6/11/2015
During stage two of our journey, many places we passed had Civil war relics. Of course Gettysburg and Charleston were a couple of the places that instantly pop into my mind. The places had the feel of another world and another era entirely. Stage three has been the beginning of our return to the west. As we pushed towards the sunset, my surroundings took me to a time even further back. The scenery and vegetation changed as it always did. Even the air seemed to change. I began to feel more moisture in the air. It was almost as if my lungs could taste the particles of water in the air.
The route I ran and the relics I spotted told a story of our country’s fight for independence. Much of the history in the northern states focused on the revolutionary war. It was a different way of fighting. The battlefields seemed smaller than those of the Civil war. I imagined the people had to be pretty rugged to march up some of the hills. They probably had to carve some of the trails on which I ran. It made me think that despite the shorter life expectancy of their time, the people were without a doubt much tougher than the people today.
Crossing back into New York, the temperature heated up. I could feel my skin darkening under the hot sun. I was happy for the opportunity to run shirtless again. I loved the way the skin cooled when sweat evaporated off the body. I reached a reservoir where Crystal had parked for a break and suddenly the sky darkened and rain began to fall. I couldn’t believe how quickly the temperature had changed. I was lucky that our destination wasn’t far away.
Troy, the home of Uncle Sam, was a place my dad lived and worked when I was around seven and eight. I remember the way I missed having him near me. It was peculiar that my son’s name was Troy and I was away from him around those same developing years. I missed him until my heart broke. It was during my absence that I began to create the world I live in today. I created my stories to explain and explore my life. I had never realized there were so many subplots in my everyday existence.
During this trip the storyline has been pretty simple. The conflict has been fought against myself and against nature. We as humans live in a constant state of struggle. But perhaps it is the struggle that makes us appreciate what we have. Or maybe when we appreciate what we have, we struggle less.
It had been several days without a hot shower. I had resorted to bathing inside the trailer using a bottle with a sport top. Despite not having huge facilities, I had learned to appreciate the healing power of water. It had a way of taking away the hardship. Troy was a medium sized city with beautiful architecture. I imagined my dad’s life as I ran through the streets. Once I reached the suburban area outside of town I noticed that there were many grapevines everywhere. In the last state, fern plants lined the roads. They had been replaced in upstate New York with grape vines. I only lamented the grapes were not yet large enough or ripe enough to eat.
It was fine with me. I reached the town of Latham and found Crystal waiting for me at Applebee’s. They greeted us with a smile and donated our lunch to help us continue our journey. I must have guzzled several cups of fruit punch as the heat of June had me sweating and thirsty on the road. I was excited to fill my tummy since I had been trying to conserve our funds. I filled myself with broccoli cheese soup and a four cheese macaroni and cheese. Yes it was very cheesy and filled with a sweet flavor.
I had enough energy to get to Amsterdam. To my left, the Erie canal flowed and to my right was the Mohawk River. I could see why all the plants were such a deep green color. With that fresh water, life was everywhere.
We had no lodging arranged so it would be yet another night in a parking lot. There was a chance that I would have fallen asleep a bit deflated had Crystal not found just what I had been craving. A place called Moe’s southwest grill gave us dinner. I was happy Crystal didn’t have to cook. I could tell she was just as weary as me. My Julia Gulia crunch wrap was filled with veggies, tofu, and other goodies. The place was like a subway for Mexican food. It hit the spot and I was ready to rest my tired body. 
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