Karl Bushby reaches home in Hull after 28-year journey around the world

Karl Bushby arrived home in Hull, England, on Monday, November 2, ending a journey around the world that lasted 28 years and one day. Crowds applauded the 57-year-old as he completed the final stretch of his 30,000-mile expedition, which involved an estimated 75 million steps and more than 10,000 days away.

Bushby was 29 when he left Chile on November 1, 1998, to begin what became known as the Goliath Expedition. He set himself two conditions: no machine could help him advance along his route, and he could not go home before finishing, even if a relative or friend died. Those commitments added emotional strain to the physical demands of the trip.

His route took him north through Central America, the United States and Canada before he crossed the Bering Sea to Russia in what the source described as the world's first recorded attempt. Along the way, armed gangs threatened his life in the Darien Gap, he spent time in jail in Panama and he encountered a polar bear in Siberia. Illness and Russian visa restrictions also held up his progress, sometimes for months or years.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine created another obstacle. After continuing through Central Asia, Bushby spent 31 days swimming across the Caspian Sea to get around the war, a crossing described as another reported first. He subsequently traveled across Europe and, in October, swam the English Channel from France. British immigration officers were waiting to inspect his passport when he reached his native country.

The last leg on Monday was a brisk walk of roughly three miles from near Hull's town center to his mother's neighborhood, an area of two-story red-brick terrace houses. Children cheered at the turn toward her home, with an honor guard leading the procession. Bushby pushed the cart he had used for about 25 years through the final steps, then embraced his mother outside as the crowd grew quiet.

Speaking to those who welcomed him, Bushby credited the many people who had helped him overcome obstacles throughout the expedition. He described an international effort that had required confronting governments and tackling exceptionally difficult challenges. Completing the journey, he said, would have been impossible without that support.

Returning also brought a sense of unfamiliarity. In a weekend interview with CBS News, Bushby said he was adjusting to unfamiliar shop brands after using dollars for 28 years and had sometimes looked the wrong way when crossing roads. He described feeling unsettled, and almost guilty, because other places now felt more like home after so long abroad.

With the expedition finished, Bushby must now absorb the experience and adjust to staying in one place. He acknowledged the world's conflicts but remained optimistic about people's ability to endure difficult periods. He also urged others to have greater confidence in their abilities and pursue ambitious goals, saying people frequently underestimate what they can accomplish.