About to depart from Cottage Grove, it’s simply amazing how wonderful and helpful people have been all along the way. Two weeks in, I’m plenty bruised and blistered, but would you believe that I have yet to even spend a single night in my small tent? Amazing! Now that I’m reaching the greater rural stretches of southern Oregon, I expect to soon be using it (perhaps tonight). Friends, family, knowns, and “unknowns” have all come to assist me as I take this Walk, and every day is a new, amazing basket of opportunities which awaits unpredictable pleasant surprises.
It’s true that the August injury to my left foot while training (I worried it was broken) sidelined almost all of the actual walking portion of the training until Day 1 of the Walk, which means that I’ve had to struggle to raise my daily average from 20km to 20 miles, but despite being bruised and blistered, and despite every step being somewhat painful at times, the smile on my face seems only to be increasing in strength and sincerity. People honk and wave throughout the day, and occasionally stop and chat as well.
Miraculously, I have yet to be rained on as I troop through Oregon on foot at the start of fall. The rains will be welcome whenever it does decide to arrive, yet you won’t find me hurrying its impending presence.
Couchsurfing seems to have been a Godsend– as new people I’ve met through the site have been wonderfully helpful in finding places for me to stay, giving me great food to eat, running occasional errands for me, and helping to guide me the best way on to my next destination. They are stepping in like heroes at every turn– and I approach the feeling of being optimistically overwhelmed by their great gestures.
I’ve grown considerably to reach the point I stand in today, yet I also believe that many tough days likely lie ahead of me– so it’s vital to keep the mind smilingly strong.
I’ll continue to post the updates (usually daily) to my homepage, and each and every positive word and thought directed this way helps!
May we rise up, brighten the internal lights we possess within, and seek to inspire ourselves and others to take those next positive, powerful steps forward!