my route in a nut shell....

I've been asked many times to post a map of the route I have taken and where I'm headed. I would like to take this time to get deep into the details of a plan that has... no details.

One of the questions I've been asked many times is "Why are you heading south instead of east?"
The reason that I'm going south is because heading east would lead me to the Cascade mountains that are currently covered in snow. Being aware of my lack of outdoor experience, I saw the snow being a major issue to walk/camp in. Also if you look at a map of the U.S. New York is south of Seattle, not parallel. Either way I would have to head south.

Another question I get asked often is "Do you have a route you're following and how long will it take you?"
Originally, I planned on walking south till I hit the American Discover Trail, then follow that east to New York. My goal was to do this in 9 months. However over the last month of walking I have decided to throw out all plans... timeline and route. This walk will take me as long as it takes me and I will break down the route in chunks. Example, Seattle to Portland, Portland to Boise, Boise to ... maybe Salt Lake City. I've found that the journey is just as important as the destination. This is a once in a life time experience and I don't want to squander any opportunities that come my way. I didn't realize how much time it takes to talk to every person that comes up to us and wants to know about what we're doing. When it comes down to it, talking to people is a huge part of my daily routine if not as important as the walking.

* Below is a map of the route I have taken thus far*

I had mixed emotions about walking into Oregon State. I was excited to be one state down, but kept on thinking about the finish line... how it would feel if right now I was walking into New York. One of the things I wanted to do while walking into Oregon was to listen to a really cool song... something that you just groove to when you walk. However my ipad was on random and I didn't want to stop and get it out to change the song. Out of no where a worship song that I co-wrote with some friends from back in the day came on and I have to say... it was perfect! It totally took my focus off of what I've accomplished or thought that I was doing something special and on what God is doing. It was an awesome reminder of what is really going on here. More then ever I was reminded that this is God's work... and I just get to be a part of it.