I finished my original walk across America in November of 2016. In less than 6 months, I made the commitment to do it again. This time a different route and for a new purpose. I have invited people to join me and a few people have actually decided to walk with me as a team. Some for the whole thing, others for sections along the way. I will be walking along the east coast from Key West, Florida to Lubec, Maine.
I will be starting on January 27th, 2018. I know what you’re thinking… “why would this idiot start walking across America in January?” Actually, the weather is quite warm in Florida in January and February. I looked up the weather reports from last year and matched them up with the route that I am taking and it should never get over 90 degrees and never below 40 degrees. Perfect walking conditions. I should finish late July or early August in Maine.
As of now, we have one person who will definitely be joining me for the entire walk and 2 others who are trying to see if they can do it logistically. My dog Domino will be tagging along as well. We have a person who will be driving the support vehicle and helping with other things that we can’t do while walking 20 miles a day. Here is how a support vehicle will help….
- Be able to carry most of our gear so that all we have to carry while walking is daily supplies.
- Be able to pick us up at the end of the walking day and bring us to a prepared location for camping or a home-stay, then dropping us back off at the same spot the next morning.
- Be able to go on supply runs and/or travel to events or fun landmarks along the way.
I am hoping that this walk will reach hundreds of thousands of people with the message, “Overdose happens, addiction is a disease, recovery is possible.” We will be getting as much media as we can, going to nearby events, shaking up towns that we walk through, and talking to people on the streets. I found out a few months after finishing my last walk that the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy had heard about me. They invited me to a round table discussion where I got to meet the Director and talk about the things that I learned along the way. I know that this next walk will reach even more than the last one now that I have tons of supporters ready to share my posts and updates along the way.
I will be raising money for a non-profit organization that I started called Freedom to Grow. I am going to open a transitional retreat that helps people with troubled pasts learn to have happy and healthy futures. The money raised on the walk will go to purchasing land and starting construction. The entire program description can be found at http://freedomtogrowretreat.org.
There is so much work to do still. I am focusing my efforts on the planning stages more than the physical for now. I will start the physical training after Thanksgiving. I am very active in my daily activities anyways. I’d rather spend the time and energy to make this walk safe, organized, loud, and powerful. I am looking forward to it in so many different ways.
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