The 80 Days in 80 Days race has officially drawn to a close. Congratulations to all participants, and a particular nod to those who stuck it out even after it became clear they wouldn't win the race.
In celebration of this momentous occasion, I've added a list of achievements to the website for the challenge. If you played, give it a look and see if you show up!
My journey was completely unremarkable! Let's go! 🎉
In all seriousness, this was a lot of fun, and a nice daily ritual, even if it was a bit stressful at times! Now that the race is over, here is the final journal entry I wrote as Jean Passepartout, on day 58:
(spoilers for the end of 80 Days, I think, I have no idea how much of this is common to everyone's playthrough)
Day 58
Our dinner in Lisbon was most unusual indeed. The restaurant was overbooked, so a party of two joined us at our table; and, remarkably, they were a distinguished English gentleman and his valet, like the mirror image of M. Fogg and I! Though not quite as attractive. Even more remarkably, they, too, were going around the world, for a wager! But while we were just to arrive in London, they had only just left, and were travelling west, not east. The wrong way! Compared to us, I suppose. I must say, it was most disturbing to encounter. I know, that somewhere out there, there exist other Passepartouts and other Foggs, but to find other round-the-world racers in the very same restaurant as us!
The thought would not matter for long. On the quick airtrip ride over, I took time to write some of the preceding notes - though most of what I can remember was already recorded, throughout the race. In London, a most assuring sight, I made perhaps excessive haste, bribing the driver to take us to the Reform Club quickly. And what we encountered there was incredible: huge, cheering crowds, arisen out of nowhere! As it turns out, our journey has been followed closely here at home (perhaps on account of the letters I have been sending back...), and has become quite the media spectacle!
M. Fogg accepted a short interview with a journalist, in which he joked - I hope he was joking - to head to the center of the Earth for his next trip. I should only hope that I am not along for the ride! It has been a grand, and most incredible journey thus far, but I am still not sure if I have the adventuring lifestyle in me.
Oh, I write "thus far", but we have made it back, of course. It is not "thus far" anymore - we are done! With this adventure closed (and a final profit of fifteen thousand pounds for it), we should finally be able to rest. And if there is another race, another wager... not soon, but someday... I believe the experience should help us complete it, even faster, yet.