In November 1998, a 29-year-old ex-British soldier Karl Bushby walked off a bus in Punta Arenas, Chile, and set out on foot on a journey that would ultimately last 28 years, crossing not just one, but four continents: South America, North America, Asia, and Europe, including a stretch of frozen sea and one particularly challenging jungle stretch of the Darién Gap, to reach his mother’s house in Hull, England.
Armed with a few hundred dollars, no sponsors, and a vow to not use any transportation other than his own two feet until he arrived at his destination, Bushby anticipated the journey would take him 12 years. He set off in November 1998, before smartphones, GPS tracking, or affordable internet access were part of everyday travel. Twenty-eight years later, Bushby reached within 21 miles of his destination, with no war zone, hostile immigration officials, or the Bering Strait preventing him from completing his goal. These challenges, however, were not the root cause of his last setback.
