Heading Home

My last hike: a visit to some of North Carolina's hidden treasures

Atlanta, Georgia---It is day 130 and today I am driving home to Daytona Beach, Florida. I know, the name is 100 days but that's because it sounded better than 130 Days Across the USA...

Not all my stories are written but they are in my head and will have to wait until I get home.

Four months is one month longer than I originally intended but I let the road lead the way, still as I have continued to "friend hop" the prevailing thought looking back is: "there was not enough time."

In this coast to coast road trip, I have driven close to 12,500 miles so far. I have visited 293-ish people, however taking out a family reunion it still leaves me with well over 193 people.

Even with extending my time, I had to cut out going to the upper Northwest and the upper Northeast, two areas I would have loved to have gone. So Sheila, Noemi and Anne, I'm sorry I missed seeing you and where you live.

There are so many people's stories I did not write about because they were too personal. I hold them in my heart and I am honored you shared them with me. Your life's challenges were unexpected and yet I am amazed at each of you who have made it through and can look back at it all. A few who are still going through rough times, I urge you to hang in there and I earnestly believe in prayer so you've got mine.

This has been an incredible journey. Much, much more than I expected when I dreamed it up making my list of people I wanted to find. Between the geographical beauty of our country and the incredible people and their stories along the way, I am blessed and a little overwhelmed by it all.

There have been people that I tried to find but couldn't, lost between my aging address book and land lines that no longer exist. So Con, Carol, Kathy, Fred, Ransom and Kevin, I tried but couldn't find you.

I am looking forward to going home and job hunting. I am ready to dig in and have a direction.

I realized when I was hiking in North Carolina a few days ago and put my hand against an enormous solid rock protruding out of the side of a cliff, covered with moss and water cascading down its side from the highlands above, that the past three years since I left my business,  have been a land and sea discovery. In my case, the sea came first. My year crewing on sailboats feels equal in relevance to these four months seeing America. And I would not have thrown caution to the wind in this case if it were not for the year of running the little oceanfront restaurant and bar after sailing, that drove me to want to get far, far away.

Waiting for me at my home are two roommates that I could not have done this trip without. Before I left I rented a room to someone I had recently met through business. She took the challenge of taking care of my house and has contacted me to read me mail that looked important and kept me updated on house issues. A month after I left another woman moved in. Together they have been a blessing because I know they are watching over things. They were really challenged when my house was being swarmed by Carpenter Ants and I was in Utah trying to buy pest control service.  So to "The Roommates": Thank You.

I still have eight hours on the road. I have been blessed by protection along all these miles and pray that the home stretch will be safe.

One way or the other, I'm heading home.