And So It Begins…

Last night, Christian ate at one of his favorite local restaurants, Winchell’s. Locals know it as a good place to watch a ball game with a superior menu.  He chose fried chicken, kale greens, and a sweet potato.  It was to be his last meal at home before setting out for Georgia the next morning en route to the Appalachian Trail.  It is a meal he will no doubt reflect upon as his food options grow increasingly limited over the next few days and months.

Up until the very last moment he packed and re-packed his gear to make it as light as possible.  The casualties: A bag of rice, a spare compass, a book he has been meaning to read (he opted only to bring his Bible), cooking utensils, and some gear he can use later in the trip.  If you have ever tried to pack everything you will need for several months into one bag, you recognize the bargaining one does with one’s self.  “What if I need this?  Certainly, I can do without that in exchange for that other”.

This morning after petting our cats and kissing me goodbye, he set out on a Greyhound Bus with excitement in his eyes. The only apprehension was in leaving me.  But, we had already been through all of this before.  His life long dream is something I am heavily invested in.  He deserves to live it and I am not standing in the way. I know he can do this and I am constantly inspired by my husband.   How fitting that the newspaper article featuring his big trip was printed this morning.

This blog will be a combination of writings from me, his dutiful wife and from his own pen.  He will mail me letters and pages from his journal whenever he can on the trail and the rest I will fill in from conversations we will be able to have along the way when he can charge his cell phone.  You will also be able to follow his progress as he checks in with his GPS, nightly.

We hope that this will be an interactive blog.  We would love to hear any questions you have for him about his 2,200 mile 6-month experience.  He will try to answer them all.

For now, please read the article, say a prayer for him, and subscribe to this blog for updates.

We are still accepting donations.  As of today we have raised $1,700.00  We need $5,000.00 for the trip alone.  As he continues to travel he will tell you about his love of Appalachia and where it comes from.  He will also share his respect for organizations like Kentuckians For the Commonwealth and the communities fighting to preserve the beauty of Appalachia and her people.

This promises to be a life altering journey and we are honored to have you along for the ride.

ARTICLE ON CHRISTIAN’S JOURNEY: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/03/12/2106110/nine-years-after-severe-injury.html