It is with sadness and regret that I report that The Pickle Project has come to an end. Mr. Pickle, the Nomadic Pickle, never returned from his recent trip to Italy and we have no idea where he is. He got lost the last day of his trip during the maid's cleaning of the room in the villa he was staying in while his host was out. We're currently guessing the cleaning person moved him and he got lost or tucked in a blanket that headed to the laundry or something. He is there somewhere. Under a bed? Kidnapped by Italian mice? Lana returned with only his bag of accessories -- oh, did he love his hats! If it were in the USA I suppose I'd be calling the hotel every day asking if he turned up!
People have suggested I make Mr. P a cousin to travel in his place, and I suppose I could. But since 2010 it has been the goal for THE Mr. Pickle to get to all fifty states, and it wouldn't be the same if someone else did it for him.
My favorite suggestion for finding Mr. P comes from 6 year old Henry who decided he and his adult friends should travel to Italy and walk around asking all the people if they've seen "Mr. Pickle with two eyes and a cute little smile." If so we'd just ask for him back. Henry also suggested I email all the people in Italy. So far I've done neither.
Ironically, Lana (the last person to travel with him) was there the day I created Mr. Pickle! We were watching a movie and sewing little stuffed animals. I said what I was making and Lana misheard me and said "You're making a pickle?!" I replied "No." Then said "Of course I'm totally making a pickle." So I suppose it's fitting that his last contact was also sort of his first.
I took him to Boulder in August 2010, and the following March 2011 I took him to Chicago, and when I returned I opened it up to friends, family, strangers -- whoever wanted to be a part of this project. In the 3.5 years the project has been going on... Mr. Pickle...
- Visited 30 states + DC
- Visited 15 countries
- Went on 46 trips
- Went to Chicago 9 times
- Went to New York state 7 times
- Went to California 5 times
- Was almost eaten by an alligator 4 times
Thank you so much to those those who travelled with him, took silly photos of him in beautiful places, asked about him, and got into the project. I didn't know how far it would go, I was just having fun traveling vicariously through a stuffed pickled and documenting his trips. (There are some wonderful pics on this blog! He went to such amazing places and had such amazing adventures! It was fun to go back through them all to write this post.) Once he went on that trip west this past summer and visited 9 states in 10 days, I knew it was possible for him to get to all 50 and I was ready to drive the project to its goal. I am sad it is over, and yet very glad that it happened at all.
If he magically returns you'll be the first to know.
If he magically returns you'll be the first to know.
Thank you for taking this trip with us!
Amanda
* photo taken by Elizabeth in California in 2012
* photo taken by Elizabeth in California in 2012
