I’ve spent much of this week working on communications, working on the website, and working on previous blog posts from months and years past.
Sometimes, I wonder what may grow more exhausting: the outdoor part of walking across America, or the indoor part of it. Without a doubt, the indoor part has definitely been more time-consuming. I absolutely love the Walk. Even so, sometimes even doing a whole lot of what you love can grow exhausting…
That said, I meditate, so my spirit is in fantastic shape!!!

This was a first of its kind, and it was awesome– I loved it: Mark Haywood, senior at the University of North Carolina, asked if he could interview me “on the road.” He proposed that he walk some miles with me during the radio interview, so we met up yesterday and promptly hit the pavement together.
I told Mark that I needed to walk by East Chapel Hill High School, and, an NC native, he knew the best way. We walked for miles through neighborhoods, rural backroads, and urban main roads.  As he asked me a wide variety of broad and specific questions, I delivered full, complete answers to him, pausing occasionally as twenty-ton diesel trucks roared by us.
Mark was the first reporter I’ve spoken with who has actually chosen to “experience” the road, and I loved it. We enjoyed a wonderful conversation, both on and off the record. I learned fascinating things about Mark as well, for he’s about to undergo a major “next-step” transition project as he’ll soon be graduating, and faces a world of possibilities post-graduation.

As the interview was concluding, Mark, who’s obviously ready to work hard to create a very bright future for himself, asked me: “how should I decide what to do next?”
My answer: “Seek your answer in receptive silence. Go out into nature. Meditate. Clear the clouds of clutter within to reach the golden voice of intuition grounded within you– to reach and read your ‘God Compass,’ which will always point you in the right direction.”

Yesterday’s Route:

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One year ago today, on the auspicious date of “March Fourth,” two cross-country walkers, Andrew Forsthoefel and George Throop, happened to bump into one another.
Our paths crossed on a sunny Sunday morning, as Andrew was five minutes into his day’s walk from Franklin to Jeanerette, Louisiana. I had just said farewell to Franklin host Paul Fitch, who was on his way to the local Catholic service. Paul had invited me in for another evening, but as the weather was great, I was ready for more miles this Sunday. Instead of quickly returning into the house to pull together my belongings and prepare to leave Franklin, the morning weather was so bright and beautiful, that I just had to stand outside for a few minutes, close my eyes and bow into the sun, feeling gratitude for the glorious goodwill of the world around me. Upon opening my eyes, over the five-foot hedges of Paul Fitch’s front yard I saw the bobbling head of a clean-cut young man carrying a backpack, with a small flag and sign attached. Neither his image nor his visage met the profile of many of the homeless & aimless youths I’ve met across the long miles. There was something special about this man, currently walking across this small Louisiana town, distant from any big city vagabond concentration.
Upon getting his attention, I learned that he was walking across America. I asked him if he’d like to come in for water and/or bananas; I was obviously very enthusiastic about his story. He happily accepted my invitation and followed me into the house, having no idea that I didn’t actually live there, and that I too was walking across America.  I brought him inside, and showed him my Chariot full of gear, signs attached: “WALKING ACROSS AMERICA.”

Andrew’s eyes immediately doubled in size with this surprise– it was as if I’d transformed into a Unicorn before his eyes– he was in disbelief, and later admitted that he thought he was on Candid Camera.

We ended up calling off our respective walks for the day, giving us time to get to know one another, “talk the walks,”  and see if super-cool host Paul Fitch wouldn’t mind hosting us both upon his return.

Everything worked out like a dream!

Our hosts contacted print and TV media in Morgan City, Louisiana, who came out for the story the following morning. The story two cross-country walking bumping into one another ended up being broadcast across hundreds of newspapers and TV stations across America, and the story even received an ounce of international coverage as well!

Here’s foot of my brief VIDEO interview of Andrew:

ALSO, POSTED ONE YEAR AGO ON ANDREW FORSTHOEFEL’S BLOG:

It’s rare for me to run into fellow travelers on the road. After over 1,400 miles, I only need two fingers to count the number of times I’ve met one of my biking, walking, hitching colleagues. I met some hitchhikers outside Greenville, South Carolina and in Pascagoula, Mississippi I crossed paths with Bong Song, a South Korean who has spent ten months biking around the world (not thirty minutes later, he ran into another South Korean bicyclist who was also biking around the world, Daniel. They’d run into each other in Pakistan, parted ways with a “good luck and keep in touch” and then serendipitously, accidentally, beautifully met up again on Route 90!) But such moments are few and far between, especially because I’m walking highways and byways, paths that are normally driven and places that are normally lived in or passed through promptly. Which is why I was so blown away to meet George Throop, another cross-country walker.

I was five minutes into my walk yesterday when I came across a tall gentleman taking in the morning rays. “Morning,” I said. He greeted me in kind, and then asked what I was doing. “I’m walking across the country. Everyone has an amazing story to tell so I’m walking to listen,” I said. He nodded his head and then he asked if I wanted a banana and some water. “Sure,” I said, and as we were walking into his house he goes, “You’re really going to like my story.” Entering the living room, I saw a souped up baby carriage with the sign “WALKING ACROSS AMERICA” draped over the front. “Holy sh%!” I said.

I ended up spending yesterday with George. Our incredible host, Paul Fitch, and lovely friend Michelle took us down to the bayou to try the loquats and admire the sugar cane fields. We traded stories and thoughts all night, after stuffing ourselves with the piping hot delicious crawfish etoueffe Paul cooked up. I’ll just say this about that: I had two more bowls for breakfast today.

It’s an amazing experience to meet someone with a similar calling, and so good to be able to look into the mirror and be reminded of how excited I am about what I’m doing right now and about how right this is for me at this time. Because there are those moments when I doubt and fear, and when it feels endless and pointless and painful. Speaking with George, spending time with Paul and Michelle, breathing in this beautiful day today…I think I might follow Bong and Daniel and circumnavigate the globe. On foot. Well, I’ll just start with Jeanerette, Louisiana, the next town over, and go from there. One foot in front of the other.

Every couple of months, someone else is contemplating walking across America. Many of them do their due diligence before beginning such an epic project, searching online for anyone with on-the-road experience they may be able to contact. I contacted BJ Hill, Skip Potts and Garth Poorman before I began my walk. Among many who have contacted me before beginning their respective walks across America, Troy Yocum, Michael Tittinger and Jack Fussell make the list.
I plan to eventually write a more comprehensive “how to” for those who contact me (in addition to anyone else who may be curious). Until then, I’ll continue to answer each question as they’re asked. I haven’t met him, but a man by the name of Gary Mitchell recently found me online, and commented on a Facebook picture of mine with the following question:

“Can you tell me what typical day of walking is like? When you have to camp, what does your camp site look like?”

I answered him:

“Gary Mitchell: My typical night on the road finds me invited indoors by any one of a huge variety of different types of people. Of over three years since I began, I spent many nights in the tent in the western desert and in other areas, but in well over a year (since reaching Houston), I’ve spent only five nights outdoors. Some days on the road are long and arduous, requiring all I have; others may have me speaking to classes, spending time getting to know hosts in their environments, planning my route and hosting options ahead, catching up with communications, blogs, and photos, etc.
Walking across America is 99% mental. The most important ingredient BY FAR is a strong, focused, driven, positive mind to make it through the endless challenges that the road brings. You also must be very flexible, ideally giving yourself a very large open window of time to get to know America and all her beauties as you walk.
At some point, I’ll also be finishing a document similar to BJ Hill’s How to Walk Across America. BJ was an early adviser to me. LINK: http://walktothewhitehouse.wordpress.com/how-to-walk-across-america/

I hope this helps!”

Once again, this evening, the temperature will drop well below freezing. And once again, as has been the case every night this winter, wonderful locals have invited me into their warm home for a cozy night’s sleep. Thank You, Winslow & Harriet Carter ~

New speaking record: speaking to seven distinct groups across the course of a school day, at East Chapel Hill High School. It’s exhausting, but I still love it .
I spoke to PE classes today, and I’ll speak separately to four Spanish classes tomorrow. (I plan to use some of mi español in the process.)
Interestingly, today was the first time any classes have been given a Q & A assignment about the Walk. Having learned this, I made sure I helped them fill in all the right answers .

I’m speaking to the kids at East Chapel Hill High School’s Career Information Center today, and then speaking to the kids at Duke tonight!

I’ll be speaking to the high school INTERACT, in Chapel Hill. I have no idea who INTERACT is nor what it means just yet, but I’m optimistic and I believe this should be fun…

Also, related to yesterday’s post, here’s a wider answer to the bridge walking question:

How often do you have to cross dangerous bridges?
Far more often than I’d like, unfortunately. I don’t know that I’ll ever find the best solution to the bridge question. I want to walk 100% of my miles, but after crossing one of the most dangerous bridges as I was entering Orange, Texas, I decided that I would not be dying just to ensure I that I take 100% of the steps across every single bridge. Therefore, despite crossing some pretty dangerous bridges in Bridge City, Morgan City, Gilbert, Destrehan, Mobile, and many other places, I also chose to survive my way across two way-too-dangerous Louisiana bridges by getting to the other side in alternative ways (link).
It’s been well over a thousand miles since that deadly duo of Louisiana bridges, and while I hope to continue to walk every last bridge through to my final goal, I won’t be killing myself to do so.

I’ve walked thousands of miles from the Pacific Ocean to reach North Carolina’s Research Triangle– a grand mileage total approaching 4,400 since leaving home. My intention while walking across America has always been to connect 100% of the steps. That said, after running across far too dangerous a bridge one evening in Orange, Texas, I promised myself that I wouldn’t brush so closely with doom & gloom just to connect every last step across every dangerous bridge. There are many dangerous bridges across America, and throughout the miles of the Walk, I’ve crossed all but two of them on foot. As it turns out, the very day I left Orange, I encountered a bridge in Vinton, Lousiana, that was even more dangerous than the one I crossed in Orange. After finding no other way to cross it, I called upon the Louisiana State Patrol to assist me. After getting off the phone with a dispatcher who told me he’d felt was an incredible sensation of déjà vu in be speaking with me (I’d never before spoken to him), an LSP trooper came out to drive me across the treacherous, speedy, 1/8-mile span.

The second of these deadly-dangerous-to-the-human-foot bridges was the mile-long bridge from Westlake to Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Click on this pic to see the video link of how I made it from Westlake to Lake Charles: