British adventurer Karl Bushby has reunited with his mother, Angela, at their family home in Hull, England, after completing a remarkable 28-year journey around the world on foot.
The 57-year-old former British Army paratrooper received an emotional welcome on Monday, November 2, as he arrived at his childhood home, which he left in 1998 to begin the expedition.
His mother embraced him outside the family house, where relatives, well-wishers and journalists gathered to witness the long-awaited reunion.
According to reports, Angela’s first words to her son were, “Where have you been?”
Bushby responded humorously, saying, “Where have I been? Twenty-eight years later. Here we are.”
He set out from Punta Arenas in southern Chile on November 1, 1998, with the ambition of walking back to his hometown without using motorised transport to advance his journey.
Over the years, he travelled approximately 31,000 miles (50,000 kilometres), crossing four continents and about 30 countries.
His expedition involved several extraordinary challenges, including crossing the frozen Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia, navigating the Darién Gap between Colombia and Panama, and swimming across the Caspian Sea and English Channel.
The journey, initially expected to take about 10 years, was extended by funding difficulties, visa restrictions, weather conditions, the COVID-19 pandemic and other setbacks.
Bushby also faced dangerous encounters, including being detained by Russian authorities over border violations and surviving difficult conditions during the Bering Strait crossing.
Before reaching his mother’s home, he received a hero’s welcome at Hull City Hall, where hundreds of supporters gathered to celebrate his return.
The adventurer also reunited with his son, Adam, and met his 12-year-old granddaughter for the first time.
Reflecting on the support that helped him complete the journey, Bushby said it took the kindness of strangers, individuals and governments across the world to bring him home.
His return marks the end of an extraordinary expedition that began nearly three decades ago with a promise to make the entire journey back home on foot.
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