Home!

Well, I spent my official last night of the trip in London with Tim and Pascale. It was really good fun. We went out for a beer at a pub on the Thames and then dinner near Tower bridge. They're both doing quite well, working and enjoying London life. It was fantastic talking to Tim again about all of the adventures we all shared (with Matt of course) through Nepal, Tibet, India, Switzerland, and Germany. He remembered things I had forgotten and vice versa. It would have been awesome if Matt had been there to complete the crew, hopefully all three of us can meet up someday soon. Right now Matt's in South America, and from all reports, it sounds like he's having an excellent time.

Enjoy some of the last views of the trip.

Tim, Pascale, and I. In London.


Tower Bridge, London.


the wharf area, Thames river, London.


Tower Bridge and Thames River, London.


Night London.

A couple of odd signs on the walk by the river:

steaming X's? hmm. And what exactly makes it anti-climb paint?
it wasn't slippery...

I slept well on my last night and had a quick breakfast the next morning, said farewell to Tim. I took the Tube to Heathrow and boarded my last plane of the journey.


It was great; my flight home was the most comfortable of the trip. Nice new airbus, Virgin Atlantic tricked it out with bigger seats, huge flat screens for all, a great entertainment system with 20+ movies, tv shows, video games, music, live flight maps with satellite imagery, and great food. With all that in economy, I can't imagine what's in First Class. Because of all the toys, I didn't sleep at all.


First sight of America below, it had been quite a while.

I'm roughly estimating 38,000 miles covered, The vast majority of those on 18 separate flights, but substantial miles were covered on various buses, trains, taxis, matatus, tuk-tuks, boda-bodas, bicycles, and footsteps. 20 countries visited, passport filled, new pages added, all in a little less than 9 months. 254 days, not that I was counting.

So, right, I'm back home. Safe and sound. Trip Done. Over. Finished. Feels weird. But so great to see friends and family again.

My folks met me at Washington/Dulles with a sign which read "MOLONEY," I picked them out of the crowd instantly. It was great, hugs all around and lots to talk about. There was also a nice "welcome back Pat" banner on the house. I'm extremely lucky to have such understanding and supportive parents, family, and friends. Thanks again for giving me the confidence to reach high, always knowing there's a big net to catch me if I fall. Luckily, this time, I didn't fall.

Sure, I left some skin in a few places, on a road in India, and on a bike trail in South Africa. Spilled a little blood, swallowed my pride, learned to be patient, learned when shut up, and more importantly when to speak up. Got sick a few times, went liquid, never trusted a fart, barfed until I couldn't barf anymore. Made new friends and no enemies, fell in love, fell out of love. Was sometimes freezing cold, boiling hot, incredibly tired, exhausted, frustrated, scared; but I wouldn't have changed a thing. I was pick pocketed, lost some things, but ended up gaining so much more. Spent money, but earned experience.

So what's next? Good question. I'll let you know when I find the answer.