Empty Nest Adventures
Life after the kids are grown
The Travels of Danny Barber
In 2009, Danny Barber had a lot to look forward to. He was planning a backpacking trip in Australia with a friend and from there they would go where the wind took them. He had purchased a new pair of hiking boots and was in the process of breaking them in.
Then the unthinkable happened. As he was waiting at a bus stop near his home in Manchester, he was jumped by 5 thugs and beaten. He was able to make it back home, but was under attack the whole way. He was wearing his new hiking boots.
Danny suffered severe head injuries and passed away a few days later. As his family said their goodbyes, they took Danny’s handprint. His best friend began taking the handprint on his travels. As Danny’s story spread, more and more people began taking his handprint all over the world.
Brett and I were honored to take Danny’s handprint to the summit of Handies Peak, a 14er in Colorado. Several people asked us about it and we were able to share Danny’s story. It is amazing how many places his handprint has been. I was going to take him on our hike to Machu Picchu later this month, but it turns out he’s already been there.
You can read more about Danny at http://www.dannybarberlegend.com or follow his mom, Kathy on Instagram @barberstravels to see all the cool places Danny’s handprint has been.
If you are going on a trip, please consider taking Danny’s handprint with you. It can be printed from the website. It gives his family comfort knowing that Danny’s memory lives on and that in a symbolic way, he is seeing the world he was so excited to explore.
