“Don’t get too caught up in dates or deadlines and end up hurrying through the walk. Take time to experience the country and the people in it and enjoy yourself. Be open to the experiences that may put you behind schedule but be exactly what you set out for in the first place.”
These are the words of Skip Potts, who began walking across America a year before I did, from Boston. Having finished his walk in June of this year, Skip is now making a documentary about people who have walked long distances. He caught up with me in Eugene, and after interviewing me, he passed on those words of wisdom… which have been on my mind ever since.
“By walking across America, you must really be getting a chance to see the country…” are words I‘ve heard many times. In one respect, they are certainly true. I could have driven the 750 miles I’ve walked from Vancouver, WA, to San Francisco within two long days– and seen still seen many beautiful sights along the way– but instead I spent two months walking the distance. And by walking these 750 miles, I’ve seen slices of the Pacific NW from many perspectives I would have otherwise never experienced. That said, I also feel that in many ways, the Walk has been going by fast. Within just the first few days of walking, I’d begun seeing many parts of Oregon that were always within an hour’s driving distance, but that I’d never known existed– for example, the Canby Ferry, which crosses a pretty and peaceful portion of the Willamette Riverevery few minutes, running along a cable extended above the water, is something I’d never heard of before the Walk brought me to it.
The blisters that grounded me for days in Roseburg came to be a blessing in disguise, as I ended up not only learning more about greater Roseburg from Paul Singleton and family, who hosted me, but also finding it to be a very fun and fascinating experience to simply spend some days with Paul and his seven kids. Staying with Scott, a second Roseburg host, only further enriched the local adventure before the feet were ready to continue on. Had it not been for those debilitating blisters in Roseburg, I would have simply arrived one evening and left the next morning– without truly taking any time to experience either the people or the place– a common case for me as I’ve made my way south.
The story of a richer, greater experience repeatedly became the case as my progress slowed while passing through Canyonville, the California border, Leggett, Ukiah, the Green Festival, etc.
Having crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, I’m now allowing several days for my feet to feel as ready as the rest of my body to push on further. Due to a “Go! Go! Go!” attitude, I wasn’t really noticing the accumulating foot pain. However, when I quickly kicked my feet away from the therapeutic hands of Lindsay, a licensed massage therapist in Ukiah, we both could tell that my feet were in need of healing time. I had well over a hundred miles to walk before reaching San Francisco from Ukiah– and plans for some extended rest and recuperation days in the Bay Area began forming immediately.
So, here I sit in the Bay Area, at my Aunt Ellen’s apartment in Alameda (an island accessible from Oakland). I crossed the Golden Gate Bridge last Sunday (11/22), continued walking to the southern end of SF the following day, and I’ve been here at my aunt’s ever since. And once again, as I get to know Ellen much better than I’ve ever known her, I find that spending time in destinations along the way is an unfathomably valuable investment.
My feet are still sore, but they feel noticeably better than they did on the day I last walked the route (I’ve walked a good few miles in Alameda since; it‘s hard to slow down completely).
I’ll likely remain here in the Bay Area for at least another week, spending time with Ellen as well as visiting many other friends who have given me a variety of invitations to spend time with them. Ultra-sore feet can be a source of frustration, especially when this beautiful sunny weather makes for the best days on the road. But I’ve been learning to see my status–whatever it may be– as a blessing: through thick and thin, incredibly great things have been happening since the Walk began, often unexpectedly, and I’m simply to appreciate and make the best of this stationary experience and opportunity while it lasts. So far, the Bay stay has proven itself necessary, valuable, refreshing, and fun– and I have at least another week to go here.
This brings me to the overall timing of the trip: Skip’s sage words advised me not to get caught up in dates or deadlines, and nearly two months later, I feel I have a much better understanding of just what he was telling me, and why. So, in heeding Skip’s advice, I hereby am no longer committing myself to reaching the White House on exactly Friday, June 18, 2010. I’m also going to re-adjust the aim of my pace to an average of between 20km and 20m daily– a more universal message to a world almost exclusively on the metric system. Though I’m sure to walk many more 20-mile days, a 20km pace will definitely allow me more time to experience and inspire–my stated goal– as I cross this great nation.
I may reach the White House in 365 days– or perhaps in 400 days. To be honest, the exact date of my arrival isn’t a major concern to me right now. Intuition is clearly guiding me toward prioritizing the experiencing and inspiring of America (in any little way I can) over racing to reach a self-imposed deadline. Allowing for more time as I cross this country on foot will surely allow me to do a much fuller job of practicing what I preach– namely: ENJOY THE WALK!