Rising early I said goodbye to Carla and Lucille and headed for the airport. It's been a long old trip and even longer to share - mostly because I started another trip this spring and am still away from the motherland. So there's plenty of interesting stories to come. I'll share a little from my time in London and Brighton, then the delights of Romania, Moldova, Ukraine and possibly a few emerging autonomous regions; I say possibly because depending on who you ask they may or may not exist.
There was a mild catharsis as the relief began to set in that the uncertainty would be over, for a time. The knowledge that stability would return and the financial worries, having somewhere to sleep and pressure on my body would be over was reassuring. From walking the Camino carrying a heavy backpack and continuing on for months after my spine compressed and I lost a few centimetres - hopefully I've regained them now.
It was all plain sailing and standard procedures at the airport. I received a few looks for some of the stamps of places I’ve been and the great big bushy beard I was sporting at the time didn’t help.
I breathed in repose.
I truly appreciate the experience and learning from people but moving around in this capacity is tiring. I’ve since reevaluated how I travel for the future and this year have had a much more sustainable time. There is always more to learn and it’s important to evolve in how you move around.
Anyway, time for some shots of the home counties.