KARL BUSHBY RETURNS HOME AFTER 28-YEAR JOURNEY
HULL, England — After 28 years traversing the globe on foot, adventurer Karl Bushby concluded his epic journey at his mother's home in Hull on Sunday, crossing the Humber Bridge into East Yorkshire to a emotional reunion with family.
Bushby, 58, had not seen his mother Angela in a decade. She waited at her home in Sutton Park, where she raised him, and told the BBC moments after their reunion: "It feels surreal. It's the end of a 28-year journey."
"Where have you been?" she asked him.
"It's good to have him home. I feel relieved," Angela Bushby said.
The reunion included his 36-year-old son Adam and 12-year-old granddaughter, whom Bushby had never met. His father and brothers were also present. "It was amazing," Bushby said of the family reunion.
Addressing a large crowd in the city centre, Bushby received the freedom of the city from Lord Mayor Maria Coward. "There has never been a welcome home like this, I am sure. It's madness. An enormous thank you," he said, crediting "the biggest team - Earth" for getting him back.
Bushby confirmed he is working with German filmmaker Werner Herzog on a documentary and is writing a second book about his travels. He told the BBC he was "still processing" being home, admitting his head was "one big blurry mess."
"I have a story to tell," Bushby said when asked what was next.
The unprecedented journey, which Bushby had agreed with his mother years earlier would end at her doorstep, captivated audiences worldwide as one of the longest continuous walking expeditions in recorded history.
