RunAcrossTheUSA.com

[Brandon]

I have neglected to post anything since the completion because I felt that anything I would write would be forced and not truly from my heart. I couldn’t truly say how I felt because I did not know. Just like the original bus ride that got us out to our start in Atlantic City and all the events and goodbyes leading up to it, the past few days have been a surreal blur of emotions and sleep deprivation that will take a few days to sort out.

That being said, I don’t feel qualified to write a true “reflection” post. However, I can describe a few of the events, most surprises to Matt and I, which have transpired throughout our journey home. Before I do, let me ask a little favor of you. You see, there’s this guy, Jay Leno, and he has a show. Matt and I had the dream throughout the trip that at the end he would ask us to be on his show. That hasn’t happened yet, probably because he doesn't know about us, but you can help. Just click on this link http://www.nbc.com/nbc/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/feedback/index.shtml#feedback and under the "Give us Feedback" section, choose "suggest a guest" and write a little message suggesting us as guests. If he gets enough requests, maybe he’ll call us up. You never know.

The airplane ride was a cramped, darkened trip not unlike our first bus ride, Matt and I both drifting in and out of consciousness the entire time. It felt to me like just another plane ride in the middle of the night. No special exuberance or anticipation was felt on my part. I think after the incredible adrenaline rush after diving into the ocean had rendered me incapable of too much more emotion. I felt the same way on the 4 hour drive home from Milwaukee. After we stopped to eat in Green Bay, I slept the rest of the way until getting to Marinette, a city about ½ hour from home. It was weird to see it again after so long, but I had a strange feeling that I had just been there recently, even though a lot had changed. We got closer to home and these signs started appearing on the side of the road saying things like “Welcome Home” and “You Guys Rock.” At first I wasn’t sure if the signs were for us, but as I kept seeing them I thought of how small our town was and realized there was no one else they could be for. The last three signs counted down 3, 2, 1 and around the bend we were greeted with a mass of people holding signs and cheering. Matt and I hopped out of the van and began the endless hugs and handshakes, enjoying every minute of it. The celebration didn’t stop there. After dozens of pictures and a few interviews, everyone followed our van down the road to my house. We even got to sneak in a game of ultimate Frisbee.

It was great to see many of our dearest supporters and spend some time with family and friends. Even though I was in a daze most of the time, it’s something I’ll never forget. It feels so great to have people who care about you and for you.

Now I’m sitting at home with not much to do and a lot of energy to burn. I had originally planned to take a week off with no physical activity of any kind, but that didn’t last a day. I’ll probably start running again tomorrow and see how I feel. To tell the truth, I do not feel like I just spent three months straight walking and running 35 miles a day without a day off. I guess that’s the benefit of being young.

Well, I want to get back to reading A Walk Across America, so this is it for now. This is by no means the end of our site though. I plan to post almost every day (we’ll see if that happens), so continue to check for updates, pictures, and video. I’ll have some time on my hands, so who knows how creative I’ll get. We’ll see.

Have a great day,
Brandon