Day 70

I can confirm that the world is round! Having set off in a generally westerly direction and kept going (with a few detours on the way), I have now arrived back where I started.

I can definitely recommend sticking to westward travel: the jet lag is much kinder when days and nights are lengthened rather than shortened.

I took a bit of artistic license in naming this blog: I got actually got back home 68 days after leaving. It is now Day 70 though, and an opportunity to reflect on the whole experience. Or at least start reflecting: it has been such a whirlwind 10 weeks that I think it’s going to take rather longer than a day to process it all!

A few numbers from the trip: I have set foot in 5 continents, 9 countries (officially entering 7), taken 20 flights, and slept in 23 different buildings (hotels, hostels, houses, apartments, mountain domes, jungle lodges and an island cabin) – and in 1 car!

I have seen a huge variety of landscapes: mountains in the Andes, cloud forest at Machu Picchu, tropical rainforest in the Manu National Park, the semi-arid steppe of Patagonia, a geo-thermal park in New Zealand, a coral island in the Great Barrier Reef, the sand island of K’gari, the basalt and limestone coastline of Victoria, a mangrove forest near Adelaide, the wine country of South Australia and even some scenery in the same state with a hint of the Outback!

There have been the phenomenal natural wonders of the Amazon, the Patagonian glaciers, Iguazu Falls and the Reef, and the human wonders of the Incan, Māori and Aboriginal civilisations.

I have explored the great cities of Cusco, Buenos Aires, Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide and Melbourne.

I have shivered in near-freezing temperatures on an Andean pass and sweltered in 40 degree heat at the Adelaide Oval.

I have travelled by plane, car, taxi, bus, colectivo, train, metro, tram, boat, raft, kayak, horse, mule and inflatable ring! And completed a 75km trek on foot.

The list of wildlife highlights is long (those with an asterisk were seen, although not in the wild). There have been the birds: hummingbirds, parrots, macaws, cock-of-the rock, oropendolas, condors, eagles, vultures, toucans*, ibises, a kiwi*, kookaburras, lorikeets, kingfishers and penguins. The sea-life: nesting turtles, a shark, a ray, crabs, coral and the kaleidoscope of fish that dwell in it. In rivers: capybaras, an alligator and caimans*. And on the land: butterflies (including the blue morpho), monkeys, cicadas, fireflies, bats, snakes, tarantulas, a tapir*, a sloth*, coatis, lizards, a lace monitor, glow worms, kangaroos, a dingo, koalas, wallabies and an echidna!

I have hiked with quechuas, ridden with gauchos, snorkelled next to green turtles, scuba-dived, floated down a creek, swum in pools and the ocean, taken a boat into the spray of a waterfall, unearthed family archives, watched fireworks in a crowd of 1 million, danced the tango, shuffled to jazz, partied with the Barmy Army and sung along to Spanish hymns, English carols, cricketing chants, Boca anthems and the repertoire of live bands!

I’ve dined on Peruvian guinea pig, Argentine steak, New Zealand lamb, Aussie BBQ meat and fresh fish from the river and the sea. I’ve drunk freshly-squeezed mango juice, freshly roasted coffee, Peruvian pisco, Argentinian Malbec, Brazilian açai and caipirinha, Barossa wines and a fair few different beers…

I’ve worshiped in five different churches and visited five stadia, witnessing two of sport’s greatest rivalries in the Superclásico and the Ashes. I’ve met Ben Stokes, Joe Root, Steve Finn, and so many wonderful people in hostels, on tours, at sports venues and elsewhere – I hope I will stay in touch with many of them. And I’ve been blown away by the kindness of those who’ve hosted me and served me, both sides of the Pacific.

I’ve been thrilled to reconnect with British and Argentinian family, our former Head of Cricket, a cricketing parent, former students, and my very dear Aussie friends from Paris (and to meet their families)!

I have been richly blessed. And not just in these ways, but also with good health, great weather, smooth travels and no interruptions to my itinerary. I’m glad that I prepared thoroughly for the trip – the stress before my departure minimised that after – but I’ve also experienced so many unexpected kindnesses that it has become quite overwhelming.

There was the hire car that appeared just in time in Brisbane when my original booking fell through, the clouds that cleared at Machu Picchu shortly after our arrival, the doctor who rescued my dive course on Lady Elliot Island, the ticket I was gifted to see England’s day of triumph in Melbourne, the change to my Amazon tour that led to a safer and more authentic experience, the company I was able to find every time I most needed it, the rainy season that held off just long enough in both Peru and Queensland, and all the wildlife encounters that took place at the last possible opportunity (the baby alligator in the Amazon, the hummingbird at Parque das Aves, the reef shark at Lady Elliott Island, the echidna on Phillip Island and the koala joey on the Great Ocean Road)!

I have felt protected throughout my trip – thank you to those who have prayed about this! I had quite a few anxieties at the beginning: about diet, illness, dangerous animals, loneliness and perhaps most acutely, about the cliff-side paths on the Salkantay Trek! It was good for me to confront my fears (I am grateful to our guide Puma with the latter – and to the mule that carried me when altitude sickness struck hard), and I thankfully became less anxious as the trip progressed.

The one genuinely hairy moment was when I was struggling to stay awake while driving back to Brisbane after my K’gari tour. Thankfully I was kept safe and learned a lesson about not planning 250km road trips at the end of an exhausting day…

The hope Claire shared that my trip contain moments of peace, wonder and connection has certainly been fulfilled. The uncertainty of travel has heightened my sense of dependence on God, and there have been many times I’ve found myself uttering words of thanks to Him after an involuntary “wow” has come to my lips from the latest awe-inspiring experience.

At church over Christmas or in some of the moments I’ve spent in my own company, it’s been good to process and develop those thoughts. In a world where there can be such darkness – not even carefree Australia has been able to escape that – it’s done me the world of good to rediscover the light. Whether that’s in creation, in the love shown by those made in God’s image or, as we celebrate at Christmas, in “the true light, which gives light to everyone, (who) was coming into the world” (John 1:9).

I’ve also learned a lot about myself and what I value during the trip. To the extent that I am currently a solo traveller in life as well as on my sabbatical, it has been good to realise I can connect with people so easily: it has proved much simpler than expected to make friends at nearly every turn on the trip. I’ve also rediscovered how to relax, how not to fret, how to appreciate a moment or how to embrace being alone (even if I retain a preference for company)!

Seeing something different, having spent 17 years in the same place, has certainly helped me find some perspective. I’ve both seen the value of what I have and identified aspects of my travel mindset and lifestyle that I would like to incorporate more into my day-to-day.

I’ve also seen something of the needs that exist around the world and feel compelled to keep looking for ways to do good in my (albeit limited) sphere of influence, rather than seeking to retreat just yet into a permanent sabbatical! I am very conscious of what a privilege travel is, and want to make sure I am using the benefit I have derived from it to serve others and not just myself…

I am very grateful to those who’ve allowed me to have this experience of a lifetime, at a time that’s coincided with the South American Spring, the Australian Summer, the Ashes and our family celebrations in Argentina:

To Ian, to the school and to those who’ve taken my classes, for finding a way to make my sabbatical possible.

To my parents, for the money they’ve lent me when my own funds have been insufficient.

To Jorge, Adriana, Caro and Estefi, for their extremely kind hospitality in Argentina. And to Josh, Annie, Zoe and Paul in Australia.

To all who’ve supported me or shown an interest: it’s been such a joy to share the journey with you through this blog, knowing that you have become part of the adventure.

And of course to God, the source of every good thing!

I am sad that my 70 day saga is coming to an end and I have left a bit of my heart in each of the countries I’ve visited. Nonetheless, I have a sense of satisfaction and completeness about all that this uniquely significant experience for me has encompassed. And of course I’ve been looking to seeing everyone back home!

I’m not sure I could have fulfilled more dreams in a 10 week period, or had a better time, or derived more benefit. It’s been an absolute, life-enhancing and life-changing, blast.

Thank you for coming along on it with me.