So, first thing is next, here are the top searches for my blog in the past week: “silly american customs, gay wrestler, crowded veranda.”

That’s pretty awesome, I don’t care who you are, getting hits for “gay wrestler” is just funny…anyway, by typing the words “gay wrestler” a few more times, I’m only making it more and more likely that I will in fact get hits for that…Ah well, I need the publicity.

Thanks to all who have been reading this blog over my travels. While I know that all three of you to be close friends and family, the fact that someone is legitimizing all this writing feels good and it was fun to do. To be honest, the real reason for all of this was to be able to look back at some point and remember all the good times had and perhaps jog a few memories not written about explicitly.

I went to Tescos this morning to pick up some goods for the folks back home and a few pints of John Smith’s bitter for myself. After packing everything up like a ninja I set a course for London for one last night of drinking and to say goodbye to some of the people I had met down here.

I was crashing at a new place this last night, thanks very much to Kev who was gracious enough to lend me his flat even though he is out of town at the moment. Getting here was no problem, but when I went back to the second-from-the-last Victoria tube station I was horrified to find that the line had completely closed, for some reason.

Technology met geek once again as I used my GPS on the first train I got on to in order to figure out an appropriate place to jump off and find a tube station with a connection to the Piccadally line and I made my way down to The Lyceum to see everyone, granted I was two hours late.

After a pint, we headed out for dinner at Sophies, which was lovely.

Jim, Dave and I popped in and out of some pubs and ended up at the Tup to watch the England/France rugby game. Let me tell you, Rugby is well appreciated by the English patrons in this bar…a lively and freaking hilarious scene erupted as the game neared the completion.

Eventually, England lost. Frenchie and Pete were there though…they had a quick manhug and Elton John came on the overhead radio…Singing the blues everyone started to sing and cheer for their team, it was a fun experience.

We closed out the night at The Lyceum and I then had a train to catch. I said goodbye to a lot of really, really great people. I truly mean that. Dave, Jim, Gill, Pete, Mark, Josh, Frenchie, Patsy, Lyndsey and a couple of other blokes I can’t quite remember…I’m absolutely shit with names, after all.

When I broke out of the pub onto the street with my iPod playing I felt a little whim of wistful. I honestly met some really awesome people in London. Gill offered me a place to kip in London if I needed one, and big hugs went around. I’m going to miss Pete and Gill and I hope to see them again in my travels, even though I get the feeling that I may not.

My experience as a Londonhead was awesome and getting one last taste of that before leaving was really important to me. I am thankful to have a talent for finding and forging good relationships and I’m extremely thankful to all the people who let me crash at their places and take me around the beautiful and historical country that is England.

At the risk of becoming emotional, I’ll end there. After all I am drunk and it is about 0200 GMT. I need to get some sleep so I can wake up early, have a shower, and figure out the tube to get back to Heathrow. I’m sure I’ll have a few final closing thoughts and some processed pictures over the next couple of days, so you’re all welcome to come back and enjoy those as they get posted.

I’ve learned many things on this trip, and one of those was getting back in touch with myself and breaking out of the box that I wanted to only step outside and try for a few days…simply brilliant, a wonderful and sublime, sobering, and educational trip this has been and I can’t wait to see what the future of my travels holds.

Cheers for now, be good to yourselves and yours and remember that the world is only a few steps away, it’s a big map, get out and discover it.

a very humble,
lunks