To the haggard, worn-down, catatonic remnants of a group that, much like all the European Superpowers on the brink of World War I, set out jubilantly and confidently on a journey without ever imagining the consequences of their fateful decision,
Thank You.
Thank you for following me down the boot, all the way to the tip. Thank you for patiently recognizing the fact that I have already made it past Palermo and am only just now wrapping up Calabria. Thank you for believing in me. For the doubters, thank you for secretly rooting for a volcanic explosion that so far has not arrived. Thank you Cheryl (and pretty much only Cheryl, excepting a brief stint by my sister) for all the comments, which have shown me that you care. Seriously though, thank you for reading.
No, I'm not done, haha. There will be a similar email when I do finish, or more accurately, a few weeks after I finish, since I will finish this trip like I started: a few weeks behind on the blog.
Oh, and for those of you who thought that my bus trips back and forth in Campania meant that I was taking the bus instead of walking, please let me clarify: I have walked every step of this trail from start to finish, even so far as to return to the exact place where I was standing when I finished the day before. Well, not quite. There is one small exception of about .75 miles back in Piedmont, and I will take care of that later. Stay tuned.
I am in Reggio Calabria, where I have passed the last eight days along with my good friends, whose mugs you will see in my next posts. For those of you who know me well, you will enjoy the fact that I managed to lose my voice two days before New Years, and am just getting it back, only to surely lose it again tonight. Let's just hope I don't have to operate once again on my worn out vocal chords.
Okay, Pat, stop talking so much.
Happy New Years, please know that I miss you all, but am also doing just fine here at tip of the boot, getting to relive with each day the excitement of having reached the tip of the boot.
I depart back to the Western front on January 2. I will let the map at top left do the talking for how much distance remains between me and the fulfillment of the greatest challenge I have ever undertaken.
Love,
Pat
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3 comments:
Congratulations! May your new year be as exciting and fulfilling as your last!
Ciao,
Cheryl
The time is off on this computer, it is 3:24 a.m., 01/01/09, I am at Trolley Court desk, emergency fill-in.
Hi Pat, I tried in the past to leave a comment, but with no effect. If this reaches the blog, I testify, as you know, that since our meeting I've eagerly followed your blogposts with their many stimulating spinoffs. I am with the many who are walking in spirit with you to the end of my family land. To your renewed life in 2009.
Carlo
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