the gang for putting up with me in the Middle East. You guys were great!

Then a quick thanks to everyone else that helped me out-

Chezaubernard Antoine for being a great guy and letting me stay at his flat in Glasgow on such short notice.
Georgina Pope for letting me crash in the spare room in Edinburgh.
Amanda Stopar for waking up in the morning and getting my butt from the station to the spare couch in her flat in London.
The Bales in California for hosting me at the very start of the 10 month journey and the end of it.

Can't thank you guys enough for that help of a simple bed or couch. It is really nice to have that when you are like 2000-6000 miles from home.
My lodgings are always open to you guys, like all my friends!

Then a shout out to all my great pals from SOSKAN in the UK and then all the travel buds I've had over the past several months.
If I have forgotten anyone, most sorry! But if I have, just in case, THANK YOU!

Apart from the thank you's, not much else going on. Life is easy and I've gotten a little more cash so got some money for fishing off the pier here in Bang bao and drinking cocnuts!

I am shocked it's the end of the trip however.
I leave here on the 20th and just keeping traveling, waiting traveling till I'm back to my home and my room "and dog Ranger" in Tennessee something like a week from now.
All this adventure, missing/avoiding the riots and protests in.... Hmmm, 6 nations. All within no more than 2 weeks. Sometimes 2 days even. I'm a lucky bastard I think. Only thing that slowed me up was snow in December. Delayed me for 12 hours one time and made me re-think a few travel plans. Thats it so far, knock on wood,.... Dang. Good luck there for sure.

Anyway... This will be almost the last post. I think I'll get one more done as a follow up in Tennessee and get photos up on photobucket and post the link to here.
But yeah, thats it.

Thank you if you have kept up with my adventures these past months via my blog.
Now to leave you with a song of Bilbo Baggins! Wow! What a nerd I am.....

(The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.)

It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no telling where you might be swept off to.

So for all of you, TRAVEL IF YOU CAN! No matter the age, IF you can, TRAVEL!

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