Thank you!

This is message 3 of 3 closing posts on my blog about the South West Coast Path.

Finally, I want to thank everyone who has made my hiking adventure possible:

• My family, who had to do without me for more than 9 weeks and had to do all sorts of things that I normally do.
• Encounter Walking Holidays for arranging my luggage transport, the overnight addresses and all information and tips they have given me.
• Luggage Transfers for actually carrying my luggage, which was always present when I had finished walking.
• The weather gods (everyone can fill in their favorites).
• Colleagues, some of whom also took over from me while I was away.
• B & B, hotels, etc.
• Laundrettes that helped me with the laundry or even did it for me.
• Ferrymen who made sure that I did not have to wade through more rivers…
• Bar staff and wait staff in pubs, restaurants and other occasions that took care for my drinks and meals.
• All the nice people I met along the way, fellow hikers and others, for the nice conversations from short to long.
• Blog readers and commenters for following my adventures and the reactions I received (both via the blog and in the mail and the app).

The last lyrics from Rush are very applicable, Marathon:

It’s not how fast you can go
The force goes into the flow
If you pick up the beat
You can forget about the heat
More than just survival
More than just a flash
More than just a dotted line
More than just a dash

It’s a test of ultimate will
The heartbreak climb uphill
Got to pick up the pace
If you want to stay in the race
More than blind ambition
More than simple greed
More than a finish line
Must feed this burning need
In the long run…

[Chorus:]
From first to last
The peak is never passed
Something always fires the light that gets in your eyes
One moment’s high, and glory rolls on by
Like a streak of lightning
That flashes and fades in the summer sky

Your meters may overload
You can rest at the side of the road
You can miss a stride
But nobody gets a free ride

More than high performance
More than just a spark
More than just the bottom line
Or a lucky shot in the dark
In the long run…

[Chorus]

You can do a lot in a lifetime
If you don’t burn out too fast
You can make the most of the distance
First you need endurance
First you’ve got to last…

[Chorus]