Notebook of a Nomad

1/17/25

I’ve been familiar with Bilbo and Frodo Baggins since I was a wee lad. When I was growing up, my mom would read me The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. The LOTR movies came out when I was in high school and I remember my mom taking me to Fellowship of the Ring. Seeing the midnight showing of Return of the King may have ended my basketball career. I got really sick after that and never recovered my stamina that season.

When I asked Paul if he liked the movies, he responded “Oh you mean the movies where they walk for 9 hours?” Since he didn’t find the movies captivating, I wasn’t sure how he would like the experience. But we were about to find out.

Before getting to Hobbiton, I was struck by the beauty of the surrounding landscape.

I think my pictures will do a better job than my words describing Hobbiton. We walked through Hobbiton and saw all the hobbit houses along the path. We had a guide who engaged with the group but Paul and I mostly hung back and kept to ourselves.

Towards the end of the tour, it was time to enter the Hobbit hole (watch your head) and explore some living quarters of the shire.

After escaping the Hobbit hole with my head intact, it was time to cross the bridge and head to the Green Dragon, Hobbiton’s pub.

After lunch, I took one last glimpse of Hobbiton before heading to our next destination.

I never thought I’d end up in the shire. I always would have liked to go but didn’t think it was possible and accepted that reality pretty easily. The past 6.5 years, actually 6.75 years now, have taken me to a lot of places I never expected to be. I never expected to spend 6 weeks in an ICU and burn unit. I never expected to spend 6 weeks living with my parents at age 31. But that’s where I ended up.

I think it’s fair to say that my life has thrown me a few curveballs. I never played baseball but I think it takes a while before you start hitting those pitches. I certainly took a few big swings and misses along the way. But I feel like I’m starting to hear the crack of the bat that signifies solid contact now. I’m finding myself in places I actually want to be. Places that I considered inaccessible in my old life. I’m enjoying my time in those places.

Oh! I forgot to mention. Paul enjoyed his time in Hobbiton. Not enough to ever watch the movies again but he seemed amused by his brief stint in middle earth.