So, that’s it. We have now biked back home. We’re here, it’s all over, we made it! We cycled home from South Korea. The last few months seem to have gone by in
somewhat of a blur, and all of a sudden it’s over. Being back in Dublin, surrounded by all
things familiar and comfortable, the rose-tinted glasses have been firmly
affixed to our faces, remembering all the good things and times, while the
difficulties have all conveniently slipped from our minds! I’ve actually already left Dublin again and
am now in the French Alps for the winter, where I’ve swapped my bike for a pair
of skis. Life on the bike seems like a
dream, a different lifetime ago, and sometimes I find myself wondering, did I
even do it?
We arrived into Dublin port on Saturday the
15th of October to a right hero’s welcome. All our family, and loads of our friends,
were there at the port waving banners and ready to cycle the last few
kilometers with us up the quays to the city centre. We couldn’t have asked for a better arrival
home. We left Holyhead in the rain but
by the time Dublin was in sight the sun was shinning and the sky had totally
cleared. Cycling up the quays surrounded
by familiar places and faces was a feeling I won’t forget in a hurry. The magnitude of the journey, the long road
home, slowing began to sink in and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t shed a tear
or two as my little heart swelled with pride at what we’d achieved.
After the highs and lows of central Asia,
followed by the intense heat of Iran in August, Turkey and beyond through
Europe all seemed like a bit of a doddle.
Meeting my folks, who’d driven out from Dublin, in Turkey, helped us feel
like we were almost home too - or at the very least, on the home straight! Eager to get home by then, and with a slight
cooling off of the weather in September, we gunned it and cycled from Greece to
England without a day off! I had been dreading cycling through England if I’m
honest, in much the same way that I hate flying through Heathrow – so close to
home but still so far away, but the sun shone for us, the roads were quiet, the
drivers were very respectful of bikes and the relief of finally being able to
speak English without slowing down or gesticulating wildly was a very welcome
change. The availability of beans and
sausages for brekkie was no small part of the enjoyment of the place either and
the fact that we had friends and family dotted along the way didn’t hurt. We very quickly adapted back to modern living
with all the comforts we usually take for granted but had been so long without. It wasn’t a hard transition let me tell you!
And what next you might ask? Well, the French
Alps have called, and we’ve answered! We’re off to work for a chalet company
for the ski season while we consider our next move, and maybe even plan our
next cycle! Our fundraising page is still open (https://give.everydayhero.com/ie/bikebackhome#/)
and will remain so until January. We
have raised just over €24000 and are completely blown away by the support that
we have received from everyone around us, be it in donations to our chosen
charity, Jigsaw, or emotional support in the form of messages and kind words,
or just by taking an interest in the two of us and our little adventure that
was Bike Back Home.
