Belleville, KS

Today is day 72. I have traveled 1436 miles. I am 51 miles from the geographic center of the United States in Lebanon, KS. I am not walking today and am resting, watching some quality daytime TV and using a microwave to heat up everything the Dollar General across the street had. Kansas has been a little different than the previous states I have crossed. Towns are generally around 30 miles apart. There is nothing between these towns. It is liberating to be so alone, but after a while it is almost as if you are trapped. At times it feels like I am walking in a snow globe, like no forward progress is being made. The surroundings don’t change. Sometimes I can see the water tower of the town I am heading towards from over 10 miles away. The walking here takes more of a mental effort. Yesterday I walked 32 miles into Belleville. On Google maps I found a Valero about 24 miles in, this would be the only building I would see until I hit Belleville. Very excited to get my soda fix, I approached an abandoned warehouse. Stripped down cars surrounding the warehouse, I spotted 4 Valero gas pumps in the distance in the middle of a field. Obviously, no drinks for sale. I guess it is nice to know that it did exist at one point. I have learned that if Google maps tells me where something is, it is still about a 50/50 shot it still exists. The things I took for granted: sunshine, outlets, pillow between my knees when I sleep, a bath, businesses that are still operating, just to name a few.

I have adjusted my walking schedule to try and end each day in a town. I don’t want to get stuck camping in the open with the way the weather has been. The wind is consistently over 20 mph and the rain has continued. Rain is expected the until Sunday, if so it will have rained 9 out of 12 days since leaving Kansas City.

Walking out of Seneca since my last update I found a dugout at a local baseball field to cover me while the storm approached. I spent about 5 hours in there as the dugout flooded. Rain seems to be very powerful here, along with the high volume winds. Fleeing the dugout once the rain stopped, I hit a patch of mud. This mud acted more like clay. It was caked on to my tires so thick I could no longer push it forward. As I was scraping all of this gunk off of my wheels the clouds cleared and the sun emerged. With arms covered in mud I let out the loudest and most victorious yell to date.

The last few days have become a tour of the city parks through Kansas. I have been camping under covered picnic areas in these parks and occasionally playing on the playgrounds. I have done so the last 3 nights. In Baileyville, Marysville, and Washington. The park in Washington was awesome. There was a giant wooden village built there named “Munchkinland.” A creek surrounding with a waterfall and green grass filling the entire park. Also a nice bonus was the outlets at each picnic area. Can’t have enough outlets. Each time with a baseball field right next to me. I have come to realize that when I dream of playing baseball, which is often I now succeed in my dreams. When I played baseball up until I was 22, every dream I had was of me failing. Only when I stopped playing was I able to get a hit in a dream of mine. Not really sure why that is.

Side note (s)

The bathroom situation In Kansas has been a little different. The land is so flat. If there are cars around me there is nowhere to hide. Just pick up the speed to cope until you’re in the clear. Mostly though, there is nobody around. Not even a car for miles. It becomes quite simple at this point. Stop. Two steps to the left, and you’re home free. The wildcard is the wind factor though. I learned the hard way that one step to the left was just simply not enough.

Snack Packs have become my new favorite thing. I get so excited when getting ready to have one, I don’t bother to get my spoon. It is probably a sickening sight to see me licking the entire cup of pudding down. The chocolate filled beard that follows is a small price to pay.

The daytime TV situation for me this morning has consisted of Property Brothers. The brothers are so lame with their scripted playful nature, but I can’t stop watching. I could watch before and after shots of remodeled homes all day.

Lately I have walked in silence more than usual. No matter the subject of the podcasts I listen to, all anybody wants to talk about is a man who may or may not have deflated footballs. It is mind numbing. The fact that this is important in any way is sad.