Seaside Towns Out of Season Day Fourteen: The End of the Road (Trip)

Well, that’s it. Against all odds, I took myself out of my comfort zone, faced my fears and I did it.

It’s been quite a fortnight

Fourteen days, fourteen nights……..
Five Airbnbs, one Travelodge, four family homes
Fifty cups of coffee
Half a dozen sandwiches
Four Cuppa Soups
One cooked breakfast
Three fish and chips
One veggie curry
Thirty postcards distributed
Seventeen postcards received back
Sixteen pledge postcards sent
Five trips down memory lane
Endless hours of chatting
Fourteen blog posts
1500 Miles covered
£150 worth of incidentals
£200 worth of petrol
£180 worth of accommodation
3707 camera images
123 phone images
100 people spoken to
And at least three new friends

A few things I’ve learnt along the way….

Buying a large bag of popcorn and leaving it open on the passenger seat is not a good idea if you have to go round corners – not unless you’re happy to pick popcorn off everything you’ve thrown in the footwell for the past five days

You can’t eat sweetcorn with a biro* (well, you can, but it takes a long time)
Once opened, vacuum packed hard boiled eggs stink the room out *
A family sized pot of yogurt from PoundStretchers is not a bargain if you eat the whole lot in one go. With a plastic knife. Especially if you then feel sick for the next twelve hours **
There is a direct correlation between my mood and the level of the petrol gauge
Your Satnav is your best friend – don’t fall out with it.

And lucky jewellery really does keep you safe.

Travelling back today by a familiar route, has given me one last chance of thinking time. I’ve travelled miles and spent hours mulling things over in my head as the radio and satnav fought it out in the background.  I’ve battled rain, hailstones, wind and blinding sun.

I’ve pondered on subjects from the meaning of life to whether I could make it to the next service station toilets. In the privacy of my car I’ve laughed and I’ve cried; I’ve panicked and stayed calm; I’ve berated myself and built myself up again.

I’ve been spurred on by support from family, friends and strangers who have heard my tale.

Above all, it’s been an experience I’ll never forget, and one that has given me more, much, much more than I ever expected.

Leo and his dad

Service Station in the Sun

Thanks to every single one of you who made pledges; suggested ideas; encouraged me to start this journey and cheered me on when it was underway.

I couldn’t have done it without you.

 

*discovered at Yarmouth Airbnb

**discovered at Scarborough Airbnb