Monday 12th June 2023 – The end of a Journey
After a great sleep the night before, I got up early and got packed up. I was to help Bengt get to the airport and get his flight home, then wait in the airport for my own flight.
We got a taxi and got checked in at the airport and got some breakfast.
Bengt’s departure arrived fairly quick and we said our goodbye’s and agreed to keep in touch. I do hope to meet him again sometime as he is a fantastic person. He just told me over breakfast that he built a business to help mis-directed youth’s back into employment and living more peaceful lives. His passion was helping others and he was able to make a rewarding career out if it.
I waited patiently for my boarding gate to appear on the screen. It appeared one hour later and I went to the gate to wait. Then the dreaded ‘Delayed’, sign came up. I thought not again, after years of getting delayed at Bristol and Luton airports while working for The National Trust and NHBC, it couldn’t possibly happen again and put a spoiler on my homecoming. Thankfully it was only delayed for an hour and then we got going. No more Buen Caminos, cafe con lechés, bocadillos or tapas, but at least I was going home to my family and my home.
I had a bus ticket for the 3hour journey home my local bus depot in Omagh where my wife and daughter would pick me up. Just out of curiosity I checked the ‘findmyipbone’ app to see where my family was that day. I seen my wife’s phone moving swiftly towards Aughnacloy. She was coming to Dublin to lift me!! So, I sent her a text saying I was staying in Santiago as I wanted to meet up with someone. Like a gazillionth of a millisecond later my phone was ringing and it was my wife Marissa. I didn’t answer!! I waited a minute and then sent her a text saying I was only joking and that I was just on the plane waiting to go. 🤣🤣🤣 I could only imagine the response as either pure rage or panic. Pity I didn’t have dash-cam!
Anyways I got to Dublin airport and was waiting for the doors of the aircraft to open to get moving. I always book a seat at the very back of a plane as you nearly always get in and out of the plane quickly at the rear door. I kept looking back for the door to open then realised there was no rear door and I had to wait for all the rest of the passengers to get out first. Doh!!
I came into arrivals for a lovely little welcome home from my mum, wife, daughter and my good friend Daniel. I was so happy to see them.
When we got home, my dad was waiting at my house for another lovely welcome hug. We had some champagne and cake before going to bed exhausted. 🥱💤
Its great to be home. I will miss everyone I’ve been with on the camino over the last 35 days and hope to keep in touch with as many as possible, but you can’t beat being at home with your family when they’ve all missed you so much.
I hope you have all enjoyed my journey and I hope I didn’t offend anyone with some of the language and comments in my blog – some of which will have to be edited.
This journey has taught me a lot about myself and about other people and values. I hope I can introduce some of these values into my real life and become a much better person. God Bless All ❤️
El Camino de Santiago 