Walked into the 11th state of my journey thus far. Wyoming. I am in Laramie, WY. I am sitting here on day 98 at the Motel 6 completely exhausted after traveling over 1950 miles in that span. The last few weeks have left me more physically and emotionally exhausted than I have ever been. That being said Colorado ranks up near the top with Georgia as my favorite states to walk through. I spent 12 days in Colorado. The last 2 were a little more demanding with a few thousand foot climb in elevation. These last 2 days were also filled with some of the most beautiful scenery I have seen. The mountain ranges in the distance, peaks dusted with snow. The white tips pressing up into the sky remind me of when this all began about 100 days ago. This was the first time I have seen snow since walking out of the Newark airport. I distinctly remember how I felt that day. Walking outside into a colorless city, the air slapping me awake after a lengthy nap on the airport floor. I thought what have I gotten myself in to? How is this going to change anything in my life? I knew one thing. I couldn’t go home until I found a way to feel alive.
The last 3 hour stretch approaching Laramie grew difficult. It seemingly all hit me at once. The heat and constant pack of mosquitoes surrounding me wore me down. My head felt light. I sat down as my hands shook against my will. I was approached with yet another ride offer. He was headed to Laramie he said. This was the most tempting offer yet. I turned it down. Not accepting help when I probably needed it. I guess I felt I didn’t need help. I felt I was right where I need to be. I deserve to struggle. I’m here now. I love the feeling of seeing a city on the map and imagining what it will look like. I picture it in my head, it’s just a place in my head and on my map until I reach it. As the cities and towns pile up that I have come across, the United States becomes more and more real to me. It also helps me feel part of this country in a way that I didn’t before.
Since my last update in Fort Morgan I have walked 158 miles. My cart has rolled quite nicely since the front tire mishap. My sleeping arrangements this week have consisted of overnight stays at a rest stop, 3 town parks, a small roadside hill, and a 2 night stay with Caitlin and Kevin in Fort Collins who I met through Couchsurfing.
Even though there is frustration with all of the rain, the thunder, and the hail I have experienced, I have come to admire the storms as they come through. The thunder is so powerful. It seemingly appears most nights and I watch with my head rested on my backpack. The clouds are backlit by these strikes of thunder. Sometimes I feel like it is like my own personal firework show. It is times like these I wish I wasn’t here alone. I wish I could share these moments.
My night at North Lake Park in Loveland, CO was strange, but a night I will always remember. I approached the park awning as legitimate golf ball sized hail began to fall. Families fled the park as I sat there alone. Later that night I was approached by a guy named Rigo. He explained to me how he was 22 years old, homeless and just out of a mental hospital. An unlikely pairing. The depth of conversation between two complete strangers still amazes me at times. After a few hours of talking he said to me “I can’t believe I told you all that, I haven’t told anybody else what I have just told you.” He told me story after story ranging from breaking and entering, meth usage, sexually transmitted diseases, witnessing murders. Despite all of this I felt very comfortable talking with him. We even worked out a trade, a bottled water for a pop tart. He wanted to give me anything he could to help me out. “Good Karma” he said. He said he rarely slept at parks. He usually smoked meth and walked the streets until morning. When you don’t have a consistent safe place to sleep the nights get short. We agreed on that. It’s only dark until its light again.
My stay in Fort Collins was a great Experience. I really liked the city. Walking through such small towns it was nice to be in a real city. I walked past more stores, gas stations and restaurants here than I had in the past 500 miles combined. It was difficult to not visit all of these establishments. I wanted to just go in and buy everything. I stayed here with Caitlin and Kevin. It was so much fun to stay with them. They were travelers as well. Both of them hiked the Appalachian Trail separately and met along the way. They are in the process of restoring a van that they can sleep in and travel around in. Sometimes when I find myself in such a welcomed environment, I forget all about my walk. It is as if I was dropped into a life in a new city. Everyone I meet is my friend, like I have been living this life for some time. I live here, but I can’t remember how I got here. I am so comfortable here. It feels this way until I walk out of this town, leaving everyone behind. Only then I remember that I am walking across America. It still doesn’t feel like I am doing that. I have to remind myself constantly. It still feels like I am back home with this big dream that I will never follow through with. I have to remind myself that this is all real constantly.
I wrote this all last night. Today I spent the day walking around downtown Laramie and the University of Wyoming campus. I got to see the dorm my parents lived in for a year. Mccentyre Hall. I also got to see the baseball field where my dad pitched 35 years ago. I was unable to walk into the dorms because of construction but I was able to just stroll across the football field without issue. I have found that Wyoming is the only state where it is legal to walk along the interstate. The weather should be pretty ugly tomorrow therefore I will head west on the I-80 friday morning. Almost at 2000 miles.
Side Note (S)
Speaking of dreams. This walk was mine for the better part of the last year. I just lived my 2nd dream tonight. I arrived at the motel dead tired and covered in dirt. I laid down, ordered a pizza, ate the whole thing and haven’t moved since. Pillow between the knees at all times.
Speaking of pizza. The last remaining family that fled the park awning in the hailstorm left a half-eaten pizza on the table. I was 3 bites into it by the time they pulled out of the parking lot. It was a gutsy move because I ate it and slept there that night, never leaving the crime scene.
I am on my 5th pair of headphones since leaving Myrtle Beach.
I write these updates without ever going back and reading them. It is more of a stream of consciousness. I write it all down the way I thought of it. If it doesn’t make sense, I guess that is an accurate representation of how my mind works. I am not a writer. I hope you enjoy them regardless.