- Published
With his journey almost complete, Karl Bushby reflects on adventures that have taken him across four continents, as well as strained relationships and how life as he knows it is about to change dramatically.
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he → publish → it
Back in 1998, the former paratrooper, then aged 29, set off from Punta Arenas, Chile, to walk an unbroken path to his home city of Hull, without breaking two self-imposed rules: not to return to the UK until he had completed his journey, and not to use transport to advance.
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he → set → transport
Now 57, he is embarking on his final few miles having hacked his way through the jungles of the Darién Gap, crossed the frozen Bering Strait and, just a few weeks ago, swum the English Channel.
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he → embark → Channel
At the end, he will be met by his 36-year-old son Adam, a 12-year-old granddaughter whom he has never met, his father and brothers.
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he → meet → whom
His mother will be waiting at his childhood home that he left 28 years ago.
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he → wait → that
"We're definitely in terra incognita [unknown territory] right now, or pretty soon will be," says Bushby, as I join him in rural Lincolnshire.
"Right now, I'm comfortable because I'm doing what I do, but pretty soon that's going to screech to a halt.
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that → say → halt
Just a couple of miles into this leg, Bushby's handcart, which he uses to carry essential supplies, sustains a puncture.
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he → use → puncture
"We haven't had one of these for a long time," he says.
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he → have → time
As I watched him attempt a hasty roadside repair, he flashed a grin before adding: "If it was raining, I'd probably be moaning a bit more."
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I → watch → grin
"The first few days that I was in Dover, it started raining.
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it → start → Dover
But we'd managed to just thread the needle as far as the weather was concerned.
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weather → manage → needle
We had those perfect three days [for the swim]."
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We → have → swim
Cars thunder past us.
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Cars → thunder → us
Bushby quips: "You guys know you drive on the wrong side of the road, right?"
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you → quip → road
His use of the word "you" speaks of his disconnection from home.
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use → speak → home
Bushby is well versed in overcoming physical barriers, such as a flat tyre.
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Bushby → verse → tyre
But is he prepared for what is to follow?
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what → follow → ?
"Everything that I am and everything that I know of me is going to go away," he says.
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he → know → me
"And that's going to be a problem.
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that → go → ?
You're going to have the old identity crisis, because Karl is this [an adventurer] and has been for half his life.
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Karl → go → life
"I will have to figure out who I am again.
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I → figure → ?
How do I find that meaning and purpose?
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I → find → meaning
How do I fill that hole I'm suddenly going to find myself in?
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I → fill → myself
"Every fibre of my being, every day, has been what I'm doing right now.
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I → do → what
"I think the old adage goes... the only thing worse than a man who can't fulfil his dreams is a man who's fulfilled his dreams... because then what?"
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who → think → dreams
Angela Maxwell, an American long-distance walker, joined him for the walk from Dover, where he landed after swimming the Channel.
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he → join → Channel
"I think Karl might be surprised how much he'll miss the road," she says.
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she → think → road
"We joke sometimes that Karl doesn't love walking.
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Karl → joke → ?
But he loves the mission.
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he → love → mission
He loves the passion, the purpose."
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He → love → passion
Bushby has been surprised by the interest his return to the UK has stoked.
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return → surprise → UK
The amount of people that have recognised me along the way.
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that → recognise → way
It gets a bit weird at times when people get really, really excited, and I just can't work out why.
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I → get → times
From my perspective, it just seems a little strange.
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it → seem → perspective
I'm some guy who's just walking."
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who → walk → ?
A car pulls into a lay-by and the driver asks if he is the Karl Bushby.
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he → pull → by
The men pose for a selfie.
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men → pose → selfie
Bushby has consistently denied this is a spiritual undertaking; a journey of discovery.
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this → deny → discovery
But does he think the global interest in his story stems from an inner wanderlust present in many of us, but acted upon by few?
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interest → think → few
"I think that's it," he says.
"
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he → think → ?
…and 42 more, not listed.
The Aporia
