Look to the Sky for Inspiration and Guidposts

When you find yourself out on the ocean, a glance to the sky will reveal what so many of us in the city have long forgotten. The sweep of the universe punctuates the black ball of the cosmos with pinpricks of light which, if you know how to read them, will guide your path.

Skygazing - Anacostia River - Washington, DC

The ocean sky is the birthplace of dreams, and I’ve found through my long distance walking that an occasional glance towards the vacuum of space gives both inspiration and guidance that I’d long ago abandoned in the wake of the seemingly perpetual rat race.

I’ve wasted far too many decades with my nose to the grindstone giving no thought to a glance at the heavens. I might have stayed in this state of somnambulation forever, but the persistent notion of walking long distances rescued me from myself. Like the clarity of the ocean sky, walking long distances gave me the space and the time to experience the presence of the moment fortified by the more than occasional glance toward the sky.

I’ve been once again filled with the wonder of the universe, and when I turn to the north, Polaris reliably guides my path forward.

Looking to the sky for guidance and inspiration, as the ocean once taught me, rekindled the ability to dream, that I’d long since forgotten.  For that, I am grateful.

Horizons and Harbors - Things the Ocean Taught Me

No matter the weather, a ship should be at sea.  

Fellow Sunchasers - Severn River - Annapolis, MD

The wind might howl and the waves pile up like liquid mountains, but she’s safer out there with plenty of room to maneuver.  

Looking back on the days spent at anchor does one no good at all. If the weather was calm in the harbor, it’s easy to fool oneself that times were better, though in the midst of the maelstrom, the ride would be much worse bound to the unyielding rock of the land.  If things were rough near the dock, one might be tempted to take comfort in the escape to the sea, but by looking astern, miss the challenges and promise advancing from the heart of the storm.

A savvy master will keep a weather eye on the horizon to prepare for the unexpected, but that distant divide between the sea and the sky is a fantasy that the ship cannot fetch no matter how far she sails. It’s a vast sweep of possibilities where only a degree or two of course difference results in thousands of miles of change as time unfolds.

The best approach is to sail as she goes with a general direction in mind. It’s less work, and much more rewarding. Sailing from where you are allows one to surf the waves and follow the ever shifting line of the wind.  Eyes forward, but always present...that’s the course to master the elements and capture fulfillment.

-- Things the Ocean Taught Me

Run Toward Your Dreams

Progress in the direction of the N2N-TCP is gaining momentum.  After a lackluster year of physical training last year because of my broken foot in January 2016, I've changed shoes, gotten some downtime for healing, and I'm back out on the trail.  Yesterday was a sunrise and sunset day, and it was truly spectacular. The trail stretched between the two, and the walking itself was just exactly what I needed as well.

Squeezing the Last Fire Out of the Day - College Creek - Annapolis, MD

In addition to walking, Rory Conlan and I have engaged the help of a great graphics designer to help us out with a logo to represent the walk.  It's something we've been kicking around for about two years now, and while we came up with some concepts, I'm really excited to see what a professional can do with this crazy idea we're pursuing.

I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, but I know that as long as we're willing to take the next step toward our dreams the universe is conspiring to deliver exactly what we need.  What started as an escape has transformed itself into a goal, and I'm having the time of my life.

Escape or Pursuit, the Path May Be the Same

Have you ever just wanted to escape from your surroundings? Drop everything, pull your money out of the bank in cash, hit the road, and leave everything else behind. At its core, this desire to run away, leave my problems in my wake, was at the center of the genesis of the Newport to Newport Transcontinental Pilgrimage.

Four years later, the desire to hit the road has not diminished at all. If anything's happened, that draw has gained strength, but some things have changed dramatically.

Back then, in the dark ages, the desire to escape was the only consideration. It would not have worked. I wanted to escape from myself, and try as one might, I'm pretty sure that hasn't ever worked for a person, past, present, or future.

The road still calls, but now, I think I'm moving toward something rather than running away. Escape or pursuit, the path may be the same.

Nuclear Reflections - Greenbury Point - Annapolis, MD

I suppose the lesson that I'm learning is that thoughts can take you down a path that might not be in your best interests, but on the other hand, it's worth considering them for positive things they might offer.  Even the crazy ones.

I don't know what will happen tomorrow, but I'll keep putting one foot in front of the other and have faith that the path will continue to rise up to meet me. The next step will be taken in the context of faith that the universe is conspiring to bring those things into my life that are meant to be there. It's been quite an adventure so far.