12 Oct to Present--FLORIDA

I have arrived in Camelot...Florida. Ken and Jane have been very gracious since my arrival on 15 Oct and have opened their home to me while I establish my next step.

This portion of the sojourn is complete. I have been in search of something larger than myself and have decided to stay in FL for awhile to continue a search for opportunity. The duration is undetermined at this point, but the weather is nice and there is Ken's Beverage Castle to consider; I will be helping Ken with his business any way I can and will actively pursue employment in the Tampa/Lakeland area during this time frame.

I assume many of you are wondering what has resulted from this trip. Well, it wasn't as enlightening or as life-changing as I thought it might have been, but it did afford an opportunity for a lot of reflection on many things in my life. Many of these are very personal and I won't share them here, but I will offer several observations which relate to my goals when I initially set out to see a portion of the US.

1. I have discovered what I needed to discover for now. A new chapter of this volume begins. I am done traveling for awhile and am anxious to see what will develop next.

2. People are generally good. I didn't happen across any "evil" people, but I do know they are out there and you have to be cautions. This became very clear during my trip to Nashville. A young gentleman was gunned down in the street just several blocks away from where I was walking. I heard the gunshots, saw the police and paramedics response, but did not witness the shooting. That was an instant slap in the face which brought me back to reality. I don't know who was shot or for what reason, but it happened to someone for some reason. I have given up on trying to figure out who would do such a thing and why, rather, I prefer to realize that these violent acts do occur and to take measures to avoid any such circumstance.

3. The book....hmmmm. I will have to give it some more time. I don't think this entire journey is complete as of yet. There is still a job, career, and locations to consider. I will keep maintaining my journal and see what develops.

4. The small towns and mainstreets I encountered on the way still interest me. I will probably be back to see some that I missed and look for others I hadn't considered for this trip. I will be doing so with a plan and a vehicle to conserve time and energy. This particular trip may also include other countries.

For all of you expecting more...I can't apologize. I thoroughly enjoyed my travels and have learned much and incorporated them along with my personal insights into a new way of thinking. Funny, most of the new way of thinking isn't much different from my old way of thinking, but it was refreshing to be able to take the time and discover all of this on my own without any outside influence.

Thanks for joining me during this chapter. I can't promise to continue to maintain this blog, but I may. At this juncture, my personal journey is more important.

10 - 11 OCT: KY to TN

I am really disappointed that I haven't been seeing all I can. First, due to the car I have rented and second, because I have been feeling sick. It started in Louisville and I thought it was just the onset of a cold; I think I may be wrong. I have been fighting something which all my friends have been joking about as the Swine Flu and now I am thinking they may be right.

I haven't been able to do much sightseeing; I have just been getting as much rest as I can. I don't sleep much because of a miserable cough. Hopefully, I will feel better as I enter into Atlanta.

Aunt Lyla, I apologize, I am feeling too bad to try to see the sights. I really wanted to see the "Choo Choo." http://www.choochoo.com/

NASHVILLE

I rented my car in Louisville, KY and arrived in Nashville, TN after driving down Hwy 60. I drove thru numerous small towns, but they all appeared to be suburbs of Louisville and Nashville; strip malls and gas stations along the entire route.

So I go out for a bite to eat and to see Broadway St in Nashville. The best I can describe it is as a countrified Las Vegas on all one street.

APOLOGY

This is my official apology to all of you who have been faithfully following my Trek. Unfortunately due to my physical and financial limitations I have had to make the very difficult decision of either terminating my journey or adjusting it so I can complete it in a satisfactory physical and fiscal condition.

I will be continuing my sojourn along the same route I would have walked, but it will be accomplished while driving a rental car from Budget. I will have one week to complete the last half of this trip and I look forward to the opportunity to explore further and gain additional information and possibly see more sites than I might have on foot.

Please accept my apology for my limitations, but I do look forward to putting together another trip in the very near future. I will also continue to update this blog and my Facebook as often as I can with my experiences and photographs.

Thank you all for your understanding and support!

LOUISVILLE, KY

Henry picked me up on time and we drove down the interstate while talking about my Trek, life goals, American society, work, and what in life makes one truly happy.

Henry asked about my health and I commented about how difficult it has been to make my way thru IN. Hwy 31 was a major thoroughfare thru IN and had paved shoulders to walk on but no grass or gravel to spare my feet the punishment. He made a casual statement about if I had an opportunity to change my initial plan to incorporate a vehicle, would I choose to do so? I immediately replied that that wasn't an option because of the things I might miss because of moving "so fast." He countered with, "what about the things you may be missing because you are limited by range due to exploring by only walking?" I had to concede his point. An example is how I missed seeing the House on the Rock while traveling thru WI. Another point of contention is the the difficulty to stay in campgrounds due to their locations so far out of city limits.

Upon arriving in Louisville, we said our farewells and I thanked him for the ride and his recommendation. I gave it a lot of thought after he dropped me off; I hadn't made any decisions at that point, but I did know I couldn’t continue any more on my feet. Some of my toes are still numb, my ankles ache, and my arches are sensitive to the touch. Everything feels bruised and abused. I also can't wait out the recovery in hotels any longer due to the cost. I have decided to trade off the expense of hotel rooms for a rental car.

After a day of coordination and planning I will call a rental car agency and set up a ride for the rest of the trip. One option was to fly directly to FL which wouldn't allow me to see what I initially set out to do. Another was to purchase a used car, but that is problematic due to paperwork and other registration issues. Also, it wasn't cost effective or timely.

So, with the decision made, I will set out on Fri in a rental car and enjoy the remaining half of my trip by driving the same route I would have walked and continue to take the time to enjoy the sites I would have normally seen while on foot.

MLB ALC TIE BREAKER

I decided to have dinner at Ruby Tuesdays on Tuesday and met a good man named Jeff. He happened to be from Detroit, a Detroit Tigers fan, and had recently taken a position with his company as a contractor in the area. Instead of staying in his hotel to watch the American League Central tie breaking game between his Tigers and the Minnesota Twins he made the same decision I had which was to walk over to the restaurant for the game. I am glad he did. Good clean competition is always fun.

We watched the game and talked a lot about life and goals. We didn't solve the world's problems, but it was nice to talk about what our country could be rather than what is. During the course of our converstion and watching the game another gentleman joined us at the bar. His name was Henry. Henry was another traveler on business. I was the only traveler on "leisure." He became involved in the game and conversation and he mentioned he was headed to Lousiville, KY on the following day. I had to take advantage of this opportunity and asked him if I could join him. He stated that he would and we would be departing around 11:00 am on Wed.

The evening progressed, a great game was played by both baseball clubs, and the Twins defeated the Tigers in dramatic fashion after 12 innings. Final score: 6-5.

Twins win and I win with a ride to save my poor aching feet all the way to KY!

1-5 OCT: INDY TO EDINBURGH

There aren't many significant events to report. I have posted photos to Facebook of Franklin, but besides meeting a few friends, it has been pretty much the same sights and travels as started earlier in WI; a lot of walking, fields, and hotels.

I departed Indy and was headed 12 miles down the road to Greenwood. I walked thru downtown Indy and about 3 miles into the southern portion of town I saw an "IndyGo" sign with a busline that identified bus #31 that would take me to Greenwood.

While I waited I walked over to the railroad bridge and met another homeless gentleman named LA. Yes, he made clear to me he was from LA. I wondered and asked why he would be in Indy and he responded that he thought there would be work. This is a major belief of most of the homeless I have met in town. We wished each other well, my bus arrived, and I was on my way to Greenwood.

he bus stopped every block to pick up or drop off a passenger which made a 10 mile trip last almost 40 minutes. We looped around the Greenwood Shopping Mall and I was the last person on the bus. The driver then asked where I was going. I mentioned downtown and his response was that this was his final stop. Alright, so I get off at the mall, yay.

I instantly see BJ's Pub, so I head there since I seem to have the best luck with offers for help in pubs or bars. I enter with my pack, meet the hostess, Stacy, she hears my story and offers me a ride all the way to Franklin, another 10 miles south, if I don't mind waiting until 4 pm. It is now 3 pm. No problem. I head over to the bar, glad to not have to walk another mile, and order a BJ's Octoberfest beer.

I watch the Twins play the Tigers for the pennant race, drink a couple of delicious beers, and check my watch. It is 4:10 pm. I glance over at the hostess desk and there is a new girl. I approach her and ask if she has seen Stacy. She informs me she has already left for the day. Hmmm. I can't blame her. She was young and pretty and probably had second thoughts about helping out a stranger; actually, she probably freaked out.

Well, I need a few things, so I go into the mall to pick them up a; instant coffee from Starbucks and headphones for my iPhone (Apple makes good products, but their earphones stink). I go to Radio Shack and pick up my earphones and then head to Starbucks for my coffee where I meet several nice ladies, Amber and Jill. They ask what I am doing with such a big backpack, hear my story and want to help by offering assistance, but it may take some time to coordinate; perhaps until after they get off work later in the evening. I politely decline; I can't hang around the mall all day, so I pick up my coffee and decide to get a bite to eat before I look for a hotel in Greenwood for the nite.

I happen across a TGIF. I enter, sit down, visit with the bartender, search for a place to stay, visit with him about my trip, and a few moments later, a gentleman from across the bar apologizes for eavesdropping, but can't help to ask about my trip. His name is Josh and I meet his fiancé, Bret. He says I have to meet his good friend, CJ, who is planning a 25 mile run from Franklin to Indy. Of course, I accept the offer and after they eat, we are on our way to Franklin for the nite.

Josh and I visit about the trip, life, and careers. He is a social worker and I enjoyed our conversation before he drops me off at the Comfort Inn. We decide to get together on the following evening, Fri, to visit further and so I can meet their friends. Ironically, Bret is a bartender along with her twin sister, Brooke, at the Grill Pub in downtown Franklin. I give my thanks and turn in for the nite.

The following day I decide to check out the downtown and also see the movie Zombieland; a great movie for the Halloween holiday. This idea results in a 3 mile walk to the movie theater and after the movie I walk back into downtown. I arrive at the pub around 5 pm and instantly meet Bret. She states Josh would be by later.

During this period, I meet CJ, Steve, Steve, Juice, Manila, Larry and several other friends and acquaintances of Josh and Bret. It was a good time and I then walk the last several miles back to my hotel. Thank you to all in Franklin for your hospitality.

The following day was a quiet one. There was a Fall Festival in town, but I didn't feel like walking another 2 or 3 miles back into town, so I stayed in my room, relaxed, and watched the Notre Dame game. At this point after several days of rest and still having aches and pains in my lower extremities, I am getting a little concerned about the extent of my injuries. I fear it may be several potential stress fractures. As I have mentioned earlier, the pavement is really taking its toll on me and I have been getting what I think is adequate rest, but certain pains persist. I will continue to take it easy this week and see what develops.

Sunday arrives, I strap into my boots, put on my pack, and I head back down the road, Hwy 31 south. All feels good until I reach about the 5 mile point. I take time to change socks and rest, but the tarmac is really causing problems. It is hard to lace my boots. By the time I reach Edinburgh, only 14 miles away, I can barely walk. I check into the Hampton Inn, hobble to my room, drop off my gear, watch the Sun Nite football game, and then go to sleep. I will see how I feel in the morning.

I feel refreshed come the morning, but my feet really hurt. I have decided to rest one more day and potentially come up with an alternate plan to get to Louisville, KY if I don't feel any better by Tue, 6 Oct. I will keep you all posted.