The Entrepreneur

I’m currently around 28 hours into what has been a fairly grueling journey from San Francisco to Denver, with a total estimated journey time of roughly 31 hours. It’s just been lashing down and the Colorado countryside in the middle of a storm is quite a sight.

After the trek, it was time to return to public transport and catch the Greyhound back up the coast to San Francisco. I was unsure how it would feel being back on the road on my own having had constant companionship for three solid weeks on the trek, but I was so tired that I ended up sleeping for most of the journey, awaking only to see that we were stuck in traffic. I notified Peter, who was to be my host there, so that he knew I would be late.

We had met in London on the way to a football match and kept in very occasional touch online, so I was a little surprised to receive an invitation to stay with him when he learned of my plan to visit the States. Following a comparatively enjoyable journey (sleeping will do that) driven by ‘Al, your pal’, Peter kindly met me at the station and we made our way to his apartment just a couple of blocks away. On the way, I congratulated him on attaining his American citizenship, which he had done that very week.

It was roughly at this point I became fairly starkly aware of the fact that we didn’t really know each other that well and was a little concerned that I would commit some terrible faux pas or break an unwritten rule. The thoughts had barely entered my head when he was making me feel completely at home and at ease. He gave me a key so I could come and go as I wished and I was also told ‘if you can find it, you can eat it’.

The next few days were a mixture of touristy sight-seeing, for which Peter expressed a certain level of enjoyment as it’s not what he’s used to, and socialising with Peter and his very attractive Russian girlfriend and friends, which I very much enjoyed as it was not what I was used to. Activities ranged from photography in Muir Woods and on the streets, as well as a fair deal of gear discussion, to cocktails and sushi, not to mention the incredible Duck Fat Burger at the Four Seasons after a very rigorous gym session in a borrowed pink shirt.

Muir Woods reminded me of one of the thoughts I’d had on my trek. John Muir was the man who first hiked many of the Californian natural wonders. He would walk on his own in impossibly difficult terrain where no one had walked before, as, indeed, did the guy who first hiked Angel’s Landing. The thought I had was, basically, ‘what the fuck were they thinking?!’ in a tone which expresses in equal parts admiration and disbelief. But I digress.

As Peter had to work some of the time while I was there, I took the opportunity to catch up with Nicola, whose 18-month round-the-world trip ended today, and met her friend Helen as well. I finally took the opportunity to see the final Harry Potter film and left with mixed feelings about the whole thing.

And what does Peter do for work? One day, while he was waiting in line in a sandwich store, he had the idea that things would be so much easier if you could just order a sandwich online and then collect it without needing to queue. So he went ahead and made it happen. On the day I departed, I was given the opportunity to experience the glamorous side of his job when I joined him for the opening of a new store just a few blocks from his house, complete with a 700-strong guest list, free food, and, almost as importantly, giant scissors and a ribbon cutting.

His generosity and hospitality throughout were, I believe, rivaled only by that of my parents, although as it’s their job, I’m not sure whether it really counts as generosity (just kidding mum and dad), and he is a credit to both of his nations. Having offered my thanks once again we said goodbye, and with that it was onto the bus where I have done my best to catch up on sleep and keep my brain occupied before I arrive in Denver. The sun has come out just in time to really set off the incredible rolling hills en route and I’m currently feeling pretty content!