Day 085 > Monday 25 November

Caroline had to spend all day in the luxury of the MGM Grand while the rest of us kicked around the smelly Circus Circus Hotel. She was mixing with the best brains in the world, we were with all sorts of strange types. Caroline had rehearsals and had to buy a dress for the evening ceremony. Jeans and polo shirts were not going to do tonight. Previous winners of the Top Outstanding Young People (TOYP) Award have been Robert Kennedy, J F Kennedy, Elvis Presley, and Kissenger, this year it was the turn of Caroline Casey, Michelle Yeo and eight other superstars from around the world.

Somehow, Caroline managed to convince the organisers that we scruffy bunch of travellers should attend the ceremony and the celebration meal AND we could turn up in our cowboy boots, cargo trousers and polo shirts. Feeling more than a little self conscious we settled down into the huge auditorium in VIP seats to watch the awards.

Caroline didn't have a clue what she was expected to say in her acceptance speech and was originally down to follow the first recipient. At least she would be able to follow his lead - not! He spoke in Spanish and we didn't have a clue what he said. Thankfully Caroline was presented her award after seven others but she hit the stage nervous, following great academics and prepared speeches. She knocked the whole audience dead as she completely winged it and in our view was the star of the show. She and we stood out in the crowd but for very different reasons.

Day 086 > Tuesday 26 November

Today we left the bizarre madness of Vegas to head for the mid west. Looking out of the window of the plane as we took off you could only reflect at what an intoxicatingly strange place Vegas is with its obscenely strange lifestyle nestled in the magnificence of the beautiful Nevada desert. We have done some really wild things and passed through some incredible places over the last three months but Vegas has been a unique adventure that is hard to explain.

Once again our over worked body clocks had to readjust to the time difference between Vegas and Indianapolis where we landed at 9.30 tonight. We were met by john Anfield and his wife Ann carrying hats, gloves and Gore-Tex jackets to protect us from the below zero temperature that greeted us outside the airport doors which proved quite a shock to the system after the glare of the Vegas sun.

IT was wonderful to have been met at the airport and taken once again under the wing of a local and brought to our hotel. You can never underestimate how good it feels to have a friendly face greet you at arrivals especially when you are
travel weary and bleary eyed. Tonight we are ensconced in The Westin Hotel, down town Indianapolis eating room service at 1.00 am, still wide awake and looking forward to what sounds like a fantastic day tomorrow!

Day 087 > Wednesday 27 November

This was doubtless one of our fullest, action-packed days of our entire journey!
Our Rolls-Royce host and highly efficient organiser John Anfield met us for an early press conference, followed by a meeting with the fire chief and crew of the St Lawrence fire station, on the outskirts of Indianapolis.

I missed the earlier action of the day, being reluctantly bundled off to see a doctor regarding the team’s suspicion I had cracked a rib in our recent somewhat eventful hot air balloon “crash” landing in the Nevada Desert.

Our first form of transport was an almost brand new, 105 foot (extending platform) fire appliance, sirening us around the neighbourhood, followed by a quick transfer to a state of the arts fire service ambulance, then their fire Chief’s command car, with enough high-tec communications systems it looked like the A Team going into action (for those of you old enough to remember them!)

Our next novel, unscheduled form of transport was the brigade’s fire pole that servicemen slide down from upper floors in an emergency- fine and fun for Caroline and Miles, but a somewhat quick descent for Mike, not holding on with his legs like we told him to!

A yellow school bus then took us to an incredible collection of military paraphernalia owned by Fred…, from an Apollo 4 space capsule to garages full of tanks, guns and aircraft, and we were soon roaring around his property in a massive self-propelled 105 mm Howitzer before a fast switch to his incredibly versatile 6-wheel multi-terrain vehicle with tracks.

Afternoon saw us visiting the famous Indianapolis Indy 500 track and museum, then off to race each other in 40-mph go-karts, with Caroline, for the very first time in her life, taking full control of her own vehicle, and managing to beat the field; more due, we can assure you, to her Irish drive than her limited sight of the track!

Our day concluded admirably in our last form of transport- a revolving restaurant atop the Indianapolis skyline, leaving the team bemused and confused concerning the ever-changing location of the toilets! And if that wasn’t enough, no day in Indianapolis is complete without a trip and a few beers in The Slippery Noodle Blues bar where you hear real American Blues at its best.



Top marks to John and his Rolls-Royce staff!

Day 088 > Thursday 28 November

This was Thanksgiving Day, wonderfully celebrated at the home of John and Ann Anfield, along with their friends Robbie and Teresa McGregor. It was the true American Thanksgiving. It was the first time since Ireland that we had been in someone’s home and we were all reminded how much we miss the simple things like home cooked meals, kicking off your shoes, cups of tea and a comfy couch.

It was a really perfect day with John and Ann being our surrogate family, making us feel entirely welcome and at home. Sitting down to dinner we gave thanks that we had almost completed our mission, eating the traditional turkey, every type of vegetable, deliciously crispy roast potatoes, John’s own recipe of sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top, pumpkin pie, apple pie, pecan pie and lashings of trimmings. It was hardly surprising therefore, that while watching the ball game on TV, the one that takes four hours because of all the adverts, that everyone took a turn to fall asleep like beached whales in front of the massive log fire! But apparently this too is traditional – eat yourself silly, half watch the game, fall asleep, eat again and sit satisfied, stuffed and warm until you have enough energy to shuffle to bed. Sounds exactly like Christmas at home!

Day 089 > Friday 29 November

The day started with us climbing aboard a “RV” or Recreational Vehicle, which turned out to be a massive 35-foot long mobile home, that took us, tired but in style, to Chicago Airport and our flight to The Big Apple, new for several of the team - our last stopping point before we close the circumnavigation of the world with our return to London in a couple of days.

Lots of reminiscing and reflections amongst the team over a pint of Guinness at our sponsored Irish Fitzpatrick Hotel near Grand Central Station. The whole team is now exhausted, but aware that the triumphant end is in sight!

Day 090 > Saturday 30 November

Today was our big chance to see New York, but it wasn't to be. We had to get the website up to date and finish off the log book. This all sounds so simple but somehow, I had just not been able to find the energy over the last week or so. It sounds pathetic, unable to write just a few lines and send a few pictures but, after the last three months I just felt all "gived out". I had got behind, the office were nagging me, the press were after pictures and details and I felt I was letting everyone down. Choosing to spend the day catching up with the admin left me feeling I was letting the rest of the team down as their day in New York was now lost.

We did venture out in the evening, into the cold dark night. We had determined that we would get a picture of ourselves at the Statue of Liberty to mark our arrival in New York and also our departure from America. The Taxi Driver dropped us off and drove off before we realised that we were miles from the Statue. Mike and I could just see it in the distance so we got another Taxi. He dropped us off and the statue was still in the distance, so we took our picture anyway and headed back into the centre of Manhattan to find some food and warmth.

We ate our final "on the road" meal in fine style at the traditional and famous Smith and Wollensky Steak House. As ever, Caroline managed to convince the management to donate us a bottle of Champagne to help us celebrate the ending of our journey and we retired to pack for the last time and for our last early start.

Day 091 > Sunday 01 December

So often we were picked up from hotels at silly times in the morning. Today it was 5:30 a.m., one thing at least that we would not miss when we got home. Most of our journey had been in warm climates and long days, New York was dark and cold and we were heading for the UK. All the reports we had had from home were of rain and more rain, but it is still home and it was time to be there.

Three months away is a long time and finishing a long trip is always a strange, emotional time. We desperately wanted to get back to our families and friends but at the same time knew that we would miss each other when we headed our separate ways. We had been living in each other's pockets for so long, had shared the fun and the difficulties and had overcome so much. For those we had left behind, normality had continued, with the exception of our absence, and they now faced the challenge of coping with our emotions as we return.

We all lived with our thoughts in the taxi and eventually arrived at JFK airport, our 28th airport since we had set off in September. Every time we flew in USA we had been subjected to Special Security Screening, apparently because we were "aliens" with one-way tickets. This meant that every bag was searched by hand and we were physically searched at least three times before getting on a plane. We knew people were only doing their job but it had got pretty tiresome and was something else on our very small list of things we could say we would not miss.

We slept most of the way home, I had gone before we took off, and very quickly we were in London. After retrieving all our bags from the carousel for the last time we braced ourselves for the inevitable welcome in the arrivals hall, but no one was there. A quick phonecall to Robin and Mary found them to be at terminal 4, waiting to meet us off a different plane! At least they were at the right airport.

Half an hour later we were reunited and heading for our last hotel. We were delighted to see Aoife who had travelled from Ireland to be with us again. Aoife looked so well compared to when we had said goodbye in Delhi and we spent hours catching up with her in the hotel after Robin and Mary had gone to bed.