From: Fairfax, Virginia, USA
Started: 20210823
Finished: 20210828
Wow! What a trip! I completed walking the 102-mile Cotswold Way over six days, ending at Bath Abbey, on Saturday evening, 28 August. The weather was unbeatable, with nary a drop of rain the entire way and temperatures ranging from the low 50s °F to the low 70s °F.
First and foremost I want to acknowledge my Mom, who sadly past away last month. Today would have been my parents 51st anniversary. I first visited the Cotswolds with my parents in 1993. I began planning this trip when my Mom was alive. Were she alive, she would have been my biggest cheerleader along the way, and so proud of my accomplishment.
Second, I want to recognize and publicly thank my wife, for allowing me this time and for managing everything on the home front while I am frolicking around the English Countryside. It means the world to me. I love you, Laura.
Third, a shout out to my Dad who first brought us to England (and Europe) during high school to see the country and in particular Bournemouth, where he was born. It was in large part that trip that whet my appetite to spend my junior year abroad at Oxford. Later, in my mid-20s, my Dad and I hiked 60 miles along the Southwest Coast Path, an experience which instilled in me a love for walking and for the English countryside and seaside.
My visit to the UK to celebrate my 50th birthday has been an awesome trip of a lifetime — and it’s not over yet!