the shortest walk

The shortest walk from Whitman College in Walla Walla to my parents' house in northern Virginia is, according to Google Maps, 2524 miles, which Google laughably renders as 33 days, 17 hours-- a pace I can maintain as long as I don't eat, sleep, or otherwise stop for any reason (it's about 75 miles per day).

The route passes through Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. It crosses-- impossibly-- Lake Michigan, leads through Michigan to Ohio, and continues through Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and then Virginia.

I'm not planning on ending the walk at my parents' home, mainly for privacy's sake. I'm planning to end it by the water in New York City (with thanks to Malcolm for his kind invitation), which effectively puts me on the coast, and therefore at the Atlantic. It's going to take me considerably longer than 33 days to do this, and my actual route probably won't hang too far north, as I'm hoping to encounter more people (then again, who knew that I'd find such worthwhile folks while walking the high desert?).

I'll be talking later about some of the paradigm shifts that will be affecting the second-- and much longer-- phase of the walk. Much cogitating done, and yet to be done. As so many gyopos like to say: Laters.


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