Over the course of this past week, I’ve SO enjoyed speaking to more classes than I can keep track of at Landmark High School in Manhattan!!

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Over the course of this past week, I’ve SO enjoyed speaking to more classes than I can keep track of at Landmark High School in Manhattan!!

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Years ago, I joined the local college’s debate team. Since I’ve long enjoyed quality discussions about the important issues of our day (as some of you may have noticed with many of my Facebook posts), the debate team was a natural fit–I loved it.
A fresh new speaker on the college circuit of parliamentary debate, within a handful of tournaments I found myself very confident when matched with any and every other debater in my division–from all of the other schools throughout local states. I was very confident in debate rounds with all but one other debater, that is: Dani Stevens. Hailing from the powerful debate program at Willamette University, Dani was a parli ace, a “master debater,” and she kicked my butt every time we faced off.
Dani’s parliamentary prowess of course quickly led me to find out who she was and to get to know her better. A fabulous new friendship emerged, and I even found myself with a quick crush on her at the time, LOL.
Dani is, was and always has been an AWESOME asset to humanity–a brightly shining star illuminating the lives of many around her.
Though we haven’t seen each other in several years, we’ve stayed in touch through time and many miles, and given that she’s now working at Manhattan’s Landmark High School, not only have we thoroughly enjoyed catching up in person after many years, Dani also has steered me into several days worth of super-fun speaking appearances to multiple classes at Landmark.
I may even be speaking soon at other local schools with the quality connections made from Landmark .
All of us adults can think of friends and relatives we know from whom years and miles have created a distance. Though the Walk of Inspiration Across America – EnjoyTheWalk has been thoroughly worth it on many fronts, one of the greatest of all sweet benefits is catching up with dear relatives and friends across the miles, arriving on foot to their new homes, and enjoying the magical rekindling of rapport across the earth’s revolutions.
(Pictured here: Dani introduces me to science teachers Dennis & Mohammed, whose students I spoke to this week.)

The streets of Manhattan this week…

What a WONDERFUL afternoon meeting, speaking, and spending the afternoon with the Ironbound Boys & Girls Club!!!

What a wonderful time speaking to the Ironbound Boys & Girls Club!

What a wonderful time speaking to the Ironbound Boys & Girls Club!

Upon arriving to Newark, New Jersey, I’m warmly welcomed by the local Brazilian community in Newark’s Ironbound District.
The local Brazilian Voice Newspaper is placing the Walk story on the cover of their next edition. It’s written in Portuguese, which I learned to speak as an exchange student in Brazil, nearly twenty years ago.
Here’s the link and cover pic
(More to come…)

Smiling from a WARM welcome on a freezing evening in Newark’s Ironbound!

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It may have been the coldest day in and around New York City in decades (I’m still on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River). That said, the piercing cold doesn’t prevent a smile from appearing onto an otherwise frozen face.

I’ve found my original backpack + tent to be absolutely essential over the course of the first half of my Walk. Since Day 1 of the Walk, leaving Vancouver, WA, all the way through the 4,000+ miles of my original long-distance commitment, to Washington, D.C., my backpack and tent have never been out of my reach. The same has been true across every subsequent mile from D.C. to New Jersey, as I inch ever closer to New York’s Atlantic seashore. Even after upgrading in Texas from backpack to Chariot, I’ve simply kept my original backpack inside the Chariot cart I’ve been pushing (my tent safely tucked within my backpack) since Texas.

I did use my tent many times across Texas’ thousand miles; however, despite sleeping outdoors only seven times since leaving Houston on foot, I haven’t actually used the tent since central Texas. (I’ve simply made an outdoor bed atop my sleeping mat and slept in the weather, beneath the open stars.) Many times since central Alabama–the last time I slept outdoors–I’ve been inches away from sleeping outdoors again, but I’ve ended up receiving invitations indoors across every stop in these past eight states.

While I’ve benefited tremendously from the kindness of many others across these thousands of miles (most of them “strangers”), I’ve kept the tent because I’ve always known that I am ultimately my only guarantee that I’ll have a safe shelter in which to spend any given night.

Though a tough decision, it’s somewhat liberating to say goodbye today to my backpack and my tent. Beloved Rocio is returning to Atlanta after having spent the past couple of weeks with me in New Jersey. She’s taking that backpack full of my personal stuff with her (including my tent).

Shipping away my tent–my “portable home”– is definitely a leap of faith, but as the backpack full of stuff makes my heavy, overloaded Chariot plenty lighter across the remaining winter miles, I’m now envisioning a scenario where I reach the Atlantic, find a home to give the Chariot to, pack my remaining possessions into a large duffle bag, and take a series of rides back to Atlanta, where my beloved Rocio will be awaiting me…
It’s been getting VERY cold outside recently, as I’ve walked through snow, freezing rain, ice and more. Giving up the 4-season tent is therefore a greater challenge. I’m within a hundred miles of my Long Island finish line now, and I’m ready to take this leap of faith– to do whatever it takes to make it through to the salty waters of the icy Atlantic.

Will I have to sleep outside within the next couple of weeks, somewhere between Newark and Long Island, during any evening of the inclement weather to come..? I hope not, but if so, I still have my sleeping mat, warm winter clothing, and most importantly–a strong mind to face whatever may come–however happy OR inconvenient it may be…

Goodbye, Pack & Tent…

“Welcome to Woodbridge,” the sign at the front desk says, and despite the sub-freezing temperatures outside, the welcome into Woodbridge’s Hampton Inn couldn’t be warmer.

Cayenne’s smiling face warmly welcomes us to Woodbridge’s Hampton Inn ~

Having received the message just a handful of days ago that I’d soon be approaching Woodbridge on foot, the local Hampton Inn staff enthusiastically invited Rocio and me to spend multiple nights at their cozy, luxurious highway-side hotel.
Rocio & I arrived after dark last night, later than expected, and the front desk staff nonetheless warmly welcomed us in from the dark evening’s freezing winds, having expected us all day.

After many hours on the road, keeping a steady pace to remain warm, and having stopped to speak to many passersby who wondered about the story of the signs (WALKING ACROSS AMERICA), Rocio and I retired early upon reaching our cozy room.

What a cozy accommodation!!

After a very recharging night’s sleep on the fifth floor (loving the view! ), we descended to ground level for a very filling complimentary breakfast. I always love my oats–dressed up with tasty fixings and accompanied with yogurt, a bagel, omelette and potatoes. Rocio added an iron-fresh waffle to her plate.

It was then time to meet the staff. As we’d agreed to meet around 11 AM, I descended into the enthusiastic social embrace of Miguel, Besim, Sanielle, Teresa and Meghan, all of whom were kindly waiting in the lobby. Happy Hellos quickly graduated into fun questions, answer and stories about local life, the road behind, and the road ahead.
“Anything you need, please let us know,” they sincerely told me, promising to help me organize my upcoming New Jersey miles as I slowly inch closer to NYC. A blizzard is apparently on the way, and I’m going to see what they may recommend in the wake of any heavy snowfall…
What an awesome team!!

Sanielle, Besim, Miguel, Teresa and Meghan embrace a cross-country pedestrian pilgrim within these final hundred miles of his 4,800-mile, smiley-face route across America!

Gannett story and video from New Brunswick, NJ: http://www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013312310026&nclick_check=1