Friends of the Hun Percent,

It is with a heavy heart that I report that my journey is over before it began. I recently received the job offer of my dreams, working as the Assistant Manager of Baseball Analytics for the Boston Red Sox, reporting to the incomparable Bill James. This is pretty much the job that I’ve wanted since I was 12 years old, and I feel blessed to have the opportunity to work for my hometown team and learn from the man who literally invented sabermetrics.

However, there is one thing that keeps this job from being perfect (well, two, if you include the fact that it pays minimum wage) – it starts immediately. Despite my best efforts, I have been unable to make headway on this, and thus I will begin working in just a few days, making it impossible for me to participate in the Mongol Rally. This has obviously been a terrifically difficult decision for me to make, but I consider myself fortunate to have this amazing career opportunity, and I appreciate how understanding my teammates have been during this process.

With that said, while my Rally is over, things are just getting started for Ian and Matt, who may or may not be updating this blog going forward. Please do everything you can to support them (including donating to their charities, when the time comes), and definitely send them good thoughts. It kills me that I can’t experience this adventure with them, but I’m really excited to hear about their journey.

Keep Rallying.

-Jon