Friday, March 30, 2012

I got a GOAT!

This may or may not be the worst decision I've ever made in my life... As you all may know (or maybe don't) I initially was planning on taking my dog Louie with me on this walk across America but recently he hurt both his legs and needed surgery. I decided to let him heal naturally and he's doing a lot better but he won't be coming with me for the first half of the trip so I had to find a replacement. Doing some research online, I found that goats are a pack animal and are able to travel long distances with minimal food and water. They're actually pretty low maintenance. So I headed to the New Moon Goat Rescue in Arlington, Wa and found " The Goat of Destiny!" Everyone meet...."Popsicle" (the name has to go)...




Friday, March 23, 2012

Life Shower...

I've spent most of the day going through boxes of stuff I haven't seen for 3/4+ years. Its like looking into a time capsule. Crazy how much I've changed; how much my life has changed since then. Looking through pictures, listening to CD's of old bands..... and I thought I had it all together back then. All of this leaves me wondering who am I going to be by the end of this trip? How much will I change... will I still be me or a completely different person? So far, the hardest part of this has been to figure out what stays and what goes. I found 4 skateboards, 3 ipods, 2 old cell phones, a cd case with hundreds of cds I'll probably never listen to again. The cell phones are full of old text messages/ pictures from the past.  What do you do with all this stuff? The things that used to be so important to me but now have no place. Even the simplest things like keys on my key ring, I have 2 left ( one into the building, one into the apartment). Soon, I won't have any keys... Its really not about keys, its about what they represent. There's something about having a place to come home to... and keys remind me of that. I guess I just have a lot of mixed emotions. Getting rid of your things is like getting rid of the memories you associate with them... what you were into, what you wore... Its kind of like a do over... or maybe more like a new season in life.


Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Supporting Needle2Square

I need your help! Needle2Square is a grass-roots movement and the best way we can get this story out is word of mouth. So here's the plan... STEP ONE> facebook me and I'll send you a post card (or download the post card and print it) STEP TWO> take a picture of yourself holding the post card and post it to the Needle2Square facebook page. STEP THREE> Spread the word on your page!

Steve
Supporters of Needle2Square! **Thank you for helping me spread the word!**

Friday, March 16, 2012

Having a hard time focusing...

With "March Madness" on, I find it very difficult to focus on getting ready for the walk or even blogging. There has been a lot going on since the last post, so this entry might be a bit long. With that being said, last Sunday I took a bus from Seattle to Spokane after the radio show (Naked Truth, check it out kgnw.com Sunday nights at 9pm). I fell asleep on the bus and woke up as we were driving through Snoqualmie pass. Looking out the window, there was snow everywhere! It had to have been at least 9ft high... and it hit me that I'm completely ill prepared for the snow portion of this walk. Immediately I started thinking through my options of what to do like maybe go over Stevens pass instead or moving my departure date to June so there isn't as much snow in the mountains... possibly make an attempt and if it doesn't work turn around and go south...or skip the pass all together and head south through Portland then head east. Doing that would add a lot more time to my trip but it makes the first month a lot easier. * I want to quickly clarify a few rules I set for myself for this walk... well actually there is really only one rule I have which is, I have to WALK the entire way, no hitchhiking over passes! If I'm stopping at a city, I can be driven around the city but will pick up where I left off when I hit the road again.* I don't know what I'm going to do about the snow yet... still haven't made a decision but hope to figure it out soon. 

Anyway, once in Spokane I got to share my story with friends and people that I knew from back in the day.  It was amazing to see how much support I have and how many people are interested in the details and are legitimately  concerned for my safety. I would have never thought I'd get this kind of a response and I have to admit it is SO encouraging! On Tuesday night, I spoke to the Youth of Calvery Chapel Rathdrum and had an awesome time hanging out/sharing about Uzima and the walk (thanks Michael Jacobs).  Later that week I was interviewed by Nicole at  KXLY (a local TV/Radio station in the Spokane area) who will be writing an article about Needle2Square in the coming days ( I will post a link once its up). This really is a grass roots movement and it is awesome to see others get involved and spread the word!

There is still so much to be done and I will keep you posted as I go, but for now I have to get back to the game... ( go Missouri!)


Steve

Friday, March 2, 2012

We are exactly 2 months away from the first steps of my 3100 mile journey across America. I can't tell you how excited yet scared I am! Going over my gear today, I realized I maybe "a little" under prepared. I don't have a knife, first aid kit, solar panels to charge my phone, food plan and I'm not sure how I'm going to carry enough water to last me town to town. My goal is to have an ultra light pack under 35lbs... minus food/ water and the above items listed the pack weighs 28lbs. Clearly you can see I still have a few logistical problems to solve.  Also trying to figure out how I'm going to edit/ post video updates while on the road. Debating between a Kindle Fire, ipad, and the Nookie... any suggestions???

Stay classy America (haha)
Steve & Louie