Walking

I spend a fair amount of my day walking a job site where I inspect and document repairs and improvements to a street in uptown New Orleans. Generally there are three crews concentrating on their particular tasks, and I quietly observe. I get to spend most of my day inside my own head, while putting one foot in front of the other. It's occurred to me that physically walking across Spain may be the easiest part. Can I keep focused on the goal? Will it be enough to get me on the trail to hoof out another 5 to 6 hours in the heat of the summer? Will I be able to control the dialogue inside my head? I'm so anxious to start and learn more about me...

Backpack Adjustments

I extended my hiking distance today to 1 1/2 hours during another incredible sunrise. I'm still not anywhere near ready for Spain, but I can feel the progress my body's making.

I did notice a difference in the ease of carrying my pack after adjusting it yesterday. I had not anticipated such a change in comfort by making what seemed like minor adjustments. I found some good tips on YouTube, Fit A Pack Right

The pack has yet to become effortless, but it is noticeably better.

Daylight Savings Time

November 2nd...I'm not sure why we observe (nor interested enough to look it up) Daylight Savings Time. But I do know we "fall back" in a couple of weeks. The evenings get dark too soon now, so will be getting much too short then. The reason I mention it is because it is now dark at 6:00am when I start my training hikes. I was almost 30 minutes into my walk this morning before I could easily see what was around me. I love the bike trail along the lake, partly because there are no light poles every few hundred feet. I guess in two weeks I'll be disappointed to miss the sunrises...

Sorry guys...

I know I haven't posted in a while. I just came off a monster week where I decided to bite off more than I could chew and accept 13 different writing assignments, all due - you guessed it - Tuesday at midnight. Somehow I made it. Never again.

These were not lightweight pieces, either. I had to write about everything from the subtle differences between West Coast Rules and East Coast Rules as they relate to Beer Pong (dead serious) to the mechanics of investing in real estate within the framework of a 401(k) account. Good times.

Anyway... I'm back.

New Backpack

I recently purchased a Jansport Carson external frame backpack off of eBay. At 4,900 cu.in., its probably more room than I need, but I like the external frame aspect. Spending about $50, including shipping, makes it a very reasonable solution.

Today was the first morning to try it out on the trail. Packed with old clothes, she weighed in at 17 pounds. I took a 3-mile, one-hour hike on the bike trail near Lake Pontchartrain. It was a beautiful sunrise and the pack felt great. I've just got to keep training so I can do 5 times that distance every day for a month!



Thank goodness the pack came with a hip belt that expands to 52". Now I need to concentrate on the belly!

Rolf Potts Book Signing

What an interesting evening! As always, Dave has his finger on the pulse of cool events happening in our area. As a result, he let me know that Rolf Potts would be doing a book signing for his newest, "Marco Polo Didn't Go There." As I mentioned in an earlier post, I enjoyed "Vagabonding" and wanted to meet him. Rolf was both entertaining and inspiring. Learn more about Rolf and catch an upcoming book signing at http://www.rolfpotts.com/. And be sure to order both of his books through the rotating banner at the top of this blog (you'll be helping Dave support this site.)

The Blessing of No News

The summer between my sophomore and junior years in college, I decide to forego another hot, hard-working summer driving a loud, dusty tractor in the small wheat community I grew up in. I used my Spring Break to interview and get hired for a summer job at a nice resort in the Ozarks. Not only would I be in the air conditioning of the main restaurant, I could grab two nice meals each night for my roommate and I while he, as the bartender, grabbed the libations for after work. The group of college kids working there became quite close due to the surprisingly limited variety of activities available to us at the resort. Cable TV and 24 hour news channels had not yet been invented. We worked hard at night, partied harder into the morning, then napped near the pool the next day before starting the cycle again. We were so absorbed in our microsphere that we didn't know John Wayne had died for almost a month.

I am reaching maximum exposure to this year's election news. Debates, gaffes, experience, change, change, change...everything is dissected and over-examined. My patience is being tested every time I turn on the television or radio. The noise is so loud, I can't hear the soft, quiet voice inside me. I need to get away long enough to hear it again. I need "no news". I need to talk to someone about my thoughts, not listen to pundits about theirs. I need to actively participate in the world, not passively watch it on tv. I need to go for a long walk.