Departure Day - Part 1: Transactions and Tokens

Trip Start Nov 11, 2009

273

Trip End Ongoing

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Where I stayed

Mum's House - Appleby

Flag of United Kingdom Appleby, England, United Kingdom
Saturday, December 5, 2009

After making arrangements by text last night my friend Steve (from Crewe this time - I know a lot of Steve's) caught a train to Penrith with his family to arrive around 8am to collect my car. Joanna brought me back to Appleby and that little task was sorted. Typical of me to be finishing off such a large task at the last minute but it all got sorted and that's the main thing.

It is now the time to be assembling my stuff into travel mode, and it is a good opportunity to mention my 'Travel Tokens'. These items have some kind of significance beyond simple functionality.

1. Belt - This leather belt will be used for holding my trousers (or anything else) in place. I probably could have found lighter weight belts to take but this particular one belonged to my Dad. Since his death in 1993 it has been mine and it just seemed appropriate to keep it close by for this, my greatest adventure

Travel Token - Belt

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2. Hip flask - A hip flask filled with Laphroig single malt (another favourite of JWP). Again, there are certainly lighter weight receptecle's I could have taken, but this flask was a present from my sister and a hip flask (filled with the local spirit) is surely a must for any serious traveller! I'm sure John Wayne used to navigate the wild west by just swigging from a hip flask and scanning the horizon!

3. A Dime - No, not a popular brand of crispy chocolate bar, but a 10 cent coin of the American currency which will remain in my waist pouch until I (eventually) reach the United States, wherein I will find some suitable person to pass it back to - along with the story. So you see this isn't just a random trip around the world: this is a serious attempt at tackling the global recession by returning money to the U.S. economy! What, in essence, this coin represents is the continuation of the journey; a reminder that there are still many more miles to cover.

The last night in Appleby was a quiet family affair, Food, Wine and a movie from my childhood ('The Last Starfighter' - good choice Joanna!) and we are now just killing time until 2pm when it will be time to set off for Geordieland and my date with density ... er, I mean destiny ... ... I think!

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