Around the World in 80 Dates (39 page)

This book would not have been possible without the help and encouragement of a huge number of people. For any I now fail to thank, sorry, but you know what a thoughtless cow I can be.

Firstly, I owe a huge debt of thanks to my agent and dear friend Lizzy Kremer from David Higham Associates; such a rock throughout the entire researching and writing process, she made granite look positively flighty. Also to Grainne Fox at Ed Victor Ltd., who had an unerring knack for buying me strong cocktails at just the right time. I would like to thank all at Random House for their tireless support, enthusiasm, and hard work, in particular my editor Nikola Scott, who did a brilliant job while resisting the temptation to shout
Do you know what a deadline is?
Also Susan Sandon for her open door and desktop Mr. Right.

My family and friends deserve some kind of an award for making not only their address books but also their time and patience available throughout my obsessive
soul searching.
I lost track of the number of
“No it wasn't you, it was him”
and
“You are KIDDING—if it was me, I would've called the police”
emails, phone calls, and cups of coffee/glasses of wine moments that kept me going. In particular I would like to thank: my sisters, Madeleine and Rosalind Cox, for late-night chats and afternoons at the Sanctuary, and my best friends, Belinda Rhodes, Charlotte Hindle, and Cath Urquhart, for helping me remember boyfriends I'd managed to forget, for my Relationship Résumé. For never mentioning the times when my cookie eating spiraled out of control, thank you to my special friends: Paula Shutkever, Eddie Mair, Ian Belcher, Hector and Ang MacKenzie, Linda Ferguson, Jude Espie, Sheena MacBain, Eleanor and Adam Garland, Jeannette Hyde, Sarah Long, Sara-Jane Hall, Malgosia Czarniecka, Simon Calder, Jilly Mead and Stevie
Bee
Benbow, Lyn Hughes and Paul Morrison, Tania Cagnoni, Paul and Jude Mansfield, Nigel Tisdall, Steve Bleach, Sue D'Arcy, Rob Ryan, Alison Rice, Dea Birkett, Sally Shalam, Sophie Campbell, also Anna Cherrett.

Not to mention all the people who helped with the
Is there a plane that leaves later than 5:30 a.m.?
logistics of the trip itself. Fujifilm for the S300 digital camera that captured my dating high- and lowlights, Karin Hop at the Netherlands tourist board, Ann-Charlotte and Emelie at the Swedish tourist board, as well as Madeleine Meech at Travel PR. Catherine Raynor at VSO, Allesandra Smith at the Italian tourist board, Elena at Il Club di Giulietta, all at Berlin Tourismus Marketing GmbH, Nim Singh at the Canadian Tourist Commission, Jill White and Wendy Burns at Yukon tourism, Erika Brandvik at the Las Vegas CVB, Susie and Anna at Cellet PR, Jenni at First PR, Wendy King and Olaf Kaehlert at the LA CVB, all at Missoula CVB, Kylie Clark at JNTO, Abi and Khun Lilly at the Tourist Authority of Thailand. And in particular, a huge thank-you to all who helped me with the very end—therefore at the apex of my
Ummm, it might be Friday, it might be Wednesday—it's hard to say at this point
wavering. In particular Fiona Reese, Viv Kessler and Emma Humphreys at BGB and Associates, Rae White, Jac and Belinda at WATC, Kate Kenward at the ATC in London, Kate Bailey at the ATC in Sydney, Karen Reid at Random House Australia, Susie Tempest at Saltmarsh PR, and all at Tourism New Zealand and Air New Zealand.

I am extremely grateful to all my Dates for taking me out and showing me a good time, as well as the Dates who would have taken me out if only things had worked out differently. In particular, David O, Per, Beaver, and the VSO man working as a yak cheese farmer on the Chinese-Mongolian border.

When I arrived in Seattle at the end of my adventure to write this book, there were some people without whom it would never have felt like home: Bette “Burien” Allen, Terri Bassett, and Ann Anderson, as well as Judy and Gerry Greth, Hank and Rachel, JR, Doug, Jon, and OB.

And talking of adventures, I'd like not only to thank Lloyd, my getaway driver, but also to thank and apologize to Louise Kiely at Queenstown House B&B in New Zealand. The first person I spoke with following the dramatic final forty-eight hours of my journey, she made the mistake of innocently asking over breakfast how my visit was going.

At various points I have changed names and blurred the edges of personalities and events in the telling of my story. I wanted to spare people's blushes but also to emerge with my social life vaguely intact.

I would like to thank everyone for helping me with my quest, but none more so than Garry Greth, who took it all in his stride and made his home my home.

A sincere and heartfelt thank-you to you all.