Final morning mum

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Morning mum,

I’m back safely in the UK, after eighteen months with my wonderful Kurdish friends (who I miss already and who looked out for me in Iraq, across Turkey and beyond), and after cycling 4200km home without one accident or puncture along the way. Phew.

So many have helped me throughout the last seven or eight weeks that I’m a little wary of trying to tell you who they all are for fear of missing somebody out unintentionally. As with everything in life though I know I couldn’t have done it alone. Alone, I wouldn’t have even got out of Iraq mum. Alone, I’d be having another breakfast kebab in Erbil right now pushing 104kg.

And frankly alone I didn’t feel once on this journey. Facebook and the Blog were quite something in this regard. From Day One people were so positive, supportive, generous and funny that I never once felt lonely or bored. Everybody kept me entertained along the way and the whole experience reminded me how lucky I am to have so many wonderful people in my life. Having said that I really hope I haven’t turned into an iPhone addict now, please tell me if I do.

I’ll see you soon but there is one last thing I wanted to mention. People were so great. Kurds, Turks, Greeks, Albanians (yes Albanians), Montenegrins, Croatians, Bosnians, Italians, the Swiss, the French, the Brits, plus all the other nationalities I met along the way. From the start people I didn’t know went out of their way to help me. When a stranger simply smiled or waved at me I felt lifted, so imagine how happy I felt when they offered me food, drink, or just a a lift across the Alps. This inspired me, I won’t forget it and need to pay it forward so to speak.

Love you lots and of course I thought of you and Dad all the time,

Stuart (92.7kg), formerly known as Dancing Bear

PS It was a nice cup of tea by the way…..
PPS Back to work Monday
PPS The Royal naval college and most beautiful building in London to my mind