Thankfully that evening I had great place to stay and it was with Tony and his beautiful wife Kim who I connected with through their son via the "Couchsurfing.com" website.
Unfortunately, I never got to actually meet their son Dylan (who was away at college), but Tony and Kim were excellent hosts. They offered me Dylan's room with a cozy bed and bathroom, and filled me to the brim with Kim's home cooked food and assortments of desserts.
We sat back in the living room and talked about my walk, themselves & family, tennis (a game I've always admired while living in Connecticut), and they offered great tales and antics of their sons that make my cross country walk seem like an evening stroll.
I love hearing stories of adventurous people, everyone walks around so sanitized to try new things and explore the unknown. So many things that scare us to "follow the program" and keep us scared and falsely fearing.
On this journey I have meditated on the multitude of positive things that could possibly transpire as well as the negative. I am content with all that has, is, and will happen good and bad.
Whether it was sleep walking, walking/sleeping in minus 15 degree weather, walking through the hood/notorious trailer park, hands being numb and useless, sleeping in hunting parks while hunters were hunting, being attacked by unchained dogs regularly, encountering a bear/several coyotes, running out of food/water, or walking through dark forest at night -- I've come to realize no matter what obstacles you or I have faced from Day 1, birth, to right now you and I have survived time and time again and are still standing to learn & grow from those lessons and are here to tell about them! I will continue until my ticket expires, I enjoy and live for my peaks and enjoy and adjust in my valleys -- life is ups and downs, I will ALWAYS, ALWAYS be bigger than any obstacle or personal fear and with a friendly calm demeanor will continue to press on come hell or high water.
It was inspiring to hear about their son's courage. It enhanced my everlasting yearn to think positively outside of my frame of comfort in order to stretch my own self-imposed limitation.
I wished I had spent more time with them, however I enjoyed their (and Dylan's) kindness for graciously accommodating me. Thanks a lot guys and Dylan good luck in school (please make sure to switch from general studies... trust me)!
So he asked me what I was doing, I explained, we spoke for a little, gave him my business card, and he departed. He later drove back (which often happens) and gave a donation for the ADA, which I was grateful for.
1/27/13