Mile 1000.

Seven frikin hundred!

Mile 500!

Mile 400!

This trip is a Declaration of Independence from fear. Fear is the aversion of the unknown. Humans crave predictability. God is the answer to chaos. Science is the religion of predictability. Predictability is considered the ultimate. Maybe to live in harmony is to release oneself of the expectation of understanding what happens next. Could fear then be a decision? Death an accepted unknown? Life a momentary experience?

We're so goal driven that even out here it's too easy to get blindsided by the arbritrary objectives of reaching a predetermined goal.

Mile 300!

Each day is filled with a multitude of nuanced experiences yet we typically only notice those which are unfamiliar. Out here each element, from the scenery, to the community, discomfort, and kindness, is unfamiliar resulting in a wildly aware existence.

Mile 200!

The mountain lines kiss from the beginning of time far beyond mine.

Im in tears. Not from the pain of walking on injured feet. Not from the struggle of being distant from home. Not from the impression made by the kindness of others. And not from the feeling of community felt dancing with Oceans 11. Im crying from the immense beauty surrounding me on all sides from sunrise to sunset. It's almost unfair to experience this much in this way in this amount of time.

Mile 100!

Um that was a scorpion on my leg. Cool.

All of the pre trail fears have washed away. I'm just out here hiking.

Lol

Alright then. Let's hike.

Me: Im going to hike across america. Stranger from hostel in broken English: Are you sure?

More excited today about starting than I have been in a while.

Feeling grateful for good friends.