Goodbye America

My last entry in America. Tomorrow morning I head off to the airport for nine hours of flying and a couple of hours of waiting. What’s weird is about half an hour after I go to bed this evening Suzie will be getting up to go to the airport ready for me to meet her in Lima.

This travelogue has been an experiment for me; some of it has worked, some of it hasn’t. I’m disappointed I didn’t manage to write about New York, New England and our visit to Cape Cod, or the Missouri Botanical Garden, or the trip down to Mississippi which included a tour of Elvis Presley’s house, Graceland. These major parts of my trip remain hidden. Perhaps time on planes and buses will give me a chance to catch up.

There’s also the missing people. I’ve kept away from describing people too much for the sake of their privacy, and also because I’m a little embarrassed to write publicly about others. But they’re in my head. (Begin Mills and Boon mode: And sniff, in my heart [collapses under weight of emotion].)

And, of course, there’s the food, the lovely, lovely food. The best was probably at the vegan restaurant in Manhattan who’s name I forget.

But I’ve enjoyed the writing, and the interest shown from people kept me going when I got bored in the middle. The key, I think, is shorter posts. It’ll be nice for a bit of old-age nostalgia.

The future’s where it’s happening. I have five-and-a-bit weeks to look forward to in South America — and hopefully to write about. Entries will probably be a little more spaced out, but I still plan to keep everyone updated. (And keep an eye on Suzie’s blog for her view on things.)

I could talk about how much America has taught me, and how much its people are misrepresented, but I have a lot to do before I go and I can’t afford the time. I’m sure the great philosophers didn’t suffer from this problem. Think of something profound and just attribute it to me. Thanks.

America was great fun: I’ve enjoyed the people and the places a lot. I’ll be sad to leave, but I’ve got lots to look forward to. I should be in Lima midnight local time, eleven PM St Louis time, and five AM on Wednesday morning British Summer Time. Hasta luego.