Day 150, August 31, 2012

  I woke up around 8am. I had slept very good compared to usual. I laid there stretching out in the woods for a little while. It was chilly and crisp as I laid in the thick shaded woods. Looking around me was really pretty that morning. There was a sort of mist sitting over the ground and the birds chirping were the only thing I heard.
       When I got up to pack I was feeling really good. I got all packed up and rolled out of the woods and out to the road. It was slow and only a few cars passed me in the next 20 minutes. I sat there on my sleeping bag leaned up on my cart and brushed my teeth. After that I had a bar for breakfast and then sipped the coconut water I was given the day before. I sat there waiting for my parents to drive up. I had given them my location the day before and they were meeting me there at 9. I havn't seen them for about 8-9 months.
        They pulled up and stopped. When they got out I was very exited to give them hugs. It was weird to see them so far from home after so long and I never would have guessed I would be here doing what I'm doing the next time I saw them. But either way it was really great.
         So we decided to hang out there for a little while to visit. We sat under some trees and caught up for about an hour. It was really cool to see how proud they were of me and how much support they brought from people back at home. Not anything material or anything, just people wishing me luck and stuff like that.
       After we sat a while me and my dad were ready to walk and my mom headed back to Williams to wait for us to get there for lunch. It was about 12 miles to Williams which was perfect and a good distance for my dad to try and walk for the day. Also it was a perfect route going through the quiet woods and pretty scenery.
       So my mom took off and me and my dad started walking. It was really cool to have company. What a treat. And it was also great to catch up on stuff and people I know at home.
         We walked about 4 miles when we took our first break. We sat down and rested for about 20 minutes. Then we continued down the road. We came up to an old abandoned house that had a pretty cool design and was unique. We stopped there to check it out. It was cool.
       We walked another 4 miles or so and got to a dirt road. It was pretty all around and green fields and mountains surrounded us. We stopped at a log there where my dad wanted to put an extra pair of socks on for his feet. We stopped there shortly. Just then his phone rang and it was my mom calling him. It was weird to me that just like that we could be connected to her. I'm not used to that out here and it kinda blew me back.
        We took off from there and walked another 4-5 miles. We walked past a deer farm also and walked to check over the fence. There were some domesticated deer just hanging out while people walked around them. We checked that out for 5 minutes and continued.
        Our last break was about 3 miles east of Williams, where my mom was waiting. We finally hit the last stretch and made it to town. I was surprised my dad made it ok. He did better than I did my first day of this walk back in Jacksonville, where I walked 10 miles and was hurting bad. I was proud of him.
       We got to Williams and met my mom at a Mexican restaurant. That was perfect and I could eat a bunch of chips and salsa and get a side of rice and beans. We hung out and talked while we sat outside on the patio (so I could watch my cart). It was Labor day weekend also and there was a music festival going on. So we had live music outside of the restaurant also. It was nice.
         I told my parents I didn't want anything at all from them when they came to visit. My mom wanted to give me a video camera since mine broke, but I told her no. Also even at the Resturant I made sure I had a separate tab. I enjoyed their company but did not want anything at all from them as I have made it all the way up to now from starting with nothing, and only taking things from complete strangers who I didn't know before I started. So I took NOTHING! Not even a bite of my moms shrimp fajitas when she offered. I took absolutely nothing from them except their good company and encouragement and love.
         We left there and decided to meet up in the west end of town to watch the sunset. So they drove to their hotel and I walked towards it. Their hotel was at the end of town and I would sleep somewhere around there. On the way there I ended up stopping at a swap meet. I still needed one more pair of shoes to get me the rest of the way so I looked around for some.
        After a few people with mostly dress shoes, there was a guy who had a nice pair of New Balance for sale with fresh soles. I checked them out but they were 2 sizes too big. I tried them on and they were a little lose. I asked how much? And he said $5. So I decided that for so cheap I could try them and if they didn't workout, no big deal. $5 wasn't much, even for me. Well, to risk getting shoes that is. That's a big investment for me out here, but this was a cheap option. So I got them. The guy I bought them from was really nice. He actually did a lot of walking in his day also. He walked from Mexico to Canada on the pacific coast trail. Cool guy.
       I met another guy there who lived in a covered wagon for years. He was also a very nice guy and had his wagon pretty pimped out. It was trick.
        I left there and then met my parents in the woods just passed their hotel. We climbed up the hill a little and sat down to watch the sunset. It was pretty nice and we just hung out awhile there.
      After dark I walked down with my parents to their hotel and hugged them before they went in. We planned to meet again on the morning before we left Williams. They went in and I walked down to a gas station to use the outlet outside and use the Internet. I wasn't on really at all for the day, so I was gonna update my location and stuff before going to bed.
         I climbed back up the hill where I had left my cart hiding in the woods. I made my bed around 10pm next to a log around some trees. I fell asleep and slept ok that night.

   

Day 149, August 30, 2012

  I woke up on the bench outside of a church. I was still in Flagstaff AZ. My hips were really hurting and sore from the metal surface. I woke up hearing a door close. I rolled over and could see a group of people in the church. It was Friday and I didn't expect people to be there in the morning. They were above me in some windows and I'm sure they saw me at some point.
        I packed my stuff up and was ready to go. I was surprised how good I felt from the lack of rest the last 2 nights. I left there walking at around 8am. I walked about a mile and was still going through town.
        I walked past a motel where two guys were just fixing to leave and they had traveling backpacks on. I asked them where they were headed? They had come to flagstaff from San Diego for a wedding. And the day before they got pulled over and one of the guys truck was impounded. He didn't know it, but his license was revoked in Arizona. So they were actually heading to jump a train and ride it back to San Diego. I wished I had more time with them, but at the end of the block our paths parted. I said good luck to them and shook their hands.
          I walked down the old 66 when I came to what looked like the last gas station before leaving town. When I walked into the parking lot I saw a family that had a sign for gas money. I went inside and broke a $5 I had and came back out and gave them $3. I also has their son a Capri sun and fruit snack. He was pretty exited. They were headed to Chicago IL. I wished them luck.
       I went into the gas station again and asked if I could fill my water jugs. The girl was cool about it and said no problem. So I filled 3 gallons up to get my stock of water back to about 10 gallons. After I filled up I hit the road.
       It was a nice day and a little overcast. I walked the old route 66 for about 4 miles when it met and merged into the 40. Right before the on ramp I saw something that gave me goosebumps. It was the first Los Angeles sign I saw. It hit me that I'm almost on the home stretch.
      I stopped there and took a break on a rock under a tree. I ate the fresh veggies I was given the day before before they would go bad. I sat there for about 20 minutes and was just staring at the Los Angeles sign.
       I jumped onto the 40 and got on a roll. I walked about 9 miles or so when I came to a rest stop to take a break. The rest stop was closed but I rolled by the barriers where a car couldn't fit but I could. I stopped there for about 10 minutes.
       I went to leave there and when I got close to the lane that merged with the freeway there was a gate. It was different from the other side and I was stuck. It was about a half mile back to backtrack where I came in. So I sat there for a second thinking.
       Right then a car pulled up. A guy got out and he was actually traveling for buisiness. He followed my walk online also and his boss asked if he could track me down to give me supplies. He works with parts unlimited with the same group of guys who have checked up on me off and on since mid Texas. Very cool!
        He gave me a chocalate milk and coconut water, and a cliff bar. Chocalate milk was actually awesome and I havnt had that as long as I can remember. He stayed a few minutes and then took off.
      When he left I decided to undo the barbed wire and go through next to the gate. So I grabbed my leather man and undid the bottom 2 strands. I rolled my cart under them and when I got through redid the twist to put them back. I was back on the road.
      I walked another 5 miles when I came to an exit. I was about 18 miles in on the day and planned to stay somewhere off that exit. There was a texaco right of the exit so I stopped there. I sat outside next to an outlet.
       The place was like a log cabin more than a gas station. It was quiet there and there were cabins all around, it was such a cool forest area. People were cruising off road mules and stuff around too and it really seemed like a laid back community.
        When I sat down a lady asked me where I was going and I told her California. She asked how I get money which threw me off and seems a little odd. I told her from people who pull over and that I never pan handle. Then she laughed and said she was just messing with me, she had $5 in her hand that was already there and she was planning to give it to me before she asked that. Her and her husband have a cabin nearby and were here on vacation. She said good luck and her and her husband took off.
       I stayed there for 30 minutes when I wanted to do 2 more miles before finding a place to crash. It was late and there was just enough sunlight left to get the 2 miles.
       Off that exit was where the old 66 continued again parting from the 40. So I walked down that and it was awesome! It went north a ways from the 40 and was silent. It was slow and just beautiful forrest.
        I walked 2 miles when I found a clearing under some pine trees off the road a ways, maybe 50 ft. So I rolled out into the woods a little just as it got pretty dark. I stopped behind a couple big pine trees and made my bed. I laid down and wrote a couple journals there in the dark.
          It was actually a good spot and the pine needles were soft. After my journals I was ready to sleep. I laid there about 10 minutes before I heard crunching near me. I shined my flashlight toward the sound and saw 2 red eyes!!!.... Then after a few seconds it jumped and darted. It was big!! The way it was jumping I could tell it was a deer. But all I saw were red eyes darting behind trees going sideways. And hearing the stomps when it would hit the ground. After It ran off I was not really too spooked for some reason. I laid down again and it was silent with just crickets. It was nice. I was ready for bed... After all, my parents were about 12 miles away from me in a hotel in Williams AZ. They drove from California and were meeting me the next morning... I slept great that night..

   

Day 148, Ausust 29, 2012

 I woke up next to a transformer by a water district building in Flagstaff Arizona. The rocky dirt I slept on mixed with the lightening storms through the night did not allow me to rest well. In fact I hardly had any rest.
        I heard a truck pull around me. It was next to the building behind me and was filling up its water tank with an overhead water source. I'm not sure if the guy saw me or not but either way I was ready to get up and it didn't matter.
       I packed up and it was about 7:30. I walked down the street where there was a taco bell. I got there around 8 and they didn't open until 9. So I sat outside against the wall on the ground. I put my solar panel on the ground next to me to charge my electronic devices while I waited. I didn't really know what my plan was and decided I would figure it out when I woke up that morning. The night before I thought if I felt ok I would just keep walking and head out of town. But since I hardly slept I decided to at least rest for half the day and possibly do a half day of 10 miles or so in the late afternoon.
        When taco bell opened I went inside and sat next to an outlet. I ordered a $2 meal deal they have that gives you a burrito, chips, and a drink. It's a pretty good deal and I wanted to buy something since I was gonna sit there for a few hours at least.
         I sat there and wrote some journals while using the Internet also. I mainly wanted to just relax since I was beat. I can really feel pain in my body when I don't sleep much as opposed to when I have decent rest. When I actually sleep its amazing how much my body really recovers itself. But like I said, with no rest the soreness and aches don't seem to go away the same.
           I sat there all day and was planning to leave to walk 8 miles at about 4pm. That would take me to an exit just west of Flagstaff where I could sleep. But as the day went my plans ended up changing.
         At about 3:30 I had a visitor come to meet me. He had heard of my story online and wanted to come hangout and hook me up with some stuff too. So he came and we sat in taco bell talking for a little while. After about 20 minutes he left but before leaving he had some stuff in his car for me. He gave me a Tupperware with some veggies in it, a few granola bars, a bag of peanuts and another box of about 8 more granola bars. That really helped and leaving flagstaff I could use some stuff to pack. West Arizona is going to get pretty scarce. He also offered me a foam mat to sleep on but I didn't want to take it. I'm not sure why I didn't take that. I can pack it easily. But I think since it is such a luxury to have soft to sleep on it was almost too much to take. If that makes any sense.
          So after that I slowly packed my stuff up and organized my cart. I was outside going through it to find any trash and throw it away. I was just about to leave when another guy walked up and met me. He was on his way to Phoenix from I think Idaho (not sure). So he wanted to stop and meet me. He wanted to buy me lunch so we ended up going back into taco bell.
        Since I'm always pretty frugal I ordered 2 items that were less than $2 total. He ordered food too and we sat down. He was telling me he has read my journals and was really intrigued by what I'm doing. It was cool and he knew pretty much all of the things that happened along the way. So we were talking about different things and he was a really cool dude.
         We were talking a lot about how my perspective of this is hard for me to see what others see since I'm the one doing it. Sometimes I don't understand why people are inspired or interested in what I'm doing. To me, ultimately I'm just a homeless guy who walks all day. There are for sure times when I feel it has been incredible to make it this far only walking when I started with basically nothing to survive. No medical supplies, no money, no food, really no preparation at all either.
        We had a really cool conversation and it reminded me of times where me and my cousins can really go deep and break things down. Another thing I really enjoy out here is the clarity in my thoughts. It's really amazing how this journey has cleared my mind so much and made things that I questioned before so much, so evident now.
        We hung out for about an hour and it was a very refreshing conversation, definitely left me with a lot of good positivity and thoughts to ponder. I also talked about something that I havn't really thought about or talked about much since I started. I kind of opened up about my breakdown that led to becoming homeless and making the choice to leave everything behind. Which to me, wasn't really a choice. At the time I felt I only had this option. My breakdown was very bad and almost bad enough where I honestly didn't think I would ever be the same. It was a really scary experience and for a long time, I didn't want to remember any of it. Almost like by thinking about it, it would haunt me and consume me. Talking to him about that felt good though. I really felt like remembering the things that I went through and comparing them to now, shows how far I have come and how much I have grown as a person. It was a good thing for sure.
           So after that we were both gonna leave there. Before he left he gave me $20. I told him no and I didn't need it. Then he said "I read the blog and know you always decline stuff. Take it." that was pretty funny to me actually since he knew I only take things when people insist.
      I left taco bell and it was about 6pm now. There was a couple that also heard about me over the Internet that lived downtown which was where I was headed next. They wanted to meet up and offered me dinner and a shower. I wasn't going to go for it but the girl said they would really appreciate if I did so they could ask me questions and hear some stories. So then I felt like they really wanted to have my company, rather than just offer to help. I know the way I think and justify things is different. But these are just my honest thoughts haha.
         So I walked through downtown and it was really nice! Flagstaff is a great place. I got to their street and met them outside. It was a couple who were both college students, and their dog. So they invited me in to their apartment.
      I went in and it was a small but very cool place. A typical looking student home. They showed me to the bathroom and said to go ahead and clean up an take my time. Man was I excited. The last time I bathed legitimately in a shower wasAamarillo TX about 50 days ago.
      The shower head was broken so I took a bath. Which felt amazing! Hot water soaking on my muscles. Wow. The only hot water I usually feel is the water I drink when the sun heats it up. I really enjoyed relaxing and cleaning up. I shampooed and conditioned my hair and beard. Again, I can't describe the feeling I had to be clean and fresh. Something that I have never appreciated so much in life. Things like this are really put into perspective. We are so lucky to have little things like this but a lot of the times are just so accustomed to them that we don't appreciate them. We have evolved past why we really do things. Sometime a long time ago, showers were few and far between and were something that was actually used for protecting your skin and body. But since they feel good and make you fresh, we indulge which is not wrong in any way, but by showering so much and routinely we lose the true appreciation of what it does.
          After I cleaned up I had a load of laundry started, including my sleeping bag and jacket with the clothes I just took off. Then we sat down in their dining room and had dinner. And wow! It was amazing. A hot homemade dinner. First time I've had that since Wichita falls TX a couple months ago. I sat with them and enjoyed rice with a spicy soup poured over it.
         We hung out and visited just talking about random different stuff. They were really nice and we had a great conversation. I'm not sure if I feel like everyone is so nice because I'm always alone? Or maybe I just have a new appreciation for people. I think I just take more time to talk and find out about people now and I find good in mostly everyone. It may be due to just being so alone all the time where I have that ability. Maybe joining society again someday will wear that off? I don't know. But I'm usually so thankful for all the people I meet and have great things to say about all those who help me. Not that this couple raised this thought. It's just because I realize I'm always glowing and saying such positive things about everyone. I'm not usually one to be so upbeat and positive this much. I'm usually competitive and more judgmental. But I enjoy being in this place mentally. So I don't want to over think that.
         After my laundry was done I took my time and packed my things up while talking to them. Once I was all packed up, I was gonna get down the road a little ways and get ready to get back on the road in the morning. It was late when I left there, about 12:30am. They had class in the morning and I just felt better staying elsewhere. They offered me to stay but there were some churches down the street that I could crash at. So we said goodbye and they sent me off with 3 or 4 cliff bars to pack also.
          I walked about 3 miles to a church just west of downtown. It was hidden from the street and a good spot. I went to a corner where there were two benches on a concrete pad. I made my bed on a bench there and I was exhausted. It was a good day of having people around me that we're so supportive. And I was stocked up with food a little more now and felt much better leaving there. A very refreshing day both with cleaning up, and having encouraging visits from supportive people.
        I fell asleep in the bench around 1:30am. I was a little worried I was gonna be a zombie the next day but just knew eventually I could catch up on sleep. I tossed and turned a lot that night. It was really cold and the metal bench put a lot of pressure on my knees and hips. I slept a little less than average that night. Pretty uncomfortable.

     

Day 147, August 28, 2012

 I woke up behind a couple small trees between interstate 40 and a fence that runs parallel to the 40 about 30 feet off of it. I was between the trees and the fence sleeping on some dirt.
       When I got up I was pretty tired and was woken up all night from the passing big rig trucks zooming by. The ground I slept on was soft though so the good part was my knees and hips weren't too sore.
         I packed up and did the morning routine of brushing my teeth and stretching out a bit. When I was ready to go I walked back out and up a little hill to the shoulder of the 40.
        I started walking and it was early still, maybe 7:30. It was really pretty and so much different from the day before. Yesterday I was walking in open desert, and suddenly in one day I am walking through forest with hills around. And everything was so green and blossomed.
       I noticed in the first hour of walking how many cops there were. Honestly, there must have been about 8 cop cars or SUV's pass by. They all looked to be flagstaff police. I was about 22 miles from Flagstaff where I started the day.
       I took a break about 8 miles in under a bridge. The scenery was so nice all around and it was a treat to be in such a beautiful area. I sat there on a concrete median under the overpass for about 15 minutes before taking off again. I was eager to get to Flagstaff so I wanted to keep moving along.
        In the next stretch I saw a bunch more cops. I even passed 2 cars that were pulled over by cops. The first one I passed on the dirt off of the shoulder. I am always interesting so see the reactions of both the police and people in the cars pulled over when they see me. They always look a little surprised and confused. I still have not been stopped by a cop in Arizona.
        The second cop I passed actually was pulled far off the road so I passed on the shoulder on the edge near the interstate lane. He was in his car and right before I passed his car he got out and came up to me. He asked if I was walking up to him or just passing? I told him I was just passing by. He said ok, and didn't know if I needed anything. He asked where I was going and was really cool about everything. About 99% of cops have really been helpful and actually check on me often just to make sure I'm ok or if I need a ride.
         I put another 8 miles or so in when I was ready for another break. I stopped under a bridge again just before the Flagstaff area. Again it was real nice all around the area. And the mountains were right by me which was also awesome to view.
       I got back at it and was ready to make the last push to town. It was starting to get a little cloudy overhead but didn't look bad. I walked another 4 miles or so when I entered east flagstaff and passed the first exit. I wanted to get to the middle of the town so I was gonna go a few more miles.
        The clouds were moving by fast and darker clouds were rolling in. Another mile or so it began to rain. It was light for a few minutes and then suddenly became heavy. Luckily I was about 1/4 mile from an overpass, so I walked quickly and made it under while my things just caught a little of the water. It wasn't heavy enough, and I was close enough to the bridge where I didn't want to pull the tarp out and get all the rain gear over me and my stuff.
       When I made it under the bridge I went and sat at the cement slope. There was a pile of stuff someone had left there and I kinda kicked it around to see what it was. I actually salvaged a brand new pack of wet wipes and some band aids out of a first aid kit that were under some clothes. There was a shirt but it was a dress shirt and I didn't want to take that. It was dark color too and I use mostly white for the heat.
           It rained for about 10 minutes and then the dark clouds moved on and it cleared up. So I took off from there again to walk the last couple miles or so and get off on the exit just east of downtown. I walked there and got off. By this time I was starving. All I really had left in my stock was a couple old bars that were smashed. I ate one in the morning and aside from that had a handful of sunflower seeds that I had too. So I was just about out of food and really hungry. I had absolutely no money also. I was planning to go to a little Caesars that night and try to get the throw away pizzas after the close from the dumpster. If I could get 2 or 3 I could throw them in zip lock bags I have and make them last 4-5 days until the next town where I could pick another dumpster if I had to.
         When I got to a McDonald's I decided to stop there and sit down. There was a man outside that looked hungry also so I gave him the last of my bars. I really had no desire to eat them but he was really happy and munched them right away. I went inside and got an ice water and sat down.
      About 20 minutes later a family tracked me down to visit me, they were coming from Phoenix and headed to Colorado. They had followed my journey for a while and wanted to come say hi. They came and visited. They also gave me a bunch of snacks, a big Costco pack of salami, and $20. I don't ever let anyone know when I'm starving or low on money aside from these journals, which are posted about 2 weeks delayed. So they had no clue how much that stuff meant to me. I even had to fight not stuffing my face until they left. They were really nice, they also gave me a pack of Capri suns and the daughter didn't like that. She wanted those things. So in trade I gave her a rock I have been carrying for over 500 miles now.
         After they left I ate like its the last food on the planet. I also ordered a couple dollar menu things so that I wasn't gonna sit there all day and eat outside food. It was so nice to have my stomach not hurt anymore. What a great feeling.
        I left there around 9 when I was ready to find a place to crash. I headed down the street and turned into an industrial road that dead ended. At the end there was a water district building and in front of it was an electrical transformer big enough to hide behind. I pushed my cart behind it and made my bed. It was really chilly and the good thing was the transformer put off a little heat. So I was on the dirt and rocks tucked up right next to it.
         I couldn't sleep hardly at all that night. The ground was rocky and bumpy and it was cold. I tossed and turned all night. Then around 2am a pretty bad lightning storm came right over me. Lightening was striking right by me and sounded like gunshots!! When they hit close like that I felt my heart skip a beat. It was a little scary. Weird too because there wasn't rain. Just lightening. I maybe got 3 hours of off and on sleep that night,

     

Day 146, August 27, 2012

  I woke up from a golf cart rolling by in the rocks. A lady in an orange vest said "you need to get up and move on". I said "ok, no worries. Il be out of here shortly".
       I got up after she drove off and packed up. It was about 9am. I headed over to the bathroom and brushed my teeth in the sink. After that I ran water over my hair and just felt the fresh feeling of it cooling my head and also onto my face while running my hands over it. Man that feels good when you don't get to do it often!
        I left there at about 9:30. I was pretty low on food and only had one canned ravioli left. After that just some old granola bars in the bottom of my pouches on my cart. So I saved the can for afternoon.
       I left there and got back on the 40. It was mostly uphill. I walked about 6 miles when I was getting really hungry. So I stopped under a bridge and cracked my last can of food. I also had an MRE left too for emergency. As I sat there and ate a man in a truck pulled over on the other side of the highway. He yelled out if I was ok or needed a ride? I said I was all good. He also asked if I needed water? I was stocked up so I said I was ok, but thanked him for stopping to check.
       I left there and got on a good roll. My knees were not hurting too much and so I picked up the pace. I had about 45 miles until flagstaff so I wanted to get about half way before sunset.
      I took another break at about the 18 miles point for the day. I sat again under a bridge for shade. It was a little warm so the shade felt cool on my skin. I was really hungry again so I ate a couple bars there.
       I left there and walked about 4 more miles and into the sunset. I had passed a creek where suddenly past it there were now trees. It went from open desert to forest just like that. I walked until it was really getting dark and then I pulled off the road. It was easier to sleep where there are trees to keep me hidden.
       So I rolled off the 40 about 30 feet and made camp behind some trees. It was dirt but was a little hard still. I was happy with being hidden, but the hard surface and loud noise of the freeway were gonna be a little inconvenient.
       When I laid down just as the sun disappeared, I was starving. I decided to eat the MRE I had so I could sleep without starving. That left me with just some bread and a few bars left. That was all the food I had left.
        I fell asleep at about 9:30 and the noise woke me up all night. I sort of slept off and on and ended up laying awake a lot of the night.