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.