(Gawd•Dame•Itt)

Goddamit (Gawd•Dame•Itt)

-interjection (sometimes initial capital letter) Informal: Sometimes Offensive
(Used to express anger, perplexity, amazement, etc.)

This is also used when someone does something so incrediblely stupid, they just blurt out and scream it, like me.

After going through all my plans that I have for this I decided, just for fun with my girlfriend, that I go over millage per day and overall length of the trip. Well, in total rush rush fashion, I made an egregious error.

At ten miles a day it looks like it would take me a little over 11.45 months to complete.  In anticipation for such ridiculously stupid mistake, I've been carrying 15 extra pounds and walking an average of 13 miles a day when I walk.

In order to do this thing in 6 months, I'm going to have to average a little under 20 miles a day. At first what went through my head was that this was the thing that would put this project to a stop, a pause, but I just can't do that. I can't postpone this trip. No matter what happens from here until then, it will be part of the journey. Human error is a HUGE part of this trip. This is not a smooth ride with every little bit planned out to the finest detail.

Now this latest slip up is not a minor detail, it's a pretty major detail, its step one, the foundation, that I've based everything off of so far.

This short introspective thought of the length being double has mentally thrown me on my ass, but I'm working on it. I'm going to figure this out.

On a good note, I did walk 20 miles before I found this out. I completed a small two day walk from Philly to Valley Forge, a national park in the suburbs, with a few detours to visit some friends. It was great. I saw some crazy shit: creative houses, waterfalls, offers for rides! The offer was my first and I was able to decline it no problem, even though I was in the middle of a hot steep hill that was tearing up my legs.

Anyway the walk is still on, no matter how long it takes, six months or a year, bring it. Take care

Mike

Stuff!

These are the core things I'm taking with me: sleeping bag, tent, camera, solar charger, and pack. Cloths and food are going to vary but these things will hopefully last me the whole way. My buddy Oscar was nice enough to lend me his pack until mine came in to get used to the wieght and whatnot.

One month away! Goddamnit it's getting close. I've been looking at the maps, sending out countless emails to find places to crash, and looking at some crazy backyard roads ill be hitting, I.E. Blueberry Pond, Flight 93 Memorial, and Helixville, which I'm not sure but looks like it consists of three houses and a chicken.

I'm going to be hitting a lot of state parks along the way too, and anyone who wants to go camping for a night or two are more than welcome to come. I'm sure after a few months I'll be begging people to camp because there is no way I could ever fully mentally prepare myself for this thing.  Take care.

Mike

The Biggest Adventure

I saw a frontline called "The Suicide Tourist" last night. Its basically a documentary on a man wanting to die. He goes through all the details of his death, what music he wants to listen to when he dies, how he dies (which is a "sleeping" pill in high doses). You design your own suicide essentially. He took a private plane to Switzerland, got as comfortable as one can be in this stage of your life, and got ready for his next adventure, death, all the while having a machine breath for him.

What about the boatman? Yes, the boatman, the guy who helps the other die? How much more intimate can you get with someone than to be there for his/her last desired moments.

At its core it is suicide I think, however, I can also see it as an old fashion hangin, off with his head sort of moment. Everyday you learn something new, even on the last day, he says, holding back tears because acsording to him, when he cries he stops breathing.

He dies, and then his good friends get EMAILS about it. An email!? Really? Fucking email!? I want at least a God damn text saying "big gulps huh? Cool, well, see ya later" and be done with it!

Anyway, to say the least this was a story that got me thinking about so many different things about the walk. It really made me think how short our lives are and how senseless it is to waste any of it.

All my equipment is almost here. Ill have a post with some photos of all the essentials tomorrow. Take care guys

Mike Gallagher

Chapter 2: Panic Control

Doing whatever it takes, just like this guy...

So I was hoping not to have to utilize this part of the survival guide so soon but what the hell, why not?! Subsiquently, "why not" is my new phrase of 2010. Last years phrase was "PT", brought to you by one Michael Lopez.

I have 39 days until the walk begins. Everything is starting to move from the back of my head to the forefront of my mind, and its freakin me out a little, I can not lie.

Recently I was hit with the reality that most of the savings for this trip are nil, zap, zero, nothing, emptiness all around! With only a few checks left I'm forced to resort to my plan G, sell what little I have left to the digital masses.

I have given away most of my belongings i.e. cloths, furniture, everything but my studio equipment, but all that MUST GO!

Im keeping cool about all this, "playing it cool", as some friends of mine say, and figuring out how to pull this off. Ill go crazy Kevin Smith style if I have to and go in debt up to my FACE!

Get ready shitheads, because all those people that didn't want me to do this aren't getting there wish, Ill bum it out to the west coast if I must. That is all.

My new home for next seven months

Ballin!

It's Like...

My Route

Among many questions, one of them is which way I am taking on this walk. The route will be put together by a site that was given to me by Dennis Weeks, a former professor of mine at Saint Joseph's University. He teaches digital photo there and is pretty tremendous at what he does. He has some fantastic work that you should check out. 

The Road

West River Drive, Philadelphia, PA