When I'm...

As soon as we stepped off the bus it was clear as a Texas that we were not in Kansas anymore.

Ha.

Thanks to couch surfing we found a welcoming place to stay for two nights in El Paso, at the home of Larry, Alanna, and their three daughters. With everything going on I completely forgot to take a picture of them, but they managed to snap a few. So, if you guys are reading this, you should send a copy of those my way!

They kept us well fed and we had a chance to do our laundry. Evenings meant some Bob Dylan jam sessions with Larry, who is an excellent singer and player!

During the day we wandered El Paso, running errands, seeing sights, and eating eats. Perhaps our favorite meal in the city was the one we had at Big Buns Burgers. Two patties, two sausages, bacon, peppers, avocado, onion, mushrooms, pickles, ketchup, mustard, tomato, mayo, and whatever else I am forgetting, sat between two huge buns, next to French fried, and diagonal to a jumbo soda.

The next days trek was to Anthony, a city that straddles the New Mexico and Texas border. We found ourselves sleeping at a truck stop in the Texas side of town.

I guess sleeping really isn't the ride word for huddling in the back of a McDonalds, trying not to draw attention to ourselves, and waiting for morning to come so we could set off towards Las Cruces...

We made it from Anthony to Las Cruces in record time, undoubtedly due to the vehicle we were riding in.

Almost immediately upon arriving in Las Cruces, at the home of the couple whose house we were going to stay at for the night, things started to get very exciting.

First things first, we accompanied our hosts, Melissa and British, to the county office to retrieve their marriage license. Not having any idea how the process worked, we were all momentarily disappointed when we were told that their marriage would not be official until they had a minister or judge sign the certificate and it was given back to the clerk. There is only a judge present on Wednesdays, and they don't belong to a church...

Luckily, I realized that I am a legally ordained minister, due to a couple if clicks on the internet that I made last spring. After a bit of research, we determined and decided that I would perform their marriage ceremony later that night and sign their license!

Before that however it was time for the next exciting part of our night, the Great Conversation! In Las Cruces members of the community gather once a week for a discussion on a preassigned topic. These discussions are open to all and follow a very Socratic formula, where everyone's voice can be heard, and all opinions are equal.

That nights topic was Allegiance, and our night was enriched by two hours of diverse and stimulating conversation on that theme.

It was really cool to see members of a community conducting themselves in that manner, especially in an age where open and polite public discussion is rare, if not taboo. If you are in the Las Cruces area and want to learn more about the Great Conversation, you can check out the website at www.greatconversationnm.com!

After using our school-brains for more than we had in two hours than in the last two months, we made our way back to their house for a marriage fiesta. Tacos, chips, salsa, and other party favors were all included!

When it came time for the wedding ceremony we all relocated to the back yard. Over the next ten minutes one of the most random, yet seemingly meant to be, weddings took place. Bob Dylan quotes, the tying if a shoe, and some J. R. R. Tolkien insight were all included.

It was definitely a night to remember! A night we in no way saw coming while sitting in the McDonalds at three a.m. the night before... life is funny like that.

The next morning we woke up and, after lunch with our hosts, were dropped off at another house in Las Cruces, where we were going to stay the night. Despite working that evening, John and Aaron were quite hospitable hosts, and we felt very relaxed and at home while staying with them! It would have been cool to see a little bit more of them, but either way we greatly appreciated the place to stay, let alone the shower, food, and access to Netflix!

Lunch the next day was again with Melissa and Nitish, this time also in the company of some of their friends, some comrades from Tuscon, and a professor from the college. Discussion ranged from marriage to the inherit flaws of capitalism and was even more interesting than the Great Conversation two nights prior. We were not at all looking forward to leaving this town...

To make a great stay even greater we attended a party that night at the home of some of the people whom we had lunch with earlier that day. There was tons of food and lots of good discussion all around!

The next morning came early, and we had to drag ourselves out the door, not much wanting to give up the good company and fun times for a trek through the desert...

By nightfall we were in Deming, and by about eleven we were both asleep in our tents, tucked away behind some trees off of the interstate. By two thirty our tents were full of water, all of our possessions were soaked, and sprinklers were flooding the large patch of sandy dirt that was for some unknown reason being watered. By three we were in a McDonalds drying off and contemplating our next move.

I type this from a cheap motel room, in which out stuff is spread out over every open surface. Hopefully its all dried out a bit by morning...

Super 8

We are in El Paso!

A longer update coming soon!

For all of you to the north, it was 80 today, not a cloud in the sky :)

Game Time!

Its time to play "Where is that bus taking Dylan"!!!!!

Hint One: I left Wichita at noon today, and I will be arriving at my destination around 9:30 am tomorrow.

Hint Two: I will be arriving in one of the safest cities in the country, despite what one might guess.

Hint Three: I may run into a gal named Felina.

I'll throw up another picture about every hour or so, and a hint when I can think of one.

Enjoy!

???

Well I have all but lost track of how many days it has been... something like 55 or 56... so I will just pick up where I left off!

From Overbrooke we made our way southwest to the small town of Scranton.

Upon arrival we knew immediately that two travelers with luggage in tow were not welcome, especially just minutes before sunset. Being in no hurry to find trouble, we walked quickly through to the other side of town and sat off the shoulder to scarf down a quick sup before continuing a few miles further down the road in search of a clump of trees to pitch tents in.

Just before hauling our tired selves to our feet, a biker pulled up and offered us his place for the night, from one traveler to another.

Toad, as was his name, is a Booze Fighter, and represented his biker brothers quite well. If we ever run into anymore of them, we know we will be in good hands. He made us feel quite at home for the night, and when we all hit the road in the morning, him to Texas and us just a days walk west, we did so in very good spirits.

After Scranton came Bowlimgame for lunch. A bright and welcoming town with a wide brick main street, it turned out being one of the friendliest places that we have visited so far.

We stopped at the Santa Fe Trail Cafe and were treated to a free lunch by the wonderful management. The whole staff was extremely pleasant, and the customers provided enough entertainment to make any TV sitting in the corner rather obsolete.

We were bewildered when we discovered who else was eating their at the very same time we were...

Another cross country walker, hailing from Delaware and making for Colorado!

What are the chances that we would both be in the same cafe, on the same day, at the same time, in a small town far from any major interstate? I don't know, but I figured they were too slim to be counted amongst possible outcomes for the day. You never know on the road...

We ended that day in Osage City, where we stayed behind the police station and slept quite uninterrupted, go figure...

Another full day of walking brought us to Reading, a town that on a map may not look like match, but that sure contains some powerful stories.

Again, right at sunset, right as we were about to walk past the city limit, some kindness was offered to us by a family in the form of coffee, water, and a bite to eat!

We sat on their front porch and learned a little about how the town had been ravished by a tornado a few years prior, and had been left as almost nothing.

Despite the hardship, the town was well on its way towards reconstruction, and the mother even had plans to open a store on the lot where her house once stood. We were humbled by other stories of her kindness, and the whole experience only went to further prove that there are certainly some really great people out there. And it just so happens that Kansas holds many of them!

We continued walking that night, determined to make it another ten or so miles before retiring for the night, when we were met by two sets of flashing red and blue lights. I have never been more happy to see the police than I have been these last few weeks. In many cases, as in this one, they mean a ride to the nearest town and a safe place to sleep.

Upon waking up in a park in Emporia, we hurried out of the cold and into a Huddle House.

Then it snowed.

Woah.

It definitely caught us off guard, and after further looking at the forecast and seeing below freezing temperatures throughout the next week, we resolved to take a bus into the South West, and out of the Midwest.

Thanks to my grandparents, we secured a ride to somewhere in far West Texas.

Where?

Well its a mystery of course! I'll let you know once we arrive, and I'll post pictures every few hours tomorrow of the surrounding landscape and see how well you all know your geography!

The big

Well I am currently in Overbrook Kansas.

How did I get here?

Let's work backwards...

Today I woke up in Lawrence Kansas, and made my way through some scenic hills, open fields, and pouring rain.

The previous two days were spent kickin it at my cousin Mark's place, where we enjoyed the college life for a few days. You know, without any of the school work of course.

A big thanks to him and his roommates though for the hospitality and the place to crash before hitting the road again! A couch and a full season of breaking bad goes a long way.

Now that leaves roughly three days of unexplained time, and a few hundred miles since the last update...

As many of you know, my cousins wedding was on the 11th, and as I was clearly not going to make it from the east end of Missouri to Lawrence Kansas in two days time, I was spirited across the state by way of a fully packed Suburban, nearly overflowing with family members!

A hotel with beds and a hot tub was nearly as refreshing as getting to spend a few days with family!

Fancy clean clothes and a formal event were quite welcome as well after wearing the same outfit for weeks on end, and no planned events at all.

The wedding was very nice, and the venue was amazing. A hall filled with joyful people and a tasty dinner made the night one worth remembering!

Congratulations to Brittany and Dakota!

So now I'm here... in rural Kansas, with 1500 miles to go! Leg one completed!

More Castles

Well today was an interesting day...

I was woken this morning by an inconsiderate hooligan yelling my name into my tent. There was mini golf to be played at the rv park we had set up camp in, and Nick wasn't about to let me sleep through the opportunity.

After some putting and a nice scenic hike through some very un-corn terrain, we arrived at a McDonalds. We hurried inside to take advantage of the $1 soda fountain.

Positioning ourselves near the television, all seemed at peace. That was until an older gentleman, who I'll refer to as Old Man 1, was approached by another older gentleman, who I will dub Old Man 2.

"Why are you watching this $#@%?"-Old Man 2

"Because I enjoy it!" -Old Man 1

At this, Old Man 2 lunged at Old Man 1 and tried to gain control of the remote. Old Man 1 lashed out in defense and struck Old Man 2 in the chest. Old Man 2, not about to just take a blow, punched his opponent in the jaw. At this they locked arms and attempted to wrestle the other into submission.

Tiring quickly, they separated and took opposing seats at the table before the television. (Pictured below)

Old Man 1 had the skin stripped from his arms and was as a result suffering substantial blood loss. Old Man 2 had cut his hand, and was still without control of the television. C-Span flickered on the screen...

The air was tense, and no one was sure what to do. It was some moments, and many confused looks, before the manager assessed the situation and summoned the police.

A bewildered officer was soon taking statements and trying to hide his shock at the situation he had stepped into. Something tells me it was a first...

While he was outside, a third elderly gentleman approached, lost his footing, and spilled a hot coffee all over both Old Man 1 and Old Man 2.

Blood and coffee covered the floor as an employee moved to clean up the floor after everything had finally settled down.

All of the parties concerned sat and watched baseball for the remainder of the afternoon; a truce attained through the assistance of an officer of the law.

So, yeah, that was interesting...

As it approaches 8:30, we are still unsure of where we are going to sleep tonight. Our hope is an officer will spare a strip of land big enough for two small tents.

If not, then we will walk some more...

Clinton

That stick bug frightened me last night, greatly.

A day of rain meant a day of sitting inside and laying low for a while. After so much walking, sitting in the back corner of a Hardee's for an entire day really gets one feeling restless.

A second night on the banks of the Mississippi, while counterproductive, was enjoyable.

At least six times last night I woke up to find my tent illuminated, as if by the sun, and the ground violently shaking below me. If I was anywhere but Missouri the trumpeting howl and obnoxious rumble might have been taken as sure signs of an elephant stampede; but as I sit up and realize where I am, I identify the sounds as a train. Still it is a unnerving, and I can't help but worry that maybe the train will change direction and hit my tent.

It is cold here, and getting colder. Walking around town this morning in a T-shirt and bathing suit was probably a poor choice...

The signs of fall are all around us, and if can get far enough south before winter arrives, it will be just barely, and the cold will be snapping at our heels.

Tonights destination is Bowling Green, only an eleven mile trek. With the rain and cold winds though we aren't too upset that the town isn't a few more miles west.

If you are ever in the area, check out the famous Day Break Donuts, its right on the river. Five dollars bought us 19 gourmet treats, much more than that amount should have fetched us. Alas, life is pain, and now I have to carry donuts :(

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A message from Nick, to the rest of the world:

To quote Ansel Gruenberg:

"You want to remind yourself of your goals when things get rough, and remember that a little pain is more than worth achieving your goals."

A lot of this journey is a test of willpower, to push through cornfields only to reach more corn. Life on foot is something too few people get to experience now days.

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To quote Nick:

"Dog! Be quiet! You are not a doctor, you can't add anything to this conversation!"

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We have now been gone for forty two days. We have met way too many people to count, and would find it hard to list every town we have walked through.

The general reactions from the people we meet?

"You guys are crazy!"

"Stay safe!"

"I wish I could do something like that..."

Our general responses?

"Yes, we are."

"Yeah, that's the plan..."

"You can, and should!"

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If anyone has any questions, message me, and I will be glad to answer them!

Castle

We have crosses the border, and with it the Mississippi!

The last few towns in Illinois- Jacksonville, Winchester, and Pittsfield- were pretty much the same as all the others we had been through.

In Jacksonville we had a very unique experience: staying a night in a homeless shelter. After walking to the local police station and undergoing a background check, we took our bags and our paperwork to New Directions, the Jacksonville warming and cooling center for the homeless.

We were shown great kindness by everyone there, volunteers and residents alike. It was enlightening to interact with everyone and hear peoples stories. The shower was appreciated as well!

A 17 mile night walk found us in Winchester, and in the middle of a thick fog that blanketed the land for miles. I have never seen so much fog over such an expanse! Of course it did make walking a little more difficult, as everyone on the road was operating with drastically decreased visibility.

Another few days and 20 mile stretch found us in the town of Louisiana Missouri, at about two in the morning, in the midst of a rain storm.

Despite the time and conditions, both police and locals assisted in finding us a place to crash for the night.

It feels very good to be out of Illinois, and even better to be in Missouri.

Thanks all for keeping up with the blog!

In a few days I'll post a more in depth update, containing some reflection and not just a summary!