Transitions Into a New Future

Today the morning's walk was marked by a great sunrise over the Anacostia. It proved to be an auspicious start to a day where I felt that the transition to a different and I believe better life moving forward gained some significant headway.

Sunrise over the Anacostia

Deep into the third round of thirty day minimalism, the practice is finally getting into a comfortable rhythm, and I'm really liking the results. Meeting new people is starting to gain some traction, and I'm mostly keeping up with a solid effort at previous incarnations of the thirty day principles.

A year ago, I was beginning to sense that major lifestyle shifts might be possible. Now I know they are a reality with some relatively simple rule sets, and that knowledge is giving me a great deal of confidence that almost no goal is out of reach if you make small steps in the right direction and keep it up over time.

Acting the way to right thinking has been the key in unlocking this previously untapped resource for me, and I'm grateful that my focus has shifted from a lethargic intellectual approach to a more active physical approach. I'm also grateful that I've had a great partner in this journey in Rory Conlan. I believe we've supported each other in making some significant changes, and that relationship has really been a bedrock of some of the great things that are happening around both of us.

Today we spent over an hour discussing the walking route between Newport, RI and Newport, OR.  We both approached the challenge in our own way. He tackled it with paper maps in a Rand McNally road atlas, and I took a more digital approach with Google Maps. Regardless of the reference material, this action and discussion helped solidify the path forward in our march toward what I hope will be a collective adventure of a lifetime.

I haven't the faintest idea what tomorrow might bring, but I'm excited to experience the unfolding of what promises to be another great day.

A Difficult Idea to Ignore?

This is the story of an compulsion that began to itch at the back of my brain a couple of years ago and has stubbornly refused all my efforts to shake.  Apparently, I share this malady with Colin Fletcher and after a bit of research, I believe I'm in good if not great company.

The compulsion that has captured no small part of my attention for the last 24 months is a very strong urge to walk across the United States.  The current manifestation has taken the form of a 120 day to 150 day excursion from Newport, RI to Newport, OR.

In order to keep confusion to a minimum, the audience should understand that I am not currently undertaking this journey, but I've started this blog to begin tracking the thinking, planning, maneuvering, and yes, obsessing that I am going through right now. If I can't "Kick this Habit", the end result will likely lead to an attempt of unknown success a couple of years down the  road.

I hope that there is plenty to talk about, and I hope that I can find some relief from this affliction.

Walking across the United States sounds like a great adventure, and I hope can find some amount of satisfaction in sharing this tale.