Wayne Clark of The Valley Times pays me a visit as I'm passing through Valley, Alabama

On my last full day in Alabama, in the small city of Valley, local reporter Wayne Clark paid me a visit this afternoon. I hadn’t planned to take today off in Valley, but upon awakening this morning after a very taxing sixteen miles yesterday, I knew I’d be taking my great host Joey Yerkes up on his offer to spend more time here.
Joey left for work this morning, and when Wayne called this afternoon, I simply assumed Joey must have made a call this morning to the local press. I later found out Joey made no such call this morning. I didn’t even know that Valley Times news existed. So, neither of us know the origin of Wayne’s call to me this afternoon. (Funny– and unusual.)
Wayne & I enjoyed a pleasant conversation over the course of about an hour. As is usual, following a good rapport with any reporter, if it appears they have the free time, I typically like to follow up by reversing the roles, asking them a series of questions about their community– as reporters often possess a most encyclopedic trove of knowledge about their hometowns. I learned some fascinating facts and perspectives about Valley, where Wayne has grown up and spent the vast majority of his life. I’m sure a book could easily be written from Wayne’s local knowledge and insight. One tidbit: The reason that Valley, Alabama is on Eastern Standard Time while the rest of Alabama is on Central Standard Time is because the mills on the Georgia side of the border have traditionally held enormous influence in the community. They wanted their local workforce to be on the same time, on either side of the state-dividing Chattahoochee River. They therefore used their political power to pull Valley, Alabama and neighboring towns an hour ahead of the rest of Alabama.
That said, while Valley is on EST, the rest of Chambers County is an hour behind. I met a school district worker earlier this week who explained to me that locals simply refer to it as “fast time” and “slow time.” It’s funny to think about showing up at 6:10 AM, five minutes early for the 15-minunte school bus ride which drops the student off at school at 7:30 AM.
Ahh, so much to live and learn throughout this great nation… I feel privileged to be experience America town by town, home by home, person by person, step by step. Flying through at 80MPH on the interstate just doesn’t do it justice. “When’s this slow truck going to get out of my lane?” is definitely not any enriching way of traveling across America. Peaking out from a fast-moving window really isn’t either.
Mood: Gratitude.
Tomorrow: Georgia

The very next day, on my way out of town, I would come up close and personal with what the Valley reporter had explained to me.

&

The very next day, on my way out of town, I would come up close and personal with what the Valley reporter had explained to me.

&

Sadly...

“How do you plan to get home?” is a common question I receive from many of the people I’m meeting across the miles. Truth be told, I’ve resisted deciding on an answer to this question, not only because I can’t predict the developments and potential opportunities which will unfold amid the conclusive miles of the Walk, but I also cannot predict how my mind and body will be faring as thousands of miles of walking wrap up at the White House.
Recently, I posed this question to friends on Facebook, and invited their suggestions. I received a variety of interesting answers, and aside from requests that I crab walk or bear crawl 3,000 miles home, I  also received suggestions to fly, bus, take the train, ride a horse, hitch-hike, bicycle, or even walk back. Well, after thousands of miles of walking across America reach their terminus, I think the last thing you’ll find me seeking to do is turn around and walk thousands more miles back home. I may have some things in common with the great Forrest Gump, but not that!
A this point, not only is walking home far from my desires, I also don’t feel attracted to the idea of flying home. After a years-long journey of walking across America, flying would seem to slice off the experience far too abruptly. “No, thanks.” Just as a marathon runner often “walks it off” after running dozens of miles, winding down their momentum step by step, I like the idea of winding down my momentum as I gravitate home to the Evergreen State.
A treasure trove of tips toward more community-integrative living, my friend Elena suggested I check out an on line ride-sharing network, which, since I met Elena via an on line travel-hosting network on my way through Silicon Valley, is something that really appeals to me. We’ll see what comes of this…
After reaching the White House, I may remain on the East Coast for weeks or longer, without a fixed date of departure. Once I do head home though, probably via some network which Elena mentioned, I’ll simply travel home the same way I traveled here: absent of stone-etched prescription; listening to (and following) my gut; and, enjoying the journey all the way home.

After spending nearly ALL of July with Diane & Mindy, locals whom I met here in Montgomery County, and who’ve offered to do some support vehicle driving for me– carrying my stuff forward as I made it on foot all the way to Tuskegee, today I part from them both, and also from their sweetheart pets.
It’s been a wonderful experience to spend time with locals in Montgomery, Alabama. Not only was I allowed time to catch up with personal communications, do video work, and more– much more importantly, Diane & Mindy introduced me to their fascinating worlds– worlds which I’ve spent some time documenting, and which I have every intention of writing more about…

Diane, George, Johnny, Mindy, (Mindy's Mom), Susan

Chunker & Buddy, Diane's darling dogs, both of which I'll definitely miss too!

Today, after weeks within Montgomery County, getting to know the locals, their culture history, I proceeded into Macon County.

Diane & Mindy, sweet locals from Montgomery County, have been playing a support driver role for me, and promise to do so all the way to Tuskegee, which I’ll reach in a few days. In the between time, I’ve been working on catching up on communications in addition to putting together new videos which I plan to soon be posting to the website (via my YouTube page: www.enjoythewalk.org/takestepsfwd).
Rural Alabama is beautiful. Though much of it comes in downpours, Alabama receives more inches of rain per year than we in the Pacific Northwest receive, oddly enough, and I find I’m actually a fan of rain that comes, dumps, and disappears. That said, walking within a neighborhood of thunderstorms can quickly become VERY intimidating.

Entering Macon County, Alabama

"Rustic" rural bridges of Macon County

Macon County's Fields of Gold... What a lovely summer stroll!!

On the morning of March 4th, 2012, as I was sizing up the morning and preparing to return to the road across rural Cajun country (Franklin, Louisiana at this point), suddenly I spotted a clean-cut young man walking by on the sidewalk next to the Main Street home where I’d spent the previous night. He was carrying a large backpack, sign and flag attached. (This felt familiar!) I stopped this most polite 23-year-old in his path, and came to learn that he too is walking across America– in the opposite direction! With the premise that everyone has an interesting story to tell, Andrew is recording stories from people of all walks of life as he walks. Wise man—walking opens worlds unlike any other form of travel.
Andrew & I ended up spending the rest of the day together, getting to know each other and spending time with our awesome hosts before continuing on our separate paths the next morning. Local TV news covered the story of the two of us crossing paths, a story which ended up being picked up by hundreds of newspapers across the country.
As Andrew began in Pennsylvania and I began out West, we’ve called many of our former hosts up across the miles, and he and I have therefore ended up staying with many of the same families as we’ve proceeded in our opposite directions. The pool of friends that Andrew & I share just keeps growing! I took about 3.5 minutes to quickly interview Andrew before we proceeded in our separate directions (video).
Andrew Forsthoefel is an incredible guy with a heart of gold, and I truly look forward to catching up with him again in person someday. This coming week, I’ll likely stay with a man who hosted him in Tuskegee, Alabama.
Curiously, the two cross-country walkers met on March 4th. How appropriate as both before and since meeting, he and I have continued to “march forth!”
(Andrew’s website: www.walkingtolisten.com)

As I’ve been taking several days out to do video-related work for this website, I spent a solid six hours at the end of the day in Starbucks, using their spacious tables, outlets and wifi for my “office,” as I slowly build a million tiny details into what will soon be a finished product of an updated intro video on the homepage of Enjoythewalk.org. As is the case with virtually every Starbucks everywhere, the staff is well-groomed, cheery, and eager to pump overpriced caffeine into the customers’ veins. At this mall branch, almost all commercial businesses lock their doors at 9 PM, and Starbucks is no exception. As the glowing gases of all the blue and red, neon “OPEN” signs in the area were down to their last few minutes of livelihood for June 25, 2012, and a twentysomething Starbucks barista was cleaning the bathroom around the corner from me, the music I heard making its way through that thick restroom door put a smile on my face. Totally unexpected, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas,” happily whistled from that dirty bathroom, was just loud enough to be audible on the south end of the store, where I was sitting. Today, June 25, exactly six months away from Christmas, yule tide tunes would be the very last of any domestic tune I might guess I’d be hearing. However, Thank You Baby Jesus, no obnoxiously loud coffee grinders were spinning at the moment– allowing a large holiday-plus-or-minus-six-months grin to quickly grow across my face. It’s midnight here now, and “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas” has happily been in my head since.