DAY 17

I woke up at around 9 on day 17. I was exhausted. I didn't sleep well at all and my hips hurt from laying on my sides on the concrete. I got up and stretched out right away to try and loosen up hoping to feel better. I was tight too so the stretching helps that.
      I slowly packed up an was really in no rush to leave for some random reason. When I was packed up I sat there another 20 minutes writing my journal and using the Internet. Then I was ready to go.
      I got into the road an headed towards Marianna. It was pretty Hott and again real humid. I rolled up my sleeves to try and stay a little cooler. I walked a few miles when a small truck pulled over. It was a black lady an she wanted to know if I wanted a ride up to Marianna. I told her thank you so much but I was trying to walk across the country. I said god bless and she said the same before driving off. 
          I walked a long ways and almost to Marianna when my best friend called me on Skype. So I pulled of and talked to him a while along the highway. He til me what was going on back in my hometown of Patterson ca and we just talked a bit. I continued. 
        It was very hot and I was sweating a ton. I got into Marianna and stopped at a dollar store. I bought a loaf of wheat bread and have realized that a loaf feeds me for about 4 days, is good energy (I get whole grain wheat), and is only a buck. I ate 2 slices of bread and continued. 
          The town seemed forever to get through. For a while there was no sidewalks or even a shoulder. So I was having to stop whenever a car was in the outside lane (2 lanes each way). Plus the stoplights slowed me down a bit too. I keep a much better pace through the country with no stops.
        I stopped at a burger king where I filled up my water jugs. It was good cold filtered water and I really have learned to appreciate that when I can get it. Sometimes I'm stuck with hot water out in the country.
        I continued and finally was past the town. My feet were really hurting me and cramping up. And also it felt like the bottoms of my feet were really render and could possibly be blistering. I hoped not. 
        I walked until it was dark and had a church already on my google maps to head to. It took way longer than what I had expected. Well after dark I finally got there. I went to the back and luckily there was no houses behind that would spot me. I made my bead and laid down. My feet were in a lot of pain. There were also a bunch of mesquitos there so I threw on some bug spray. I got but a few times before getting it on though. I laid down and slowly fell asleep. I was bit a couple more times in my back before I was all the way asleep and thought i may have been ants. But getting bit is just part of being out here so I learned to deal with it.
      It has been 17 days now out here on the road and it's been quite a journey, even just up to this point. When I started on the beach with no food or money I honestly didn't know how fast or how far I would be able to travel. I kind of put myself in this place to find where I belong in this world. I'm for sure searching for whatever life has for me and who I am gonna be in my time here. With what I started with I didn't even know I would be able to make it out of Jacksonville. Having only a backpack with a few things in it, for all I know I could still be in Jacksonville starving and begging for food. I sort of asked god when I began this journey, to lead me wherever he will and place me where I belong in this life. If I was starving and dumpster diving there still then I would have accepted that life and waited until he had another plan for me. But god didn't do that, he abruptly gave me support through the good people in this world and propelled me right away to continue with no hesitation. Also, I didn't train or prepare one bit for this trip. And to be honest I only decided about 3 weeks before I started that I would do it. So this has been a guided journey where I have been provided the tools to walk the path ahead. And whatever this turns into will only be through the guidance of what is around me, as I started with nothing. I may end up hitting a snag somewhere and being stuck, or I may not even make it all the way. There are many possibilities with the approach I have on this quest and will continue to share how far or how long it takes me.

DAY 16

I woke up in my tent. It was a little chilly and looked like it was dark out from the inside of my tent. I was in a thick area of trees though so I thought it may just be shaded. I checked my iPod and it was 9:30. I unzipped my door and on the ground there were little tree frogs everywhere hopping around. It was wet and dirty too.
      I ended up rolling my cart out then carrying my tent and stuff toward the church landscape to pack it up there so it didn't get wet/dirty or have frogs in it. I packed up my things there. It was pretty overcast and looked like it was about to rain but the weather for the day said no chance. 
        After packing up I went back to the church to get a little charge before taking off. There were people there but I just thought I would get 10 minutes in so my battery would last to the next town. I was brushing my teeth on the side of the church as my things charged when a man came out. He asked how I was and I said good, and that I was just charging my gps for a few minutes then I was heading down the road. He smiled and said no problem and told me to have a good day. I was a little relieved and thankful he was so nice about it. I ate 2 slices of bread and was ready.
          I hit the road. It was very humid out, not hot, but real Humid. I was on a good roll walking. I had watched the video that I recorded of Corey and it pumps me up now when I watch it (Corey the NFL football player I ran into). I was stocked with water and had good charge. I walked a straight 13 miles and only drank one small desani bottle of water. I'm getting to a point where I'm learning to only drink as much as I need and can actually feel when I approach the line of dehydration. 
      I made it to a town of Chatahoochi FL. It was about 3 and time for my midday break. I stopped at a Hardee's where I could charge my things and use their wifi. I ordered a chicken sandwich there so that I was a customer as I planned to stay a while. I stayed in the AC and relaxed for a couple hours. It was a nice break and I drank plenty of water there since I didn't have to worry about conserving. 
      At about 6, I took off. I wanted to get about 11 more miles down the road before dark. I walked a good pace. I crossed over a river that came out of the Dam at seminol lake. I looked down at the water and there were turtles everywhere. As I got passed the bridge I was walking on the shoulder and I saw something out of the corner of my eye....SNAKE!!! It was about 2 feet from me. I instantly had goosbumbs and my hair stood up. It was about 7 foot long or so. I scurried past it and then took a picture. I hate snakes. I had already seen a handful today and usually do each day but they are tiny and usually off into the grass a ways. This was a scare.
        I continued past a prison. It was a large facility and I could see the inmates off in the distance. I wondered what it would be like to do time. I always thought it would be interesting to do a couple months to see what it was like. But I'm good.
        I walked about 8 miles no problem. I passed 2 kids playing football at a house on the side of the 90. They asked if I was ok. I said ya and they walked up. They asked where I was going and I said CA. They also asked if I was trying to break a record or something. I told them no, and it was for personal reasons. I ended up playing a little catch with them for 5 minutes then took off. It felt good to throw the pigskin a little.
        The sun was setting and it was the time where I keep an eye out for a place to sleep. Just when I began looking a church was right up ahead. It was by itself and hidden pretty well. It was also back off the highway a ways. It was about as good a place as there will be when your homeless and traveling through. I walked back and went behind the church. There was a patio in the back with tables and a concrete pad. And a perfect spot in the corner where there was a rug on the ground and an outlet right by it. I wish every night could be this easy. I made my bed and tucked my things and myself right into the corner. I laid down and went through my emails there. I was safe and as comfortable as I could be (for mindsake, the concrete wasn't too comfy). It was only 8 and I was confused why it felt late. Then I realized on the Internet I had just passed into the central time zone. I was pretty exited. I felt accomplished!  
        I had trouble sleeping for some reason and was thinking a lot about my travels. I tossed and turned a while. As I laid there I heard something on the wall behind my head. I grabbed my iPod and put the light on it. It was a huge cockroach!! About the size of a Pringles chip!!! I reacted by grabbing my shoe and smashing it. I did it so fast and didn't even think. It was a little gross and figured that wouldn't help my sleep problem. I stayed up until about 2 (which yesterday would have been 3 in the other time zone) and finally fell asleep.

Day 15

I woke up at around 9 in my tent. I was really comfortable and slept good not dealing with bugs or mosquitos through the night. I laid there a little while I checked weather on my iPod. It said rain off and on through the whole day. But it was bright outside and the sun was shining. 
        I got up and packed up my stuff. The tent takes an extra 5 minutes to pack but it's well worth it. I loaded up and went out to the highway. I figured I would walk until it started raining then would cover me and my things with my tarp to stay dry. 
        I grabbed a couple slices of bread out of my pack and munched them when I began walking. I walked for 4 miles into the town of gretlin. It was a small town and from the looks of it, it was poor. Just as I was about out of the town it started to rain. It was light so I kept going but about 5 minutes later it began to get heavy. Just my luck there was one last building before the town ended and it was a church. Perfect timing. 
      So I rolled my cart and went under a little overhang to stay dry. It rained pretty good for a long while while I sat there then it let up a little. When it let up I walked around the church to see if I could stay there if the rain didn't stop. Behind the church there was a portable car port that was large with 3 walls, and dry. I went an got my stuff and sat under there. I laid out my sleeping bag and relaxed through the storm. 
        The rain picked up. It was pouring! The drops hitting the tin of the cover were so loud. I t began to puddle outside of the carport. It poured for so long and so hard the puddle was getting bigger and started to move into the cover I was under. It got about half way and I moved my stuff to the dry half. Just then it let up a little and the puddle stopped getting bigger.
        It rained for a good 4-5 hours straight at a good steady downfall. I figured I would stay there because the next town was 13 miles and I wanted to stay dry, and rest up to get ready for tomorrow which would be nice. So I got comfortable.
          Just when I thought I was in a good spot a car pulled behind the church and right in front of the cover and just stared at me. I couldn't believe it! Someone must have seen me. It looked like he knew I was there. He sat there a while and it was awkward. I thought he might call the cops but he never got in his phone. He just stared like I was up to something. Really weird.
          About 10 minutes later he pulled off. I was bummed. I couldn't stay invade he called the cops so I packed up quickly and just hit the road. It had slowed down to a slow drizzle of rain and I hoped to find something or somewhere to stay soon incase it poured again. 
      I walked down the highway but no luck. I looked everywhere and couldn't even find a fair place to pitch my tent. I eventually saw a field across the railroad tracks (which runs along side the highway) and thought I would check it out. I started off the road and toward the tracks and I took one last glance ahead and saw a big church sign. I was in luck!
        I walked back onto the highway and to the church. It was huge! Two huge buildings and I didn't even know which was the church or what the other building was. I walked around it and found a faucet. I filled my jugs up right away so that I was stocked up on water. I'm beginning to have a keen taste for water and can really tell a difference in qualities. I drank the water and for a faucet it was pretty good.
        I walked around the side and also found an overhang with outlets. I plugged my things in and charged them. I wanted to stay the night here but worried in the morning someone would come. It's too big of a church to be completely vacant. So I started thinking about where I would stay. I decided I would pitch a tent behind the trees where the landscape ended. I found a couple spots that would work.
        Just then a car pulled up right in front of me. Dam again!! I was hoping to stay stealth and not be seen but I was spotted. The car left about 5 minutes later. I put my backpack on and wanted to get out of sight while I could. But another car pulled in! Worst timing. I know I can't complain since im trying to be sneaky but still! So I just walked toward the exit. As I was walking towards the driveway that went to the highway I spotted one other good spot on the other side. By then the car was out of sight behind the corner of the building. I hurried over, went into the trees, and was out of sight. Nobody saw me. I peeked through a little clearing to the highway and saw a cop fly by just then too.
        I opened my bag and grabbed my tent. Threw it up quickly, and put my cart and all my stuff inside. I hopped in at about 7 and made my bed. I was just hidden well enough to be comfortable. I laid down and wanted to get to bed early for a good long hike tomorrow now that I am regrouped with water, I will be rested, and the weather should be good. I went to bed and listened to the rain hit the tent and all the animals in the thick. Fell asleep in peace.

Day 14

When I woke up on day 14 I was relieved. Sleeping near a cemetery was a creepy thing and being able to get rest was lucky. I got up and was ready to get out of there. I plugged my chargers in while I packed, washed up, and filled my waters. When I was done I headed out. 
        I started west on 90 at about 10:30. It was pretty hot already and humid as hell. I walked about 5 miles then decided to take a 20 minute break under some shade trees. I used the Internet there and drank water. After 20 minutes I got up and kept going. 
        I figured I would walk to the half way point and around the 10th mile for the day stop for an hour or so for a break and to miss the hottest part of the day. Usually from 3 to 4 il try to break. As I walked the next stretch I began thinking about my life. I am 25, and have no clue where my life is or where it's going. A year ago I had a life of success and I was moving up. Had a good career job, had a new truck, new dirt bike, credit was amazing, and rented a nice home to myself. I was getting ready to look into buying a home and settling down. But something happened to me. I went through a bad relationship, I was not happy at work, and my heart was lost. I lost myself in the grind of life and was down in the dumps. I tried church, counseling, and pretty much every medication out there. Nothing was helping. I didn't know what to do but I knew I needed to find something big. I didn't know where to look or what to do, but I knew I couldn't keep living my life when I didn't love myself or anything really in life. That's when I just one day walked away from everything. I decided life is not worth living if I can't even enjoy it. I left with nothing and have been homeless ever since on a search for myself. I have lived the last year with no direction and it has been tough. I'm still skilled and have a good work ethic, but when I don't have my heart in the right place it means nothing to me.
        So as I thought about all this it really began to get me down. Where am I going from this point? What is after this journey? Will I find myself along the way. I honestly, sad to say, have very little hope. I don't want people to feel sorry for me or anything. It's just my own thoughts. I'm on a search and it's hard when I can't be sure of what I'm looking for. Or even if I found it and maybe I don't realize it. I feel good in certain moments but am usually numb to most feelings. And I only feel these good moments when I'm at a place of turmoil. A place so bad that it forces me to feel good when something blesses me and helps me survive. I wish I knew how to appreciate things more in a normal life but I always seem to take them for granted. I'm just very lost in this world and I can't keep trying everything everyone tells me to try. I've tried that and it's not me, it's not real. I'm out here on my own to find something. If there's something for me to learn god knows I'm desperate out here to find it. And if he has something he will show me my own truth.
        So walking on that stretch until 3 was getting me down a little. I stopped at 3 next to the highway in the middle of nowhere where there was nothing. I laid my jacket down on the side of a slope and laid down on it to take a nap. I knocked out for an hour. When I woke up I turned my head as I noticed someone walking along the highway. I was confused and I never see anyone walking unless it's in a town. It was out of place. I rubbed my eyes and looke again. It was a tall black man who was very built and dressed in all black workout gear. He had headphones and a black pull over windbreaker. He was directly in front of me when he pulled his headphones off and said "you homeless?". I said yeahh... He walked over to me and said, "you look young". He shook my hand and said his name (corey fuller) and We started talking.  He pulled a $20 bill out. He asked what I was doing and I told him. He was shocked! He said that was quite a journey and that he was only walking 3 miles. He was the football coach just up the road and was a former NFL football player. When he said that I knew the name sounded familiar an remembered I used to have one of his football cards. 
        He gave me his email and wanted to give me his phone number (I don't have a phone so I said I couldn't call anyways). So we exchanged emails and he said to contact him everyday to let him know how I am. I got a video of him also that is on my twitter @hobo_nick he said a lot of kind words and it was pretty inspiring to have his support and encouragement. Before he left he said he was going to spread the word and to keep him posted everyday. He took off.
          After that I packed up and after drinking more water I took off to the next town up, Quincy fl. I walked towards the town. Just as I approached the town there was 4 black men in front of a house just off the highway. They waved to me and asked if I wanted a cold drink. They looked friendly so I walked over and they gave me a cold powerade. They were good folks and looked like they just got off work. Well 2 of them, the other two were old men. They asked where I was headed and flipped out when I told them. They were pretty funny and had a bunch of questions. The oldest one kept trying to give me directions even after I told him 10 times I had gps. He was hammered. 
        After I left from there I got into Quincy. I looked for a place to charge my things as they were about dead. By this time it was already dark. I ended up stopping in front of a grocery store where I found an outlet. I Skyped with my mom there and let my things charge. After I left I went down the highway further when there was a feild on the side of the road. I decided to walk in and pitch my tent behind some trees in the feild. It was a pain doing it in the dark bit I figured it out. I put all my things in the tent and zipped it up. It was nice to be away from the bugs in there and sprawled out and comfortable. I laid down to sleep and Skype one of my best friends Daniel for a bit, then I passed out.

Day 13

Today I woke up between the two sheds in Tallahassee. The concrete is hard and my hips hurt from sleeping on my sides. When I woke up I laid there for a while like I usually do. Being a unemployed hobo has a pretty laid back sleep schedule. As I laid there a couple cars pulled up and parked right along the shed. I heard some people get out and walk into the building. I hoped they wouldn't move the garbage cans and find a hobo behind them. 
        After they were inside a while I I packed up my things. I headed across the street to a McDonald's where I saw a sign on the window for a hash brown and a sausage mcmuffin for $1. So I went in to use the wifi and chargers and got that deal so I was at least a customer while I say there a while to use the wifi. The food tastes amazing! I only get hot food very seldom out her and it's a huge difference. I stayed a while there. Before I left I filled my waters.
        After that just across from there I went to a Walmart to see about a few things. I had still 72 dollars and needed a tent and possibly couple other things. I went in and they were out of single man tents which are 22.99. I was a little bummed. I ended up getting some anti inflammatory pills for the back of my knees which have been really sore. I spent $4 on those an took them as soon as I got outside. I also stretched a little and then took off walking. 
        The walk was rolling hills and uphill was wearing me down. I was almost to downtown. A man pulled up at a stop light and was yelling at me through the window. He had a bag and threw it to me. The light was green so he took off and I never did catch a word he said. The bag was full of new socks. I have 2 pairs but figured I better at least take a couple from the bag too. If not and later I needed them I would feel stupid.
          I made it downtown and came up to the Florida state campus. It was really cool. There were a lot of students all over the place and it was refreshing to see so many beautiful girls. I probably looked like a creeper to them but that's ok. I ended up stopping at a nice shaded spot with benches for a break. It was so nice I ended up laying on a bench using my jacket as a pillow and knocked out for an hour nap. It felt great.
        When I woke up it was 4. I continued walking. A ways up two students on bikes passed me and then turned around. They had a bag and handed it to me. It was a small bag of combos snacks. I said thank you and they rode off. I snacked on those as I walked. 
          At the edge of town at about 6:30 I stopped at a thrift store where I wanted to by a light colored shirt. My 2 shirts are black and get Hott in the sun. I went in and an older black man helped me out. I got a white shirt and when I went to pay he said 50 cents. I don't know why but I grabbed 4 quarters and gave him a dollar. He gave me 2 back and said its just 50 cents. Then I said thanks for being honest. He told me not to thank him for doing what he's supposed to do. He asked where I was going and I told him. He said he had done something similar as a young man. When he returned from Vietnam he traveled too. He said that there will be many things to learn on a journey. He learned that he is a selfish man, and that he needed to be ok with that in order to love himself so that he could love others too. He had a real cool perspective on things and I really enjoyed his words. He told me to go in peace and peace will be with me. He asked me a question, he asked if a tragedy sparked this. And deep down the way he asked and just the real person he was, it made me realize that it was something tragic that caused my to originally change my life. My life literally changed in a matter of moments and it is safe to say that it is probably the start to the change I went through to bring me to this point. It opened up my mind and made something clear to me. Something I would think about the rest of the night...
          When I left I was very happy that I met Marvin. He put a light on me that I believe was needed. I believe I went there for a reason and met Marvin for a purpose. As I walked on I had a lot on my mind.
        I walked a ways further and saw another Walmart. I went in and they had the single man tents there. So I ended up picking one up. I didn't like that it was orange, but I need one for the woods and it will make traveling easier so I got it anyways.
        I went down the road and finally got to the church I was looking for. When I got there I wasn't happy to see there was a cemetery around it on both sides and the back. It was pretty creepy and I didn't want to stay anywhere near something like this the entire trip. The road around there was full of houses though and there was nowhere else to stay. I didn't like it at all but I would have to bite the bullet and sleep there. I found some bushes beside the church about 50ft away from the headstones where I made my bed. I laid there and said some prayers about staying there. I prayed to god to watch over and protect me, and also that I wish all the souls around me where I sleep tonight rest in peace and forgive me for resting there that night. It was really weird but it honestly made me more comfortable. I fell asleep around midnight. 

Day 12

I woke up in the thick bushes on the edge of the church property south west of monticello along highway 155. The sun was beaming down on me and it was warm. I sat up an looked around, there was nobody in sight. I got up and packed my gear. I walked over to the front steps of the church and sat down. On the sign the night before It said there was only service on the 1st 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month. So I thought I got lucky and there wouldn't be anyone there when I got up.
        I planned to eat some bread for breakfast, then brush my teeth, fill my waters up, stretch and then take off. I was eating some bread there when all of a sudden a cop pulled up. He came up quickly and I didn't see him coming. He asked for my ID. I gave it to him and he asked where I slept last night. I told him in the woods. He asked where I was going, and I told him California. He looked at me like I was a meth addict. He checked my license. When he gave it back to me he said I would have to take off from there right away. I said sure no prob. As I put my backpack on a man dressed nicely came around from the back of the church and talked to the cop. I figured he had called and I was confused as to why he was there but it didn't matter, I had to go.
    I left walking and went down about a mile where I stopped in the shade and brushed my teeth and stretched. I didn't get to fill my waters so I kept an eye out for a faucet where I might be able to fill up. 
          It was a long country highway and there were a bunch of trashy homes and dirty yards. No luck of any public place to get water. I did find a few churches on the walk but they were in sessions so I passed on by. I came to an intersection where there was an abandoned fuel station. No luck there either. My left hip was really bothering me for some reason and I needed to pull of and try to stretch it out. It was actually a little painful. I pulled of and tried to relieve it. When I started walking again it felt a little better but still hurt.
        I walked in the heat and my feet were really hurting and my hip too. Also the back of my knees where really tight and burning a little. It was a tough walk and I wanted to stop many times but I pressed on. Also it was a pretty ugly stretch of highway. Garbage and trash all over. Swamps on the side of the highway with junk in it ect. 
        Finally after pushing a while I came to a church where te parking lot was empty. I saw a nozzle and rushed up to it to drink water. I was so thirsty an downed a bunch of water. It was nice. There was an outlet too so I decided I would take a break there. It was 3:30 and I state til about 6. I ended up eating the pop tart given to me a few days before and it was really good. 
      Before I was gonna leave I decided to take a shower under the nozzle since the bushes along the highway kept it hidden pretty well. I stripped down to my undergarment and used the rest of the lotion from a hotel that was in my backpack to wash up. It was cold but the sun was hot so it felt great! I washed up and soaked in the water sitting under the tall nozzle for a few minutes. Very relaxing. After I washed off I stripped naked behind the bushes and changed to all fresh clothes. I ended up washing the clothes I took off also with the little lotion left and when I was done I laid them in the sun.
        After drying off and relaxing a little more I slipped my clothes around straps on my backpack to dry while I walked. I packed up, filled my waters an hit the road at about 6. I felt fresh and had about 10 more miles to go until Tallahassee. I began walking and all of a sudden the land around me was way nicer. It was really pretty and I started passing really cool properties and homes. I was all around in a better mood now. I walked towards Tallahassee and ran into a really pretty sunset. It really turned the ugly day around and made up for it.
          It was about 9pm an my legs/hip/feet were killing me. The last 10 minutes of my walk seemed like hours. I couldn't wait to get to the church I was headed to in Tallahassee. I finally got there. I thought it would be a little bigger and open space, but it was tight and surrounded by buildings. It was gonna be hard to sleep there without being seen at some point. So I searched around it and ended up finding two sheds behind it where I crept between. There were garbage cans near them so I put the cans side by side to block one side of the space between, then I grabbed a wheel barrel that was between them and set it on the other end where I was somewhat closed in in the middle. I made my bed on the concrete and laid down. After using the Internet for a bit I dozed off. 

Day 11

Today I woke up inside a big patch of trees next to a park just west outside of Lee, Florida. It's has been 10 full days since I started on Jacksonville beaching the atlantic. I started there with no food water or money. I wanted to attempt to make my way across the united states by walking the entire way to the west coast and to the pacific ocean. Starting with no food or money was the toughest. Water I knew I could get easily. But food and money would take some survival strategies and a serious prayer. All I have is my licsence, no other access to money. I started with my backpack and a few things in it:

Backpack

Sleeping bag

Sun glasses

Hat

3 t shirts

Basketball shorts

1 long sleeve shirt

Jacket

2 tooth brushes

Toothpaste

Cortisone moisturizer

Sunscreen

Vitamins

iPod touch 

iPod charger

Virgin mobile wifi device

3 pair of undergarment underwear

Plad shorts

5 pair of socks

Nike shoes with sole inserts

12x8 tarp

Belt

3 prepaid wifi cards

2 sets of headphones

Wallet with license and social

Screw driver(left in from motocross)

And since then have actually lightened the load by getting rid of some stuff. It has been a miracle to have myself in this position where now I have 3 gallons full of water, a box full of packaged food, a rolling cart to tote behind me, and 73 dollars from people stopping to support me. I haven't approached anyone and the closest I got was holding a sign outside a store for 10 minutes that said "on a journey, food or water". It has been amazing that I am on a roll now and already have walked 120 miles. 

        So I sat up out of my sleeping bag. I slept on some long grass so it was soft and I slept well with no worries of being seen. I took my time waking up just sitting there for a while relaxing. It was a little overcast which was good as the sun wouldn't be shining through to heat up the day. I hoped it would stay like that. 

        I got up and tried to use my Internet. I couldn't get it to work the night before and was frustrated so I wanted to try right away. No luck. I hoped it was just the area and not a problem with my connection in general. I brushed my teeth and packed my gear up, and ate 2 bannanas. When I woke it was 9 and now I was ready to go at 9:30. I walked out towards the highway and out of the trees. 

         I got onto the highway and began walking. My feet were pretty sore and my legs were too. Especially my hamstrings and calves, and my pinky toe on my left foot. I hoped my feet didn't have blisters that would end up limiting my walking. I could deal with soreness but a blister might cause me to stop.

         The town of Madison was about 5 miles ahead. I walked and finally got there around 1. There was a mcdonalds there where I wanted to charge my phone and use wifi. I went in and sat down. It was so cool in there (temperature) and it felt good to have ac. I used the Internet while charging my stuff. I wrote a couple blogs there and by the time I left it was 2:30. 

        As I headed out of Madison I crossed a guy on a bike coming towards me. He stopped and we talked a while. He was a homeless hitchhiker and came from Washington state, riding part of the way and getting rides the other parts. He said he was doing it for love. He was a gentle spirit and a very soft spoken and quiet person. I asked if he needed anything and I ended up giving him a water. He was interesting. Said he didn't have a destination but would just circle the country a while. 

         After we parted ways I kept on westward. About another half mile a cop in a ford truck pulled in from of me and got out. He asked where I was from and where I was headed. I told him. He said they usually stop travelers to just make sure they are safe and to be used to it as I would probly get it a lot in my journey. He took my licsence and called it in. After waiting in the heat for 10 minutes he finally returned in and I said "I'm not wanted am I?" he laughed and said "no, your clean". I actually was a little relieved to hear that since I hadn't been checked in a while and have had a few incidents. Nothing bad. 

        So I packed up and headed on. I walked another 5 miles and my toe was really starting to hurt. So I took a break, sat in the shade under a tree and checked it out. When I pulled off my sock right away I saw that basically my whole pinky toe was covered by a blister. It was so gross. I needed to pop it. I popped it on the inside where it wouldn't rub on my shoe. I didn't have a needle so I just grabbed it with two finger nails and twisted it until it popped. When it broke open juice literally flew 6 feet. It was nasty but it was also awesome. I took a napkin I had and a bandaid from the bag the mom an daughter gave me and okie rigged a little bandage over it. It was a little uncomfortable but I would keep walking anyways and see how it did. So I kept on. 

        I stopped another hour or so ahead and decided I needed to eat. I pulled out the loaf of bread and just grabbed 5 slices and ate it like a sandwich. It was pretty plain but my stomach didn't care. I guzzled some water so it wasn't so dry as I ate it also. 

           I walked a few more hours as it started getting to sundown. I flipped my sign that says "food" over so people saw the "food" side thinking I might get lucky for a little hot treat before night. Sure enough about 20 minutes later a guy probably my age pulled off and gave me a fresh double cheeseburger and a cold coke! Couldn't believe my luck! I ate the burger and downed the coke. It was really good! 

        Just then my mom sent me a message on the Internet when I signed on and we ended up skyping while the sun was setting and while I walked. Right in the middle of skyping a couple in a jeep pulled in front of me and said they saw my sign and brought me a bag of food and water from the store. I was so happy and I faced my mom to them and they said hi to here. It was cool. Told them thanks and god bless. They gave me a small Salisbury steak dinner, a fruit cup, a pack of pop tarts, a small thing of ritz crackers, and Vienna sausages(which must be popular out here). And also 3 water bottles. I packed it away and talked to my mom a while. 

      I walked until I came to the town of Greenville. When I got there I was for some reason exhausted and just decided to stay there and find a camp place. I found a church just past the town. There was a house behind it and nowhere to get out of site so I went behind some trees next to it where it was nice and landscaped and hid out there. I made camp and laid down. 

         I couldn't sleep for some reason and was just over thinking stuff. My body was exhausted but my mind was not. I laid there til midnight thinking. When I got there it was around 10. Just as I started to nod off something flew into my ear. I heard the wings buzz loud and I put my had over my ear to try and swipe it away. But it was still there. I sat up fast and kept swiping. Still buzzing and I felt it moving around. So then I stuck my fingers all in and around my ear and i didn't feel it. Then I could feel the big burrow all the way inside of my ear. It freaked me out. I literally stuck my finger as hard as I could all the way in a circled it around and nothing came out. Just then I heard the buzzing but it was like a dying noise, like a battery dying going from fast to slow and quiet. I was really pissed and couldn't believe a bug just died all the way in my ear drum. I just kept saying "you gotta be kidding". I again stuck my finger in and nothing came out. I was pissed. I didn't know what to do so I grabbed my iPod for some reason and shined the light in my ear. I don't even know why I did that but when I did the thing came flying out and I caught it pressed on my inner ear and pulled it out. It was a Dam mesquito! I pulled it out and it was already dead from me smashing it when it tried to fly out. It was sooo weird. After that I covered my head with my jacket and it was another hour until I fell asleep.

Day 10

I woke up today in front of the abandoned gas station. It was really early and I heard some guys talking. I sat up and peeked over the bushes. There was a truck pulled over and two old men looking at a map on the hood. I laid back down as they were far enough off and the bushes covered me. I laid there awake. Then I heard another truck pull over and another guy yelling. I sat up again. The truck that just pulled off said that this was part of a business driveway and burned out and roosted the hell out of the two guys standing there. It was so random but pretty funny. The guys started yelling at the truck and the guy who roosted them had his hand out the window and yelled something too. Then he actually went down a dirt road from there that I didn't even notice the night before.
        After they all left I got up and brushed my teeth and packed my stuff. I headed out on the road. It was about 25 miles to the town of Lee. So I started walking. I was low on water so I kept my eyes open for any source to fill my jugs. 
      It was pretty hot today and I was really feeling the heat as I was low on water consumption. I walked for a few hours and my mouth was dry and I was getting thirsty. I was about half way through my day when a man in a white car pulled over next to me. He asked if I needed a ride and I said no thanks and that I was walking. He reached out and handed me a $20 bill. Then he said hold on, he pulled off the side of the road and got out. He was a 65 year old vietnam vet who was very curious to what I was doing. After hearing what I'm doing he was so exited and said it was going to be a great thing! He smiled so big and admired that I started with nothing and am letting god work to help me move. He went to his car and brought back big spray and $25 more dollars (which now puts me at $77 as I have not spent any yet). I was pretty shocked and it almost seems now like people are calling and hiring these random people to help me. It is that random.
        I couldn't believe him and everyone I would thank him he said no no, thank you! He said he loved meeting young people with a spirit like me. I was honestly a bit uncomfortable in a spot where I'm praised this much but I smiled and said thanks. He was a really cool guy! He lived in Arizona 10 years and told me all about what to expect there. He also gave me a few more pointers and we ended up talking for about 20 minutes. He was the most exited an energized person I have met in a while. He was rad! After a long talk and saying thanks again he said he wanted to let me keep moving. He got in his car and honked about 20 times as he drove off. I was pretty blown away.
        I kept walking and came to a country house with a yard sale. I was pretty thirsty and decided to see if they had a hose where I could fill my water. It was an old couple and they said of course and were very friendly. They asked where I walked from and were really surprised I came from Jacksonville. The man said this walk will make me a whole lot tougher and probly a whole lot thinner. I think he's right. He and his wife moved to Florida from the cold of Indianapolis 10 years ago. I talked with them a while and they were some good ol folks. My jugs were full and I headed out as they wished me luck.
        I made it to the town of Lee fl. This is probably the coast little town I ever been in. Very clean and nice looking. I stopped at the gas station to use the outlet and relax. It was really quiet there but a ton of people came in and shopped or got gas. It was interesting. There was also two men with a broken down car in front of me. An older black man and white oaky dude maybe mid 40s. They were working under the hood and trying to figure out why it wouldn't start. About 10 minutes later a black lady pulled up and hopped out. She looked like maybe the sister of the black guy. She was dressed up in a dress and had her hair and make up done and heels and earrings. I was confused. She came over and went under the hood. She started to tell the white guy in the car to pump the gas, then she popped open a box, she grabbed a wire Nd moved it around and unplugged it and plugged it back in. She leaned back out from the hood and said "ok go ahead" and boom, it started right up. It was the funniest thing ever. She gracefully wiped her hands together and said "go get it home" and climbed into her car and left. The guys seemed to have a real respect for her like she was the boss and knew the most. It was pretty interesting.
        I stayed there a while then took off walking to try and find a church or something just past the town. A truck with two girls and a guy driving stopped along side of me and the girl said "hey! What's up?" I said hey. She asked where I was going. I told them walking towards Madison. She asked if I wanted to go play basketball with them. I said I would but I needed to walk a little longer before it was too dark. They offered to give me a ride but I told them I was trying to walk the whole way. They said oh ok. Good luck. I said thanks and they took off. 
      About a mile later I found a park on the side of the road that had a bunch of trees with grass between them. It looked like a nice clear place to stay and like it wasn't too thick for many animals. I ended up pulling off there and making a bed hidden behind the trees. It was soft and quiet. I was happy with the spot and figured it would provide a good nights rest. I made my bed and laid down. Right away the mesquitos were on me and I remembered the old man gave me bug repellant. So I sprayed it on and it was awesome watching the mesquitos almost land on my arms but at the last second fly off from the scent. I was so pumped and felt like I won a 10 day battle now. I couldn't get my Internet to work and hoped it was just the area I was in and that nothing was wrong with it. I tried over and over but it didn't work. I figured oh well and il try it tomorrow down the road. I threw a playlist on my iPod and passed out as it was pretty comfy.

Day 9

Today I woke up behind the church between lake city and live oak. I woke up from the sunlight and had slept well in the soft grass. When I woke up it was about 9am and I sat up and relaxed a few minutes. As I sat there all of a sudden I heard a car door. It came from the side of the church. I looked towards the side and I saw a mans arm as he walked towards and into a side door of the church. I decided that was a good time to leave rather than chance being seen and getting kicked out. 
      So I packed my things and brushed my teeth. I ate 2 bananas also before I left. I was quiet as I didn't want to be heard. When I was packed up I noticed I needed to refill my water jugs as it was hot and a long way towards live oak where there would be water. So I walked to the front of the church and there was a hose there. I looked for the nozzle but the hose ran behind the bushes back to the side door the man entered. I needed water so I went over there. Just as I was in front of the door it opened and nearly hit me. The man saw me and said in a startled but friendly voice "hey!". I told him I was sorry if I startled him but I was just looking to fill my water bottles up. He said it was no problem and he actually said he would fill them in the sink inside the church. He was really cool. So he filled them and afterwards asked what I was doing? I told him about the journey I was on and how it has been amazing so far. He thought it was cool and said I am a first hand witness to the power of god. That pumped me up! He put his hand on my shoulder and said a prayer for me. Then he gave me $2 he had in his pocket and said good luck.
        So the morning started off great! I got onto highway 90 west and started walking with a smile and in a good mood. I walked for about 4 miles when I saw something on the side of the road. I looked down and it was a credit card. A visa. I picked it up and it was clean and looked like it must have flew out a window or something not too long ago. I know that sucks because I've lost credit cards before where someone ended up using them to get hundreds of dollars of gas. I figured I would take it and try and buy some pizza. I'm kidding. I took it with me and there was a gas station about a mile ahead. I went inside and let them know I found it and maybe they could track the guy down. And I told them to tell the guy a homeless dude with very little money turned it in. The guy at the gas station smiled and said he sure would.
        So I continued walking. About 10 minutes later a girl pulled up next to me and stopped. She asked if I would be on 90 in about 10 minutes. I told her yes and all day after that too. She said she would be back. She returned and brought me 2 hot slices of pizza from the gas station and a large ice cold water. I was so juiced! She said she had a bad morning and she hoped that of she did something good her day would turn better. We talked a while and she was really into what I was doing. She asked if I needed anything else and I said just a prayer once in a while. She said of course. She gave me her email and said good luck! I slammed a slice of pizza while it was Hott and drank about half of the cold water.
        Just as she pulled away another car pulled up. It was a mother and her daughter of maybe 10 or so. They handed me a bag out of the window and said its not much but it might help. It was a bag with Lolly pops, a canned soup, a plastic fork, a bag of peanut butter crackers, and 2 band aids. I told them that means so much and it will help me a lot. I usually thank people thoroughly as it means a lot to me. They said no problem and drove off. 
        It was still early in the day and already it was a great start. The support was just amazing! Then about an hour after that The girl who gave me the pizza passed again and stopped. She said she went and had lunch with her son and her day was already getting better. She asked again if there was something else I needed. But I told her I was ok. She said again good luck and took off. 
      Another hour ahead another van pulled off in front of me. It was another young girl. She got out and was carrying a banana, two oranges, and a can of pecans. She said her friend was the girl who stopped earlier. She said they hadn't talked in months but when her friend talked to me it reminded her of the friend(girl in van) and she called her and talked and also said she met me. She said it was great to hear from her friend and she wanted to drive out and help me. I was overwhelmed with how many supportive people I had approach me on this day. The girl gave me a hug, took my name for Facebook, and took off. 
        I ended up turning my food sign upside down because I had too much food that I needed to eat before it went bad and I didn't want to add too much more. Pretty cool when your homeless and actually almost have too much of something that you had none of a week before.
        So I walked in the heat for a long ways. I finally got to a gas station just before the town of live oak. I stopped there to charge my things and catch up on the blogs. I wasn't sure if I was gonna write the blogs but I decided I will at least for now. I sat there for a while in the shade and cooled down. After a while I was charged up, refilled the water jugs, and decided to have a good evening walk. So I headed into live oak.
        I walked through the town and it was descent. I kept walking and as soon as I was out of town I started looking for a place to crash. I didn't see anything right out of town so I kept going. I still didn't see anything and it was dark. It was all just really thick trees on both sides and I started to worry about finding a descent place to camp. After walking way longer than I had expected I saw the highway 10 overpass ahead. I thought it might have something so I would walk there and find out. 
      I got to the 10 and all there was was an old abandoned gas station. The prices were 2.42 so I knew it had been closed a while haha. I walked up and it was pretty ragged and dirty with trash all around. I was worried about snakes as I had already seen a few on the road today and I know they like the heat of concrete as it holds heat at night from the days sun. So I made my camp there as it was slim Pickens around the area. I made my bed on the concrete and ended up putting my tarp over me and folded the edges under me so that I laid on them and it acted as an enclosed space so snakes or bugs would stay out, most bugs.
      So it was a rough surface and sleep was not good that night, but I guess the day couldn't be perfect. So it was still a good one. 

Day 8

Today I woke up behind the church( once again haha) as soon as I opened my eyes I saw that it was really smokey all around. The wind must have been just right where the smoke from the forest fire was drifting through where I was pretty heavily. I woke up, brushed my teeth and packed up. 
      As I walked to the front of the church there was an outlet near the front door. Even though it was exposed to the police station across the street I didn't care because if I got kicked out I was moving on anyways, so I charged my things and used the Internet there. I also ate the two bags of m&ms for breakfast as I knew they would be melted if they saw the heat of the day. 
      I took of down the road and it was the start of lake city. I had a little cough that was back and bugging me. I wondered if it was the smoke maybe irritating me. I kept going though.
      The town of lake city was a bit of a dump. It was rundown and dirty. I walked almost all the way through it and honestly wasn't sure if I should continue to walk all day in the thick smoke. So I say down and took a break in front of a liquor store. I sat there and was pretty hungry so I ended up popping open the bag of chips I had left. As I started eating them a car parked in front of me and a black lady got out with 3 bags of groceries. She said she saw my "food" sign and wanted to help me. I was so happy and thankful. She asked if I knew the lord, and I told her he's watching over me right now. She smiled. She said a prayer for me to have safe travels. (a loaf of bread, pack of bologna, 8 bannanas and a half gallon of sweet tea).
      I was happy and motivated to just go ahead and walk through the smoke. So I pounded the half gallon of sweet tea, and killed the bag of chips and headed off. After I finished the tea I realized I consumed 200 grams of sugar, so I was on a bit of a rush too.
      I walked another few blocks where a car pulled into a gas station in front of me and got out and handed me a burger king cheeseburger. A young guy said here you go, and god bless. I said thanks and again had those chills. Right as they pulled out he also reached out the window and gave me $5 and said to get a drink too. I said thanks so much and they drove off. I ate the burger while it was Hoyt and was a well fed hobo today!
        Another few blocks a lady and her two sons walked out from a parking lot through grass towards me. They came up and said they didn't have food but have me $6! I couldn't believe my luck today! I was for sure blessed with goodness of god working through other people. I told them what I was doing and was so thankful. They asked for my information so they could follow the journey. The boys thought it was so cool and it feels great to inspire and interest people. The day was going great!
        I walked out of the town and about 10 miles when I needed a break. I saw a cool looking school that looked empty so I walked in and sat in some chairs in the back. The school was brick and looked like something out of Harry potter. They had an outlet where I recharged my stuff. All of a sudden I heard a car pull up. I was startled. Some people were talking and entered the school. I didn't want them to see me and be frightened so I got up and sorta hid on the wall. But I forgot my hat on the table and my iPod on the chair charging. Also the chair was out of position. They sounded like they were right by the window where my stuff was. So I was torn, but eventually walked over there and grabbed it all and put the chair back hoping they wouldn't notice me. I packed my stuff and was ready to go. Bit I saw them inside and I was sorta stuck in the corner. If I moved they would see me either way of trying to get out. Eventually I said screw it and quickly took off. Even of they saw me I was gone anyways.
        As I headed west again on the highway I got to see the most beautiful sunset. It was a moment where I feel into the night. I wasn't worried about where my life is, where it's going and what I will do after this? All the worries just melted away and I just enjoyed watching the sun go down. It was a good moment. 
      After watching the sunset I continued walking. I came to a house where two put bulls came charging out after me. They were barking and growling and looked like they were gonna attack me. I had a water bottle in my had and used that to try and keep a buffer. They kept pressing aggressively and were not letting up. I was shuffling between them both and try to back away slowly. Just then the owner came out and yelled "just keep on walking kid, don't come back this way or those dogs will get you." I asked if he could call them. He said just turn your head and keep on down the road. It pissed me off a little and the guy was a real dick. 
      A little later a man pulled over and asked of I needed a ride. I told him I was walking but thanks. He asked my where and we started to talk. We ended up talking for a while And he had traveled a lot and had some good pointers. He was a nice old man. He said he would pray for me and he took off. 
      I ended up finding another really nice church to sleep behind. I was really tired and walked nearly 25 miles. I got behind the church, openened my bag up and plopped down. I fell right asleep. 

Day 7

I woke up on day 7 at around 9:30. I was pretty hungry and had the Easter dinner from the family on the day before. I decided to try and conserve that for the whole day. So I started with eating the spinach, mac an cheese and cornbread. I didn't have any fork or anything so I ended up using the tapered end of my sunscreen to eat the spinach and Mac and cheese. It was so good. Even cold it was still amazing. I used the seran wrap that was over the ate and wrapped the two pieces of chicken up that I would save for later. I fully charged my iPod, filled my water jugs at the faucet, and geared up and headed off.
      As soon as I got onto the road I saw a person standing ahead a ways near where the 10 went over the 90. I walked up and it was a homeless man with a sign that said 10 west. I said hello and asked him where he was headed. He came from key west, rode his bike from there to Jacksonville. Then in Jacksonville he was trying to head towards Colorado when his bike was stolen. So then he was stuck hitchiking. He got a ride from Jacksonville to where he was but there was no traffic there and he knew it would be tough getting out. He had some work waiting for him in Colorado. I told him good luck getting there and moved on down the road. 
    I walked a good ways down 90. It wasn't too hot and I walked through most of the day. I took a break at a battle field memorial park where I was able to fill up my water jugs. I also ate one of the pieces of chicken to fuel me for the rest of the walk. There was a family of 4 there checking out the park and looked like they were on a road trip. They looked happy.
        I continued on after a little break. I headed west an made my way past the Columbia correctional facility where I soon afterward took another break. When I sat down there were flys that would land on me and then bite me. The bugs here suck. I was a little tired and low spirited at this point. This routine is full of a lot of lows and time to think, but also has amazing highs and moments of clarity. All in all it helps my growth as a person so it is a positive. 
      I headed back down the road. I was a little down but pushing through it. Just then a white car slowed down as it passed my and spun a u turn. A man parked about 100ft in front of me and got out and opened his trunk. As I approached the car he came around holding a few things. He handed me a ziplock bag full of snacks(6 packs of crackers, 2 bags of eminems, and two small cans of chicken sausage) a water bottle, $20 and a small book of scripture. He said god bless and good luck on my journey. It went from a low spirited moment right to a chill and goosebump moment just like that. These are the things that amaze me. I usually just look up to the sky and smile. It's good to know this world has good people who will always lend a hand and unite to help others in search of something. Pretty cool.
        So I was happy and finished the day off strong. Up ahead an right before the town of lake city a cop pulled off in front of me and jumped out quickly. He asked me to step off the shoulder of the road. He asked if I had any weapons on me? I said just a screwdriver. He asked where I was going and I told him I'm walking towards california. He asked if I knew the road in that direction and I said yes. Then he asked if I was desperate to get there which was unfitting, but I answered no just cruising. Then he said its dangerous to walk on the shoulder and he recommends not doing it. I told him thanks but I will be very cautious. He took off
        I found a church right before lake city. It was across the street from a police station so I made sure when I walked behind it there was nobody watching. I got to the back. I didn't see any outlets back there but I found a water hose. I filled my jugs then decided to try and shower. The hose only reached to the side and not the back. Since the police station was across from me I had to stay out of site as much as possible. So I stripped down to my undergarment and stayed down by some bushes while running the hose. I grabbed a bottle of hotel lotion that I had in my bag, and used that to clean myself. It would have to do. I also had the clothes I was wearing an washed them with the hose and lotion too. I sat down up against the wall hidden behind the strip of bushes and showed and washed the clothes. It wasn't the best method but it felt amazing. I changed to my other shorts and shirt, with fresh socks and a fresh pair of undergarment. I felt like $100 bucks!
      I Kaye's down begins the church and there were mesquitos everywhere. So much that I had to cover myself completely in my sleeping bag and jacket over my head just to avoid getting bit. But I was so Hoyt and sweating like crazy that I couldn't sleep. I eventually just opened my bag all the way and just laid flat on the tarp. The bag covered my all the way and kept the bugs off. It also was cooler and I fell asleep.