The Return Home

After all that has happened it is hard to describe how the final day went. It’s been a couple of days since I finally returned home, so this is kind of the thoughts from the day, rather than the day itself.
As I prepared to make my way home, I went through all of the same motions I had every other day... I showered, shaved (O.K. you might not notice, but I did), had breakfast and packed. The time just seemed to fly by... what seemed like minutes, as I drank my cup of tea and prepared for the radio interview, was actually hours. I still haven’t heard the interview yet and by all accounts, it was either good (family) or could have said more (friends)... still the interview was done I was going home.
It is a strange feeling, but until that point I’m not complete sure that it registered how far I’d come and as I made a second cup of tea there were a few tears. I hadn’t seen my family for 21 days; I’d spoken to them (sporadically) throughout the trip, but only really spoken to Aly regularly. I hadn’t seen the news; I hadn’t read a newspaper; I hadn’t listened to the radio, so what had happened in the world was a completely new experience.
Swanage is a lovely place, which I have got to know quite well from diving in the local area over the last few years and with an almost clear blue sky, it seemed only right that I enjoyed a look at the sea front before moving on and heading home. I said my goodbyes to Sue at the B&B, did the pics and rode on. I have not asked for any donations, freebies or hand-outs on my way round but, I want to thank Sue for her kindness and generosity I offered to pay in cash, as I had everywhere else, but Sue refused. For what I had done, for what I was trying to do – by raising awareness of a good cause – it was, she said, an honour to have me stay there and hoped to see me again in the future. It is something I will not forget, there was no need, she is running a business after all and yet her humanity is far greater than many I have met. Thank you.
I rode the long way home, I could have gone straight up the A35 and been home in an hour and a bit, but it just didn’t seem right. As much as I could and wherever I could, I had stuck to the coast and seen some wonderful things, so it seemed only right to continue in the same way in the final stretch. There was no rush, I had the time and the opportunity, so I did… I rode the coast.
I didn’t see the power-boats that Tristan (BBC radio Solent) had suggested I might, but I could see the Isle of Wight getting bigger and bigger as rolled east. I stopped at Highcliffe Castle for my final coffee on the road, apart from being a lovely place with fantastic views it seemed an appropriate stop as this is where we have spent News Years day over the years, walking along the beach in the freezing cold. Today was completely different and the sun bathed the whole scene in a wonderful warmth. I was now just an hour from home.
I remember riding through Totton and up onto the fly-over, I dropped down the off ramp and then as I turned the round-about at Dockgate 20, I couldn’t help but blast my horn. I could see friends and family stood on the grass verge just outside Harley Davidson and all I could do was smile.
I have ridden a total of 3,111.5miles on the whole trip, it has taken 21 days and I have travelled through 5 countries. I have ridden from John O’Groats to Lands End, I have walked Hadrian’s Wall and I have stayed in some fantastic places, but I was finally home. This was it, the final stop and all I could do was smile. I think I hugged almost everyone I saw, including Red, the guy who sold me the bike in the first place.
I know this ride was for me, but without the support and understanding of Aly, Mikey, Corrie & Ryan, I couldn’t have done it. They all understood that this was something I needed to do. So now I’m home. I will write a reflective piece this week-end and try to answer all those questions that people have for me, which include the best, the worst, the funniest, and would I do it again…