Category

The Dispatches

← All dispatches
The Dispatches

#010 — The Gravity of the Coast: From the Scaffold back to the Sky

Brighton, East Sussex, UK

Do you remember when I wrote in my previous post ([link]) that I had to suspend my journey? The plan was simple, or so I thought: sink into the London grind, paint the walls of commercial giants, and grind out the ÂŁ16,000 needed for my ocean-going vessel. I was prepared for 119 days of monochromatic nights. But as of today, that plan is dead. I no longer have a job. I am back on the trail.

Read →
The Dispatches

#006 — Of Outlaws, Steam Engines, and the Strategy of the Scent

Nottingham, England

I’ve officially made it to the land of the Sheriff—Nottingham. Most people hear the name and immediately think of Robin Hood, the legendary outlaw in green tights, redistributing wealth in the depths of Sherwood Forest. But the reality of geography is a bit less romantic than the movies. The actual Sherwood Forest, or what’s left of it, sits about 20 miles north of where I am currently sitting.

Read →
The Dispatches

#005 — The Algerian Connection: 47 Miles and a Tenner from Heaven

Leicester, England

I’ve been officially on the road for half a week now. Time out here doesn't move like it does in a "normal" life; it’s measured in miles, battery percentages, and the gaps between rain showers. Since leaving Cardiff last Tuesday—or was it Wednesday? the days are already blurring—I’ve covered about 47 miles.

Read →
The Dispatches

#004 — Night Coaches, Lessons Learned, and the North Sea Compass

Bristol Bus Station, UK

The journey has officially begun. I know, I said I’d be walking, but the road is a fickle mistress, and sometimes you have to play by its rules before you can set your own. To get to the real starting line of this 2,700-mile monster, I’ve traded my boots for a seat on a series of late-night coaches. It’s a zigzag across the gut of England: Cardiff to Bristol, Bristol to Birmingham, and finally, Birmingham to Coventry.

Read →
The Dispatches

#003 — The Courier, the Coast, and the Strategy of Survival

Cardiff, Wales

This is my final dispatch from Cardiff. The air in the pub feels different today—heavier, or maybe it’s just the weight of what’s coming. In forty-eight hours, I’ll be trading this wooden bench for the gravel and salt of the open trail. I am heading out to claim something that hasn’t been claimed before: the full length of the King Charles III England Coast Path, which was officially completed and opened in its entirety just three days ago.

Read →
The Dispatches

#002 — The Blue Saint and the 2700-Mile Itch

Cardiff Bay, Wales

Not much has changed since my last dispatch, yet everything is shifting. You know that feeling? When the air finally loses its winter bite and the sun starts to actually warm the skin instead of just mocking you from behind a cloud. Yesterday, I spent the afternoon at Cardiff Wharf. I found a decent bench, cracked open a cider, and just watched the water.

Read →