Day Three

Before setting off each morning, the walkers circle up to remind ourselves and one another of the way we walk. I'll post the words here, because they are the central guiding principles for how we are engaging in this adventure:

The Way We Walk

The way we walk is a living, embodied, breathing expression of why we walk. We affirm our core values in the way we carry ourselves and relate to those we walk alongside and meet along the way.

·       Respect – We leave places better than when we found them; We affirm the worth of the American experiment; We understand that we are building a community that requires each of our care and concern; We honor and are honest about our needs.

·       Kindness – We believe in the power of connection; We earnestly wish to make connections across differences; We support one another along the way; We give ourselves and one another grace when the way becomes difficult.

·       Curiosity – We know there is still so much we do not know; We acknowledge problems while aiming toward the future; We are open with one another; We spend time in self-reflection.

·       Courage – We are stepping into the unknown; We boldly demand a more perfect union; We stand for the rights and liberties of our neighbors; We walk with integrity.

I don't have a picture of this circle (I'll try to remember to get one tomorrow) but each morning we take turns reading these values aloud as a reminder of our purpose. It is quickly becoming a meaningful touchstone for the way forward, book-ended at the end of the day with a conversation about what went well and what didn't for each member of the team that day. It's a beautiful way to both set intention, and refine practice as the journey unfolds.

After circling up this morning, we headed out for the day's walk. In the early morning hours, the air is cool and traffic is light. So that first hour is a beautiful time to engage in contemplative walking. Esther and Bob quickly pulled ahead of me, and I soon found myself walking alone, contemplating just how very exposed and vulnerable I felt, even with the reduced traffic levels. After the first hour we took our scheduled break, and discussed what we could do differently.

At this point, I feel open to whatever the walk requires. I've determined that I want to come away from this experience energized and inspired, not injured, so am slowly letting go of my idea that this is going to be like a modified version of the Camino (which I walked in 2018), and instead make my decisions on how this way unfolds based on the needs of the through-walkers. I can't just take my own pace, because that feels too scary to be on the side of the road alone. So I was prepared to drop out of the walk after the first hour, if need be, so that the through-walkers could do what they needed to do in order to get this done.

However, Esther and Bob offered to try a slower pace for the next hour (in their marathoner speak, from 3.6mph to 3.2mph), and touch base after to see how that felt to everyone. We walked single file, Bob ahead of me and Esther behind, for most of the next 9 miles, and I felt much much better as I moved along with the "herd" in this way.

By lunch, our cumulative mileage count was hovering at or around fourty-six miles. We had walked 12 of the 26 miles intended for this day, and I realized that even going at my prefered pace, that if I wanted to walk tomorrow I needed to tap out, stay out of the sun, and let my body recover for the afternoon. I don't know how possible this will be for future walkers - we are discussing ways to make being a part of the walk possible for people while recognizing that it may not be something all people can step into. And at the same time, I am definitely expanding my idea of what it means to be "part" of the walk. Every person who has come out to wave as we pass by, who says "oh, I read the article about you guys," who offers a refill on our water bottles or a suggestion for a less traffic-heavy route; each person who brings food to share or a kind word of encouragement on our way has been a part of the walk. And we have been grateful for every single one of them! They are a part of a community being created step by step, day by day, even if they never take a single step along the route.

After a meal of cold cuts, dried fruit, and chunks of cheese, Matthew and I waved goodbye to the Super Duo, and I hobbled away in the opposite direction to find a cool shower and some AC. They are out there now, as I type this - Esther sent this from the duo's first resting place:

"Greetings from a very hot road"

She still looks super fresh. She's got this. And we've got her.

Onward,

❤️

Kate.

P.S. Esther and Bob walked 28.5 miles today. Which confirms for me that it was the right decision for me to stop at lunch!! Lol! I will post some shots from their day here as soon as they upload to my computer, but for now, we sleep. Tomorrow is 16 miles, but there is a 4000ft elevation climb. Luckily, we'll have more shade coverage from the trees. We're headed out early - aiming for 5:30AM to catch the cool air.

Ultreya!