Discovering the world on $20 per day ......................




Post 196: Back to Reality, UK



Over the past six months my character has changed beyond all recognition, …. and probably my body too. It feels as if I’ve become entirely suited to travelling and the thought of being boxed in by four walls and a mortgage fills me with absolute terror. I thought that these feelings would change as soon as I‘d returned to the familiarity of the UK, but they haven’t, …… if anything they’ve become even stronger. It’s true to say that my ordinarily sunny disposition is being seriously challenged by the weather, …. ‘British Weather‘, …. that gift that just keeps on giving, ….. but the urge to keep on moving grows ever stronger.

For four chaotic days I’ve been residing around the Braintree area in Essex. I’ve arranged temporary accommodation and reacquainting myself with my daughter Hannah, ..... a teenager who in the six months that I’ve been absent has seemingly aged ten years. Fortunately for me, she has a wise head on young shoulders, she views the world with a maturity than I didn’t posses at that age, …. a maturity that has clearly continued to evade me. I’ve missed her, I’ve missed a large and important chunk of her life. Hannah’s a teenager and being a teenager is a lot more difficult than being a traveller, … but she restores my ‘Sunny Disposition’ and encourages me to keep on moving. We have a million things to talk about, a million things that we want to do together. We laugh and cry at the same things, .. Hannah laughs at my music and I cry listening to hers, but we probably know more about each others lives than most other Fathers and Daughters, ….. and that I’m now discovering is absolutely priceless. I’ve said for many months that I’m the luckiest guy in the world, ……. but only now am I really starting to understand exactly why that is true.

I’m travelling slowly towards Darlington, on Tuesday 11th November I’ll camp overnight at Squires Milk Bar and then return to St Teresa’s Hospice on Wednesday 12th at around 2:30pm. I’m putting ‘Xs’ on a map, …. writing times and dates beside them and it feels much more comfortable than applying to rejoin the electoral register. After Darlington, I’ll turn around and head south, I'm returning to The Ace Café, …. back to the beginning of Poor Circulation, Sunday 16th of November, …… late breakfast, 10:30am, ..... everyone is more than welcome to come along. I hope that returning to The Ace doesn’t feel like an ‘Ending’, …. I’m hoping it’s more of a ‘Beginning’. Once that last remaining ‘X’ marked at London NW10 has been changed to a ‘Tick’, …. things should become clearer. I’ve got more plans in my head than I have pounds in the bank but that didn’t stop me before. If there is a way to keep on moving, …. then I’ll find it.

www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Geoff...

I was wondering how you would be able to come down from this ultimate high... uhm.. maybe you should just give in and be where your heart would take you? How often do we find that place in our souls where we feel at home... I think I know where you should be... maybe you do to...??.. What ever path you take Geoff, it has been a life experience just to have followed your tire tracks.... all the best!

Jason

Unknown said...

Geoff,

I do believe it WAS YOU that I saw on Tuesday at approx 10:30 on the M11 J8'ish heading North.
There can't be many other fully loaded Tigers on the road this time of year.... If I'd been more alert I would of given a long welcome back blast on the horn...
Won't be able to make Ace on Sunday but you enjoy, let's hope there is a fine welcoming crowd there for you to fill your tea-mug as well as your Collection Bucket!!!!

All the very best
LFB

'Blue 88' said...

Cheers Steve, .. that would indeed be me. I was heading up to Squires Milk Bar for a spot of camping, visitng St Teresa's Hospice, ... then back to Essex. We'll meet for a beer one day.
Thanks again, .. Geoff

'Blue 88' said...

Jason, ...... 'Head' 'Nail' & 'Hit', .. rearrange to form an appropriate sentence ;-). It seems that Poor Circulation will have to be renamed 'Poor Circulation Part 1', ... I'll keep you posted.

Keep it safe, .. Geoff