March 11, 2004
Newburyport to Gloucester
Yesterday morning we met in Newburyport, where Kristina Olsen led us on a walk to the edge of town. From there we shuttled to the House of Peace in Ipswich, with a delicious apple crisp and warm welcome. Then we set off on a walk to Essex, with a wonderful potluck lunch provided at the UU Church. On last year's walk I met James, a 13 year old who joined the walk in Essex and continued all the way around the South Shore and back into Boston. This year he's joining us for 3 days of this walk, and getting ready to go to Japan for a 3 month long walk in April. This is one of the advantages of being home schooled. |
In the afternoon we set off for Gloucester with new walkers who joined us at lunch. We stopped at Wellspring for a bathroom break, and received a warm welcome in their original colonial building. After stopping at the famous fisherman's statue on the harbor in Gloucester, we made it to the UU Church in the center of town to complete our walking for the day. Once again we had a delicious potluck, followed by a heartfelt discussion about the walk and our individual and common searches for peace. This was my 14th straight day of walking without a day off. My feet are sore and have blisters, and I am tired. I've talked with a lot of wonderful people in the last 2 weeks, and have been amazed at the generosity and support they've given me and the walk. I've also had a chance to see some friends and acquaintances in some of the towns I've walked through. Today (Thursday) is a much needed rest day. I'm hoping it will give me a chance to relax, restore and revitalize. It also gives me a chance to catch up on various business and things that don't always get done in the busyness of a walk. It's a challenge to do the walk, eating, socializing, and personal care, and still have time to update this journal. So I'm glad to have a day off today. |
Posted by Craig at March 11, 2004 11:43 AM | TrackBack