Some Statistics (Epilogue)

We are now back in Zurich, and it is all over. Phew. We are going to need at least a week to recover. We also have to readapt to the fact that Americanish is not the spoken language in Zurich, that the temperature is measured is Centigrade, not Fahrenheit, distance is in Kilometres and that the 24 hour clock is used to tell the time.

But most important, it is time for some statistics about this epic journey. After all, as an Operations Manager and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, I need facts and data. If you do not know what a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt is, don’t worry. It is nothing to do with physical violence. Just be impressed. Here goes:

- We have been away for 67 days
- Had 3 days without alcohol
- Have driven over 6,000 miles
- Flew internally twice, nearly 1,500 miles
- Had only five days when it rained
- Stayed in sixteen hotels / motels
- Stayed with seven sets of old and new friends
- Had only two full cooked breakfasts
- Had one haircut each
- Visited 20 States. Charlie Dwyer says that I can include Rhode Island, where I intended to step out of the train on to the platform for 5 seconds, but bottled out in case the train left without me (and anyway, it was raining). Charlie said that we could not include Illinois, as we only touched down in Chicago, and stayed in the plane. I have cheated to get to 20.
- Can name the Capital Cities of each of these 20 States, or at least I could do this 3 days ago.
- Used $150 worth of value out of our National Park Service card, which cost $80 (Highly recommended)
- Had one text incoming message replicated 31 times (Fault was at the U.S. end, in case the person in question is worried)
- Learned large amounts about U.S. History and the Constitution, most of which I will have forgotten in six months, if not before
- Took 2,700 pictures
- Had tomato juice poured over me once (for which Swiss (Airline) did not give me a free upgrade to Business Class as compensation or answer my counter-proposal for compensation).
- Returned with 57 kg (125 lbs / 9 stone) of checked-in baggage.
- Put on 5lbs (2 kg) weight during the trip, depending on which set of scales are used. (Definite measurement problem here, as we Black Belts say)
- Never supported the winning side on either occasion when we watched them. (We are Ipswich Town Football Club supporters, so what do you expect)
- Wrote 38 entries on the Hawker U.S. trip blog, including this one.
- Spent not many Swiss Francs on the whole trip, and returned with $27.80 in cash.