We're Getting Close!

So it seems that the hour is almost upon us...

It's always amazing how prayers can be answered and things can be worked out last minute. Welcome to the story of my life. As of two days ago, two out of the four of us didn't have a way to get to Oregon. Needless to say, the idea of shelling out a $250 plane ticket when we thought that money could go towards other things put a bit of a damper on our spirits. But things looked up when I received a phone call yesterday and we learned that all four of us are going to be taken care of after all. It seems as if someone up there is looking out for us, after all...

Now all we have to do is figure out the best time to leave. I knew when we set our tentative starting date that we wouldn't really get a summer break, but for some reason I thought I would get SOME sort of break. Not the case. At the most we'll all be getting maybe one week at home before we have to head back to St. Louis and spend some time getting everything finalized.

I think that, for the most part, we're ready. Mentally, I've been ready for over a year. Physically, we have most of the stuff we need, and everything we don't have we know where to find. Still, it seems sort of like graduating from high school: no matter how close it gets, it doesn't really hit you into a few days later. I'm guessing we'll be a week or so into Oregon before I sit down at night and go, "Holy cow. I'm in the middle of Oregon. And I'm walking to South Carolina. What is wrong with me?"

Our group's been doing a lot better. We finally had time to sit down and figure out who's going to be in charge of certain tasks, like making sure we have enough water, finding a campsite, keeping the camera working, etc. We've had our fair share of disputes and arguments, but it's been healthy because each time something comes up we've been able to talk about it openly, say our apologies, and move on. I've been telling people that this walk is going to be like training for a marriage, and when I say that, I'm only half-joking.

Our biggest breakthrough, for me at least, was when we decided we were dropping all pretenses about what our documentary was going to be about. Every time someone asks about it, a small twinge comes to my stomach because honestly, I don't know. I know that we've been saying volunteering and community service, but that's because that's something that all four of us are passionate about doing ourselves. But really, who knows what story our final project will wind up telling? We have no idea what or who we're going to encounter on this trip, so why should we try to limit ourselves to any one thing or subject?

I know we might look like idiots when people ask what our documentary is going to be about and all we have to say is, "Well...we don't know" but it's the truth, and the truth is a lot better than some unintelligble answer.

So, here's the deal: We're walking across America, and we're taking a camera with us. We're documenting everything we can, and when we're done, we'll have a pretty awesome film to show for it. If you want to know what it's about, then like us, you'll just have to wait and see.