Despite having had a Saturday-Sunday Marriott invitation awaiting me in South Hill for the weekend, I otherwise had neither friends nor anyone else awaiting my arrival yesterday into Virginia. And not till Richmond, the state capital, about a hundred more miles north, do I even know anyone. That all changed quickly yesterday, however, as many locals stopped to say hello, introduce themselves, and offer me plates of super-kind unsolicited assistance.

Meeting Bill & Kim roadside

Among those who stopped me were Bill & Kim. A dozen miles into my day, I saw a couple pulled up in a driveway ahead of me, awaiting my approach.

“How’s it going, George!?” Bill asked me, asked me, as soon as I was close enough to hear. Though I’d seen the vehicle pass me earlier, they hadn’t stopped, so I had to ask their names. I had to laugh at them calling me by my name, as most who do check out my website after driving by still quite rarely address me by name at the moment (if) they stop to say hello. Bill & Kim are very personable, however– something I quickly grew to love about them.

Bill & Kim brought me a little snack pack for the road, invited me to dinner with them, and offered me their couch at home as well. Had the room at the Marriott not awaited me, I surely would have taken them up on all three. I took them up on the first two, however, and two hours later, shortly after I arrived to the Marriott on foot, they met me there and welcomed me to a local institution: Brian’s Steak House .
Being a vegetarian, I was delighted to find that Brian’s breakfast menu lasted all day. A veggie omelette it was .

Dinner last night with Bill, Kim & daughters

Bill & Kim invited me to their morning church service as well, a very casual, humor-filled, non-denominational-style Baptist church service that I enjoyed joining them for. The sermon spoke of how we may not forget being wronged by others, but we should always forgive– otherwise we burn ourselves from within over time. I so-so-so agree with this, and felt refreshed to hear it this morning.

I’ll either be walking or talking for most of tomorrow, and I’m still not sure which. The word of my arrival has been circulated to local schools, but as they’ve been on spring break, I have yet to receive any invitations. I’m also not guaranteed any place to stay within South Hill tomorrow either.

On the promising side, however, after the Sunday soreness of Saturday’s back-to-the-road 17, I have an invitation awaiting me in the next town up: Kenbridge, 21+ miles away. Bill Bradley, whom I met here 24 hours ago, owns a tire shop in Kenbridge, and has invited me to spend the night in the tire shop there. If need be, I’ll begin my Kenbridge miles at checkout time tomorrow.

Weather has been wonderful.
After a long delay, it appears that spring is finally arriving. I was even mildly sunburned yesterday, and will have to be more cautious in the face of the sun from here forward.

Life is Great and Getting Better,

George Throop

Church this morning with Bill & Kim

…

Earlier today, I crossed into the final state I’ve committed myself to for the long walk to Washington, DC: Virginia.

Ellen Roth, who together with husband Jerry Roth hosted me for the past ten nights at Warrenton’s Ivy Bed & Breakfast, joined me for the final Carolina mile as I inched my way up to and across the border.
Jerry & Ellen have become like parents to me: not only have the provided me with a wonderful place to stay, they also made countless appetizing and delicious meals for me during my stay (to the extent that I almost felt guilty for all the work they put into it).
They did some support driving for my walking miles a week ago, enabling me to make it close to the NC/VA border and still stay at their B&B. They also showed me possible walking routes into Virginia, greatly assisting with my planning. Every one of the early mornings in which I left for a day of speaking to schools, Ellen was up early to make me breakfast and a fresh-fruit smoothie, in addition to packing me lunch for the road.
We enjoyed several hours of rapport-building conversations. I can’t describe the gratitude I feel for the tremendous privilege of spending my final Carolina days, hours and minutes with them.
Jerry & Ellen & I will cross paths again, somewhere. As is the case with many others from across the miles, their presence will remain with me, in my heart, as I inch closer toward my final destination of the mission. Also, funny enough, not only does their presence remain with me, a whole lot of delightful homemade food Ellen made and packed up for me to take will also remain with me!!
Thanks for Everything, Jerry & Ellen!!
Endless waves of Love, Light, Strength, Peace & Many Blessings to You Both, Family & Friends!!!

Coach Cheek, Warren County Middle School.

“It’s really hard work,” Coach Cheek explains to me, as, over the course of the day, he opened up to me about stories of not only being a busy P.E. teacher and coach, but also being a friend, a guidance counselor, a mentor, and the only person that many marginalized middle school students feel comfortable talking to. Having grown up in a really rough neighborhood, without a father, he completely understands and works to fill the void of so many of the middle school students in Warren County– the poorest county in North Carolina. “I’m here to help at-risk kids now, just as some key teachers and coaches were there to help me.”
I spoke to four of Coach Cheek’s middle school classes today, getting a taste of some of the very energetic personalities of which he speaks.
“It doesn’t take long for me to learn which kids have their parents involved their lives– and which don’t. In fact, I learn that the first day,” as he goes on to explain the vast behavioral differences he experiences with students who have caring, involved parents, and those who don’t.
Just as coaches helped him through his tough teenage years by being involved in his life on the court & field and off, Coach Cheek also finds himself heavily involved, year-round, with many of his students. He helps guide the kids and keep them out of trouble; he meets their families; he helps them with rides; he helps them buy the gear they may not be able to afford.
Interestingly, as often as we hear of gazillionaire athletes scoring the last-minute touchdown or basket and being heralded as heroes, people like Coach Cheek–whose hard work lasts well beyond the final bell–impress and inspire me far more than any typical “TV hero.” Of course, among the teaching ranks, Coach Cheek definitely isn’t alone with the tireless devotion he gives his students and surrounding community.
I look forward to staying in touch with Coach Cheek– as his inspiring work will surely keep a smile on my face and in my heart across the miles.
I’m also excited to soon receive the great news of the birth of Coach Cheek’s first child– he & his wife are expecting a baby girl to arrive two weeks from now…

Coach Cheek

Coach Cheek

Coach Cheek generates many smiles

Kids love Coach Cheek!

Speaking to Coach Cheek’s 8th graders this morning.

3rd graders at Mariam Boyd Elementary School

5th graders at Mariam Boyd Elementary School

“Do you ever change your drawers?” one of the students asks me, with a silly look on his face, right after taking this pic with all the fifth graders at Mariam Boyd Elementary in Warrenton, NC.
I had to ask him to repeat himself, because at first, with the rural Carolina accent in addition to a word I don’t use- “drawers–” (I say “underwear”), I couldn’t understand him.
Then, just as I understood what he was saying, his principal shooed him, “get to class!”
I would have happily answered his question:
By the time I reached California, I remember people in the know heavily advocating for the underwear that was advertised as “17 countries, 1 pair of underwear.” I ended up getting two pair– one grey and one black, making it easier to keep track of which is which. It’s a type of super-strong , synthetic underwear that you can quickly wash in the sink with a bar of soap, wring out, and wear to dry. (I believe that various brands of durable synthetic underwear exist.)
The kid actually asked a great question, especially given that some Appalachian Trail hikers have told me: “underwear is overrated.”

Mariam Boyd Elementary School principal

Kristina, Public Relations Director for Warren County Public Schools, has organized all of today and tomorrow’s speaking appearances

Today’s edition of the Warren Record. (Click on this photo for the full online story. )

Also today, Warren County High School Spanish students were tasked with asking me questions about the Walk in Spanish. I haven’t been immersed in a Spanish-speaking environment in years– so this was a fun activity!

Mr. Bardales explains the guest speaker (me) to his Spanish classes. The students received points for speaking Spanish to me today– and I of course responded in Spanish– fun stuff!!

Respondiendo a las preguntas de los alumnos de las clases de español!

I spoke to all of Ms. Schroth’s classes as well! She’s very inspiring!!

And after the final bell…

Foodworks, the funky town coffee shop, features the Wednesday night trivia night. The local Teach For America crew invited me to join them. I wasn’t able to contribute much– especially when the categories included recent pop hits and Disney princess specifics. It was still a ton of fun though!

“Which Disney princess is it?” the girls wonder, as we guys simply have to sit out for lack of anything useful to contribute to the round .

Thanks for the delicious veggie burrito, Ms. Megan!!

Downtown Warrenton

Main Street, Warrenton, NC

Downtown Warrenton

Despite having connected the steps to within a mile from the Virginia border, I’ve been shuttled back a few miles to speak to schools within Warren County this week. I speak to classes today, tomorrow, Thursday and Friday.
I spoke to math classes today at Warren High School in Warren County, NC. The math teacher, Ms. O’Meara, a very positive and energetic twentysomething who loves to bring real-world examples to her students, had me speak to each of her classes for about 45 minutes today, and followed up each class with these math problems. Below is one of the extended math problems.

Ms. O’Meara gives the walking-across-America math problems to her students.

From Warren County High’s math classes:

Walking Across America

1) It took George 6 hours to walk 17 miles to Warrenton from Henderson. What was his rate of change?

2) Using the same rate as above, how long will it take George to walk to Washington, DC, which is 212 miles away?

3) George has $1000 in a bank account.
• On an average walking day, George is given $10.
• He walks a dozen miles on an average walking day
• When George is not walking, he spends $10 per day.
• Typically, George will stay in a place for 3 days after walking for one day.

a. If George wants to go 96 miles, according to the patterns above, how many days will it take him?

b. How much money will George have remaining?

c. With the money that George has, how much further could he go?

Speaking to students in an American history class.

Staff at Warren County High

“That’s it,” Tyrone tells me this afternoon, “just keep spreading the word. If you can reach just one person, all your work will be worth it.”

I connected my steps across Warren County today– to a half mile shy of the Virginia border. Despite the fact that Warren County was once North Carolina’s wealthiest, before the Civil War, nowadays Warren County is North Carolina’s poorest. I walked this afternoon through “Quick City,” a corner of Warren County without any impressive a reputation. To my delight, however, I met only kind and hospitable souls. I’ll remain in Warren County through most of this week, speaking to schools tomorrow, Wednesday, Thursday, and potentially Friday as well, before resuming the miles and crossing into Virginia. I’m very enthusiastic about everyone I’m about to meet!

Tyrone is 100% correct: even if all my years and miles amount to reaching only one person, all will have been well worth it. That said, unlike any fundraiser, in which progress is measured in the end by dollars contributed, my walk is one of faith– I’ll never be able to measure or know what ultimate impact I may have had on anyone.

That’s OK though– for even if nothing better, I’m more than satisfied for simply having followed the voice of my soul, for having made the effort, and for having met all of you and more across the miles…

Little Bit is her name, and she showed me the tattoo of her name, on the right side of her neck. I was thirsty under the emerging spring sun, and Little Bit made sure I was well hydrated for the remainder of the distance ahead of me. **THANKFUL!!**

Ms. Jenny O’Meara, who teaches math at the local high school, meets me at the Warren County Library today to discuss and plan my speaking to her students on Tuesday. Jenny O, a Peace Corps veteran, is now in the second year of a Teach for America contract. She’s all about presenting real-world examples to students (Amen!). Jenny loves TFA, and has inspired me to look into possibilities with TFA as well. I’ll speak to her students for the first half of the class tomorrow, and she’s generated math problems related to the Walk for the second half of the class. (Fun!)

Jerry & Ellen invited me to join them to their Sunday morning Pentecostal church service. Of all of the cultural and spiritual experiences I’ve had across the miles, I was almost worried that I’d be leaving the South without attending a Pentecostal service. This morning, however, I got my chance. I definitely felt a charisma here beyond comparison to your everyday church– a charisma that brought a smile to my soul

Setting out for today’s 17 miles from Henderson to Warrenton, NC. Leaving Vance County, I reach Warren County today, last of the Carolina Counties before I reach the Virginia border.

Set to leave Henderson’s Cardinal Motel after four hospitable nights with Mike Patel & Family.

Walking the backroads between Henderson and Warrenton.

…Rural Vance County, NC

…

…Rural Vance County, NC

North Carolina Scenic Byway: Highway 1001.

…before long, the trees will be full of leaves.

…

…Sweet, smiling passersby stop to say hello and ask about the type of thing they don’t see off to the side of their rural country road every day: a man pushing a modified baby jogger filled with gear and signs: WALKING ACROSS AMERICA !

…Rural Warren County

…Arriving just after sunset

…Arriving to Warrenton

…Jerry & Ellen, owners of the The Ivy Bed & Breakfast, invited me in days ago, and have been awaiting my arrival to Warrenton.

Jerry & Ellen had a most delicious meal ready to go as I walked in the door: Gumbo! Ellen is from Louisiana, and Gumbo is one of her many culinary specialties! May, a guest of theirs (left) joins us.

…A look out the front door of the Ivy Bed & Breakfast’s Sharon Bartholomew Room, where I’m being hosted for multiple nights.

The Ivy Bed & Breakfast’s Sharon Bartholomew Room, where hosts Jerry & Ellen are hosting me for several nights.

ATTITUDE: GREAT GRATITUDE!!

I LOVE it when stereotypes get shattered!!
I’ve received more friendly-as-ever free nights at inns than I can even keep track of by now, and for the first three thousand of miles of the trip, despite the fact that it’s common to find kind immigrant Indian families running small motels, I’d given up hope of ever receiving a complimentary night at a motel run by an Indian family. The Indian families are always incredibly polite; however, I simply assumed that especially since many of them are relegated to running the less-expensive motels upon freshly arriving to the United States, they have to quickly learn to be strong to survive, and are therefore molded into the mindset that everyone must pay. I imagine that they must hear many “stories” from people who want free rooms or extended stays–making it potentially difficult to distinguish my story from a million others. Aside from that, if I am to ask for a room for a night, I only do so via e-mail (no pressure), and most of the small, inexpensive, Indian-run motels have no website. So, across the first three thousand miles, I grew to assume that I’d not be receiving any invitations from Indian-run motels. I never thought of this as a “bad” thing– I simply figured that I had learned to understand their survivalist mindset.
Oh, how I love it when some assumptions are beautifully transformed!!
In Liberty, Texas, my jaw dropped when I arrived to find that the owner/operators of the Luxury Inn & Suites, who’d responded to my e-mail, inviting me in for a night, were the Patel family, from Gujarat, India. They were SO kind, and their teenage daughter interviewed me for a story for her school newspaper. .
Last week, upon setting off from Durham on Monday, prepared to end the day with finding a safe, hidden place to spend the biting cold night outdoors, Rocio & I ended up being invited in by another Patel family for a pair of nights at their Inn at Creedmoor in Creedmoor, NC.
Quickly-emerging Road Angel Faicia Elliott had also placed the ball rolling to find us hosting in Henderson (three days up the road), and having learned of this, Henderson local Marissa Patel contacted her parents, Mike & Val Patel, owners of Henderson’s Cardinal Motel, to insist we have a place to stay in Henderson.
Mike & Val Patel, pictured here with Mike’s mother and their young daughter, invited us to spend Saturday and Sunday with them at the Cardinal Motel. (As it turns out, these Carolina Patels are related!) On Sunday, Sejal Patel (Inn at Creedmoor) kindly drove to Henderson and picked Rocio up to drive her to Durham to catch her bus back to Atlanta.    This generous gesture had given Rocio the ability to spend an extra night with me!
Sunday evening, Mike Patel saw that a storm system was about to pass through the area, and he insisted that I spend extra nights at his Cardinal Motel. He also wanted to look into having me speak to local schools (schools turned out to be on spring break this week).
I head out today, after four nights at the Cardinal Motel. Of all the generous hotel, motel & inn offers, four nights is a new record for me at any hotel, motel or inn. And Mike & Val have invited me to their dinner table each my four nights here. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the family in the process.
I love it when assumptions are happily transformed– this time by a series of Patel families!
Interestingly, for years I’ve been fascinated with Indian culture: spirituality, meditation, food, etc. The Indian state I’ve most been hoping to spend time in is Gujarat. And now, all of these Gujarati families have been leading the way with their hospitality to me in the U.S.
It’s funny how the world works.

Thank You, Patel Families!!!!

Mike & Val Patel, Mike’s mother and their cute little girl. On the right, the younger brother of their soon-to-be son-in-law!

Brandon, Marissa Patel, their baby daughter, Rocio & George in the adjacent Patel home (formerly a restaurant).

For all the speaking I do of the Road Angels who’ve swooped in to assist me from all angles, I’d now like to share the story of my younger brother, Ryan Throop, who very well may have saved my life with his just-in-time advice in October 2009, just over a hundred miles and half a month after beginning the Walk.

It was Sunday morning, October 4th. I was preparing to leave the Cottage Grove home of host Adam Tull, when Ryan & Aunt Maurice suddenly called and said they were driving two hours down the highway to meet up with me. They arrived later that morning, meeting Adam and family before taking me to brunch.

Ryan and Maurice walked six miles out of Cottage Grove with me, each of them taking turns pulling their truck forward. We reached the point where over 100 miles of north-to-south state highways, which I’d been walking since Day 1, ran out. I had no other reliable way through the surrounding hills– especially as dirt mountain logging roads (my only option)– were notoriously dangerous and confusing, especially without a GPS at the time). Walking Interstate freeways is illegal, and I did not envision Oregon State Police tolerating me doing so. I therefore was ready to walk the train tracks, which ran parallel to I-5.

Ryan gave me a very, very clear warning: “stay off the train tracks!” Ryan explained to me that anytime that rail crews work the tracks, they always have spotters watching out for any trains which may potentially be coming. Ryan informed me that workers cannot hear a train coming– especially when the tracks are located next to a busy highway. Added to this, I-5 and the adjacent train tracks in southern Oregon are filled with visual obstructions: curves, hills and more amid frequently misty weather. In such conditions, there’s no guarantee that any locomotive engineer would see the sudden surprise of a man walking the tracks in time to sound the train’s horn.

I listened to Ryan’s warning, and his wise words very well may have saved my life. Through the many miles ahead, I would later learn that walking busy roads next to train tracks translates to almost never hearing any train coming. As massive as these trains are, sometimes two miles in length, I of course simply figured that the ginormous diesel engines powering the 2-mile long locomotive would be easy to hear. Not so. At least not always. Monster roadside trains have since snuck up aside me countless times across the states.

Thank You, Ryan and Maurice, for swooping in at the perfect time to steer me clear of imminent danger. Thank all of you Road Angels for descending at the ideal time to guide, host, feed and inspire me so well across the thousands of miles…

Ryan & Maurice