British Adventurer Karl Bushby Completes 31,000-Mile Global Trek After 28 Years

British adventurer Karl Bushby, who spent nearly three decades walking around the world, has completed his extraordinary 31,000-mile (49,890-km) journey, returning to his childhood home in Hull, England, after 28 years on the road.

The 57-year-old received a hero's welcome in his hometown on Monday, with hundreds of supporters gathering in the city square to celebrate his return. Carrying his few remaining belongings in a trolley, Bushby continued towards his family home, where his mother, 36-year-old son and 12-year-old granddaughter were waiting.

"After 28 years, you just couldn't ask for more than this," he told the cheering crowd. "I guess I'll be seeing you around," he added before setting off for his childhood home.

Bushby began his ambitious expedition in Chile in 1998, initially expecting it to take around 10 years. A former British Army soldier who served with the Parachute Regiment, he embarked on the journey after the breakdown of his marriage. He was also inspired by his father, who had once wondered whether it was possible to walk from London to New York.

With a tent, a few hundred dollars and a basic plastic camera, Bushby headed north through Central and North America. His route took him through jungles, across the frozen stretch between Alaska and Russia, and onwards through Mongolia and China before he made his way back towards Europe.

Among the most challenging parts of the expedition were crossing the Bering Strait region, swimming across the Caspian Sea and, during the final stretch, completing a swim across the English Channel last month.

The journey was far from straightforward. Bushby faced imprisonment in Panama, was held at gunpoint in Mexico and detained by Russian authorities for illegally crossing the border. The 2008 global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic also caused lengthy delays.

He told Reuters last year that the monotony of walking through deserts and Arctic landscapes could be mentally exhausting, with the scenery sometimes remaining unchanged for days or weeks.

Bushby has said he spent only around 15 of the 28 years actually walking, with the remaining time taken up by visa issues, logistical arrangements and securing corporate and media sponsorships, including periodic returns to Mexico.

Describing the expedition as an example of what an odyssey in the 21st century looks like, he told The Telegraph that bureaucratic and geopolitical challenges accounted for a significant part of the journey.

A feature-length documentary about his expedition is currently in production. Bushby is also planning a speaking tour across England in the coming weeks.