United States flagPublished: July 10th 2006North America » United States » Maryland » Gaithersburg
July 8th 2006

The moment many of you have been waiting for has arrived and I have finally returned home. I will save any sappy reflections for the personal conversations I hope to soon have with many of you. This entry is just a quick overview of the last two weeks.

Great Britain: I rented a car in Edinburgh and made a long overdue Braveheart pilgrimage on a three day drive through the Scottish Highlands. Along the way I made a point to find the ruins of a specific castle north of Wick where I believe my mother’s ancestors may have once resided. I then went south to London to see the sights there. My favorite was the maritime museum in Greenwich. Arriving in the UK was a bit of a culture shock after having spent six months in Asia. It was lovely to once again be in a place were people actually waited in lines and air pollution didn't soil clothes in a single day. I kept pawing everything around me, shocked at how new and clean things were. However, I also immediately missed the ‘anything goes’ atmosphere of the developing states I had visited in Asia.

Iceland: Iceland is an interesting country. It is essentially a steaming rock made up of nearly 800 volcanoes on a fault line near the Arctic Circle. Because I was there very near to the summer solstice, the sun never set. The country has a small population, but many of the people who live there are strikingly beautiful. The last of my clothes were tattered and dirty from my travels, so I unfortunately was not allowed to enter many of Reykjavik's better nightlife venues. I took a few trips into the countryside, but after days of bitter cold, dreary weather and nonstop daylight, I was ready to leave. My family met me in New York and we returned home from there. After 434 consecutive days away and sixteen countries explored, it feels good to be home.


I am staying with my family for the time being while I sort out a job. Please get in touch.

Cheers,
Gordon


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Gordon Hazzard
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Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the origina...more info

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Chasing My RootsChasing My Roots
Chasing My Roots

My mother's side of the family descended partially from the Sinclair clan. These are the ruins of the Sinclair family castle in the far north of Scotland, overlooking the North Sea.
William Wallace's SwordWilliam Wallace's Sword
William Wallace's Sword

Stirling, Scotland
Farmhouse RuinsFarmhouse Ruins
Farmhouse Ruins

A common sight amidst the lonely landscapes from the sad period of Scottish history known as 'the Clearances'. Many Scots ended up in the New World during that time.
The Scottish HighlandsThe Scottish Highlands
The Scottish Highlands

Beautiful, but lonely.
Stirling Bridge BattlefieldStirling Bridge Battlefield
Stirling Bridge Battlefield

Where Wallace administered a stern spanking to the English in 1297.
Road Signs in Both Gaelic and EnglishRoad Signs in Both Gaelic and English
Road Signs in Both Gaelic and English

Gaelic is supposedly spoken by about 80,000 people in the highlands and islands.
The Ten BellsThe Ten Bells
The Ten Bells

Where Jack the Ripper's victims drank.
Hofdi House - Reykjavik, Iceland.Hofdi House - Reykjavik, Iceland.
Hofdi House - Reykjavik, Iceland.

Where Reagan and Gorbachev met in 1986, laying the groundwork for the end of the Cold War.
GlaciersGlaciers
Glaciers

In the distance.





Comments
Date: 11th July 2006

You're a good man
Some people talk about. Some people dream about it. Others get up and do it. I'm proud of you homey. See you in a month and a half. I'll take you up on the sewage swimming, roof-riding adventures, incessant honking and outdoor bathrooming activities to be had in the DC area...although in reality this wouldn't be all too far off the Gordon and Brent of the past. Nice to know we can stay true to our maniacal sides all the while moving forward. Give the Hazzards my all. :-)

From Blog: A Homecoming
Date: 12th July 2006

You've done it!
Congrats man, Brent puts it so well, you actually did it. I loved reading your journal the whole way through your journey and am very glad to have met you, can only aspire now to what you have done. much respect and mail me some time. Diego (Irl)

From Blog: A Homecoming




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