Over the sea

Anyone remember Jesse Rae? I don't really, I think he might be a one hit wonder from a good few years ago and might have been famous from a song that was in a film (Im listening to the song as I type this early part of the blog, you can find it on iTunes if you are interested). I would google it but Im back in a plane again for the first time in a month or so and the last time for a while although it looks like Ill be in a helicopter wearing a rubber suit again in early November. Like the last time I wrote a blog from inside a plane Im feeling a little strange. Strange in the sense that I am flying, and also that there's another end to part of the adventure.

Why over the sea? It's Jesse's song. Why am I thinking of it now? Well, I'm over the sea. Just past the southern tip of Greenland to be a little more specific. It's also came into my head because of my brother, someone who along with my father has came into my head a fair bit these last few days. You see my brother had the 12" years ago and I remember listening to it as a kid. I'd raise a glass for those we won't see again but there's no free flowing booze like the last flight I blogged from.

The song has came to an end. Like so many things. Everything moves onward though and there's always memories. There's always something to look forward to in the future too and I feel I've plenty of these moments to come.

Like the changes in life the trip has brought to me I've managed to see, feel and observe all sorts through America. As I've travelled further East I've experienced a huge amount of changes in the country. The changes in people and their attitudes have been pretty big and the polarised attitudes I've listened to on talk radio have been interesting too.

There's also been change in the sense of the seasons, it's gotten colder, and quickly. As I drove north toward Chicago the temperature took a dip and although it's still not desperate there's been a continuing shift over the days to the point where I find out that only days after leaving northern Vermont there's been a fourteen inch dump of snow in one ski resort.

The biggest change has been picking up a travelling companion. After stalking her through her trip to Uzbekistan I have had the pleasure of Lisa joining me since Chicago where state by state we have both enjoyed the transition from what seemed to us to be a really chilled atmosphere in Chicago to what felt like busier yet a little more edgy life in Boston right through to the brash life in New York.

Although each of the cities I've just mentioned above has been very different in location, layout and attitude, the biggest contrast continues to be that with small town America where no matter where you stop there's a a smile, a friendly approach to you and genuine interest in what you are doing. This saw one particularly short sharp moment on a ferry between New York state and Vermont when the woman guiding us onto the ferry seemed really pleased to see a Californian plated car arrive and utterly overjoyed to have a Scotsman and Irish woman aboard. Just as quickly as this moment arrived it faded as we drove off to another experience at the home of Ben and Jerrys ice cream. There has only been one Deliverance style moment in a tiny place within the Adirondacks but in itself it was quite funny. It drove us to find a different place to stay the night which was fantastic between the funky little motel we stayed at and the great place next door that we ate dinner in.

So, the title of this blog is 'over the sea'. Im trying not to sound too philosophical and state the obvious yet again but it's an example of the end of an era, a change in times, a swap of experiences. Im flying back to the UK now, separately the bike has arrived in Southampton and the trip is over other than slowly making my way back to my own front door in a land I know only too well.

Small and large there's a change to be had in everything we do and a metaphorical body of water to cross. For now I'm going back toward familiar surroundings and although sad that a huge and exciting section within my life is drawing to a close I'm looking forward to the future (if not the mountain of mail I understand is waiting for me at home).

Location:The Priory,Ballyclare,United Kingdom

Where am I?

I think I've done not too badly with my temporal challenge from a few blogs ago but as time moves on I have had a few 'moments'. The moments started a long long time ago and to be honest I can't quite remember where although they are pretty exciting. I don't know if there's anyone reading who gets themselves into situations where they wake up in the morning and wonder where they are but from student days through to now they have appeared on semi regular frequency for me.

There's a few student ones not up for discussion, and then there's a few student ones where I move flat and find myself uncertain about where I am, or even at holiday times when I moved back to my parents. Then there's times through work where I've wondered what city, what country or what platform I've been on.

All of these feelings pale into insignificance compared to this trip though. How often do most people wake up in a bit of a stupor in a tent in Kazakhstan? How often do people look out of a tent in Kazakhstan totally uncertain about what's actually happening only to find themselves isolated in a field away from the world outside and looking at the mountains bordering Kyrgyzstan? Kyrgyz-what?


For anyone considering a spot of travel like this I can only recommend it. The uncertainty of not knowing where you are or what you are doing is really fun, and exciting. It leads you to all sorts of situations. It leads you to meeting all manner of interesting people doing all manner of things and let's you see the world away from your doorstep.

Strangely as writing this I feel like I'm just stating the obvious, how can you go on a trip like this and not meet people with interesting stories to tell. How can you not get into situations where you have no idea what happening around you or even where you are on day to day moments. That's where I am at the moment. Stating the obvious yet it seems like I'm not stating the obvious on a day to day basis but feeling and experiencing things freshly and newly.

An example of this is my new traveling companion, Lisa. From Uzbekistan till Chicago she has been on a different path but is now traveling with me as I take these final few steps on my trip. While on my last entry a few weeks ago I admitted that I was feeling, seeing and experiencing things in America in a greater depth than I could have imagined previously I'm still having those experiences. Today, in amongst all the other observations we drove through a small town in New York state. There was another town of the same name we drove through in another state a few days ago and Lisa wondered whether an American trait many of us Europeans find strange was related to the number of towns with the same name here. It seems perfectly normal and natural here to say that someone visited for example Paris, Texas. Taking that a step onto a foreign holiday it now makes more sense that someone should say that they went on a trip to Paris, France. While for me it always seemed like an almost stupid thing to say, that you went on a trip to Paris, France, when you consider the number of towns with similar names here then it starts to makes sense why a city name should be qualified with it's location in the world.

So the thrill of not knowing where you are is great, and still continues for me into slightly more familiar land. The pleasure of finding out, or figuring out something new is fantastic and that's where this part of the trip seems to be the gift that keeps on giving.

In the last few weeks Ive learned a bit about Budweiser when I went to the Budweiser factory. Today I learned about ice cream at the Ben and Jerry's factory. A few weeks back I learned about vacuum cleaners in the museum within a vacuum cleaner factory and shortly before that I learned about barbed wire in the Devils Rope Museum. I've also learned a lump about cheese during a cheese factory tour and tasted a load about American culture (and sport) when Lisa and I not only went to a college football pep rally but watched a game too and that's after we went to the federal reserve in Chicago.


Within all this I now will be much less negative about everything surrounding American football, will appreciate American beer much more, continue to eat cheese and ice cream and also I hope be much less dismissive about things that seem at first instance to be a little off the wall.


After all, where else could I be but America to spend two hours each learning about barbed wire or vacuum cleaners. If you have half a chance and haven't yet then go, get out there, experience what happens by chance as you take a few steps. The world is not a bad place and it will open your eyes when you give it the opportunity.

Location:Vermont 108,Stowe,United States