July 2, 2008 and I am officially back in the United States of America. It’s a good day for it, being the day Congress voted Independence in 1776. It simply wouldn’t do to be in HM’s Kingdom on this day of all days.
“The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward for evermore.” — John Adams
Take that you bitter English immigration agent!
Thirty days in the hole over and done with. Bizarrely, after spending thirty days on the road amongst pickpockets, rakes, gypsies and all manner of various foreign urban predators I lost absolutely nothing until someone nicked two tour books from my suitcase between the time I left the suitcase at airport check-in and the time I picked it up at Dulles Airport. Christ, I hate Dulles. Happily they didn’t get anything important. Sadly, they swiped my very excellent map of Paris – my constant companion throughout my adventures in that city – which had a certain sentimental value.
Fucking wankers. I hope God curses them eternally for their sticky fingers. And God damn whoever searched my suitcase for security or thievery. Bastards.
That’s it then. That part of the adventure over and done with. Honestly, I’m about ready to go back to being a productive member of society. Don’t worry, I’m sure if I actually got a job that feeling would go away very swiftly. It’s left to me then to decide what I want to do next. Circumnavigation of the good old USA is the original plan, maybe after a week or so of rest it will look as appealing as it did when I started this crazy plan. On the other hand, a look at the old finances may convince me otherwise.
Cast adrift again, then. A man without a plan. Hey, I’m getting pretty damned good at this. No worries. No worries at all. Wouldn’t have it any other way.