Journey Interrupted - and in the face of terrible sadness the universe seems to move with purpose

When Kathleen and I left on this journey we knew that it would be a time of insight, learning, and growth. How little did we realize it would happen so soon and with such power. We have spent an incredible first few months spending time in Mexico, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, and Germany. The time in Mexico was to roadtrip down to La Paz to collect my boat and gear after my two month kayak journey and was basically cleaning up the loose ends of my trip. Our time in Iceland was basically a multi-day layover with Icelandair. The first part of the trip where we truly felt we were "in" World Tour was when we got to Ireland. Kathleen's 'Egan' side of the family live there and she had not seen these relatives since being a young teenager. Ever since we left Ireland she has told me (and I have agreed) how meaningful that experience felt. We spent quality time with her Dad's two brothers (Aidan and Colm) and Aidan's family. We toured Dublin to see the house where they grew up, where Kathleen's Dad (Joe) went to school, and where he used to play championship level cricket. We were able to get to know the brothers better. To talk, laugh, sing, recite poetry, drink beer and wine, eat good food, and reintegrate as a family. It was done with joy and light hearts. Kathleen told me multiple times how good it felt to have reestablished a relationship with these family members (including Aunt Eileen and her cousin Sarah) and that now she felt this relationship stood on its own, irrespective of her father. She also told me how much she thought that our visit probably meant to her Dad, which in turn meant a lot to her. To see the Facebook and Blog pictures of us being with his family and exploring the streets of his youth we knew would make him smile.


We continued on to Norway to reestablish a friendship with an old high school friend of mine from Vermont and to meet a cousin of Kathleen's in Sweden that also had not been seen in too many years. In Germany we were able to spend time with Kathleen's mothers side of the family. To see her Omama (grandmother), to visit with Aunt Andrea, and to establish a deeper relationship with her cousins Anna and Sebastian. Andrea has visited Seattle but the cousins had not seen each other since being much younger. It was here that we received the horrible news that Kathleen's father has Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer, that he had rapidly decompensated on the 4th of July, and that we needed to come home right away.

Kathleen understandably has her moments of deep sadness. But she has been able to draw strength from our experiences up to now and the realization that the Universe works with special reason and purpose. She feels that it was no accident that we started World Tour when we did and not next year when it might have made more sense financially, that we chose to go to Europe to see family first instead of last, that we were available when we needed to be contacted and not deep in the backcountry or in some remote country, and that most importantly she was able to spend time getting to know her Dad's brothers better and to gain a deeper understanding of where he came from in a happy celebratory way instead of a sad reminiscing sort of way.

Tour is not over for us. We will be in Seattle for the interim. Kathleen needs to be there for her Dad, to support her Mom and sister Caroline, and be with the family. I need to be with Kathleen. We will be back on the road as soon as the time is right. In the meantime, any thoughts, prayers, or positive vibrations that can be sent in the direction of Joe, Kathleen, and their entire family would be much appreciated.