And now, the end is near,
And so I face the final curtain.
My friends, I'll say it clear;
I'll state my case of which I'm certain.

I've lived a life that's full -
I've travelled each and every highway.
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way.

Regrets? I've had a few,
But then again, too few to mention.
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption.

I planned each charted course -
Each careful step along the byway,
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way.

Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew,
When I bit off more than I could chew,
But through it all, when there was doubt,
I ate it up and spat it out.
I faced it all and I stood tall
And did it my way.

I've loved, I've laughed and cried,
I've had my fill - my share of losing.
But now, as tears subside,
I find it all so amusing.

To think I did all that,
And may I say, not in a shy way -
Oh no. Oh no, not me.
I did it my way.

For what is a man? What has he got?
If not himself - Then he has naught.
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels.
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way.

Yes, it was my way.

 

(my way - frank sinatra)

 

and now that the end is near and i face the final curtain here are my last words...

 

to those that helped make this an unforgettable experience, what can i say? is 'thank you' ever guna be enough?

 

fran, my nomad sister, maude, fatima, once again, we did it! thank you for keeping me company and lifting me when i was feeling down, thank you for sharing the good times with me and suffering thru the bad by my side, thanks for the laughs, and the tattoes of memories - we'll have plenty to share with our grandkids one day! looking forward to exploring the rest of the world with you now! it's not over yet, i promise...i know you know what i'm talking about.

 

jacs, my girl! what can i say!!?? thank you for waiting by the phone for me on endless occasions. you'll never know how much it meant to me to hear your voice and your laughter, and your words of encouragement when i was ready to give up. you'll never know how important it was to me to open my inbox and to find an email of yours waiting for me with news from home when i was feeling homesick and lonely. thanks for being there and for taking an interest in my travels, for listening to me whine about the cold weather and the difficulties. thank you for coming to the other end of the planet to see me and to share a part of this unforgettable experience with me. your friendship means the world to me and i can't wait to see you again, party with you again, dream about a different life with you again.

 

mark, you spaz!! you've been a constant source of humour and support for me thru the whole experience! despite being swamped by exams, a girlfriend, work and life in general, you didn't fail to be there for me any time i needed you. i know i can count on you for anything, even when i'm thousands of kilometers away. you rock my friend...best of luck with the rest of your studies and i hope you're up for a big night out when i get back! i really can't wait to see you again!

 

rod and sian, thanks for keeping up with my travel blog - it'll save me having to regurgitate everything when i get back! thanks for burning those photos and for keeping me entertained with the forwards! can't wait to share a bottle of red and catch up on the goss...

 

mum and dad, you guys are the best! thanks for the constant support and encouragement. thank you for caring and worrying, paying the bills while i've been gone, and taking care of the logistics. thank you for letting me move back home to save up cash, thank you for helping with the move, thank you for waiting by the phone for me when you knew i needed to hear a warm voice from the other end of the world. thank you for coming so far to be with me. just, thank you. enjoy the time you have left with your people, and i hope you have a safe journey home. i can't promise that i'll pick the olives and do the gardening by the time you get back though...

 

arth, lil bro, thanks for the messages, thanks for the emails, thanks for making me laugh when i all i wanted to was cry, thanks for caring and worrying about me while i was gone. thanks for looking after my car. i'm so proud of you for getting the promotion and i'm so looking forward to seeing you again!

 

to the countless other nameless and faceless travellers that made this journey unforgettable, a special thank you for allowing us to share our travel tales with you and for sharing yours with us. many of you inspired us to go where we never thought we would, you've become part of the fabric of this story and you pushed us to explore places that would've otherwise stayed in our imaginations only. some of you gave us the shits too, but it's all good. thank you for the encouragement to keep going, and for understanding the ups and downs of life on the road as only other travellers would. happy trails to all of you and i hope to see you on the world circuit again one day...

 

to our friends that didn't give a shit about us while we were gone, our friends that were too busy doing important things (you know, saving the world, finding an answer to famine and war), and didn't have time to send us a simple message or a quick email to see how we were coping or if we were still alive, your absence and lack of effort has been noted and, basically, screw you.

 

and last, i'd like to thank god almighty...only joking!

 

goodbye...