1/22/2015
I woke up to turtles playing in the pond behind the fifth wheel. The sun beamed and so did I. Crystal made me a cup of hot green tea to start the day while I attempted to post my blog. The signal repeatedly cut out so it was impossible to upload my pictures. It meant I’d have to wait before updating the world on my progress. I continued to try after having my usual cheese, egg, and veggie sandwich but the internet was intent on keeping me silent. I did help Crystal ready the trailer for the arrival of my mother though. I felt relaxed as I wiped down dusty blinds and edges around the window.
The Florida sun had decided to bless me with longer days. When I combined the extra sunlight with the light mileage, even flat land, and the absence of a running backpack, I had tons of extra time. My unencumbered runs had me completing my goals in short time. Thus, I was not too worried about starting after check out time. I wandered around the Homosassa RV resort a final time before hitting the road. I said good bye to my turtle friends then hit the road.
Plenty of cars passed me on the road but I was very much alone on the road. It was hard to believe I had already crossed a continent. Where did the time go? I knew the journey was only one quarter of the way finished but the months had just disappeared. The focus on one step at a time had already carried me beyond my wildest dreams and yet there was still so much more. And in the distance I saw a tiny figure running towards me. It was Crystal and her unwavering commitment. She had been increasing her mileage daily.
We ended the day in a retail shopping center and we rented a couple movies to enjoy with a big pasta dinner. We only made it through one movie but figured we could finish the second one during our breaks the next day. There wasn’t a peep of noise in that parking lot. We slept the duration of the night with zero interruptions. It was so restful that we slept in. When we finally mustered the energy to begin our day we got sucked into the second movie. When I finally exited the trailer, a blazing ball of fire sat in the air and radiated heat. Within the first mile of my run I had removed my shirt. It was difficult to remember the last time I ran shirtless.
The first part of the day was spent running through suburban neighborhoods. The clean streets provided my feet with a comfortable path. My heart pumped at a steady rhythm as I focused on street signs. There were several turns I had to make through the town and I had learned that one missed turn in a town could lead to many extra miles. My route eventually led me to a road which was closed to the vehicles. Streets were being renovated and it left me with a solitary run. Crystal met me around the end of the path where construction was heavy. From there the lanes shrank and the traffic congested. We stopped running at the corner of the 54 and the 41.
The Big Oaks RV resort was a couple miles in the opposite direction of Tampa so we drove to our place of lodging. The place was inhabited by the friendliest people you could ever meet. The woodsy park made the place feel like a retreat. I relaxed under a hot shower and began playing catch up on computer related work. The warm weather would keep me relaxed through the evening. I was grateful for another day in paradise.
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