Nine days and counting...

I've been in/around Lubbock since the the first of the month. I had a friend dump me out on 1585 (country road outside of the city limits) around seven in the morning, and I walked until I hit Wolfforth, Texas a few miles outside of town. I did my first interview with Fox 34 on the side of the road with the cameraman that did my original interview with me four months ago when I came to Lubbock to do press. Nice fella. Two hours later, another station arrived and I participated in yet another interview. After this I rested for a bit on the promise of a run crew around five, but it never came...so I threw on the pack and hiked until around seven.

The next day I headed toward Lubbock and followed the highway to a street called Milwaukee, and turned toward the North part of town.  I ran out of streets that were numbered, and found myself on Erskine Avenue. Walking Lubbock is strange, because when I was here this place was much less developed than it is today. I never visited enough for the changes to feel gradual, so it really is a very different place now. The part of town I was in had been nothing but fields and badly paved road for as long as I could remember.

That night, I camped across the street from Safe Point Hospital in far North Lubbock, almost outside of town next to a cotton field. I'd pitched my tent in the dark, and was completely unaware that I'd set camp surrounded by tumbleweeds.

I'm super allergic to them. It was not a pleasant night.

When I say I couldn't breath, I mean it. My throat was closing, my nose was not functional, and laying down felt like drowning. I had to run up and down the street to open everything up (it works, try it) and then rush back to the tent and attempt to find sleep before my sinuses went to crap all over again.

I managed sleep off and on. I woke once at three in the morning with the inside of my tent so full of condensation that my shirt and pants were soaked. It was stinking cold outside, but I had to strip off what I was wearing and put on layers of dry clothing, mop the inside of my tent walls with the soggy clothes, and then run again so I could breath.

I managed to sleep until six twenty. I woke with the sound of a news truck generator humming a few yards away. I had a live interview on Fox 34 set for seven, and they had already set up. They couldn't find me, so I'm glad I woke when I did. I dont use alarms anymore, but I generally don't sleep past six no matter what when I'm out in the open.

I sat in the news truck while we waited for my spot to come up, deeply appreciating the heater and an outlet to charge my phone. I stuck around until nine, then went on my way.

I walked out to Lubbock Lake Landmark, which is an awesome place that I've loved since I was a kiddo. I crossed Loop 289, and headed toward University Avenue. I figured with having just done a morning news program, that perpetuating a Dustin sighting might make for better press down the road. I dug the media attention, but they went a little heavy on the, "Dustin's homeless" bit initially. A little old lady gave me fifty cents and patted my head. Some folks stopped to hand me a few dollars.

I should be clear...I do not have a home right now. A writer has to write to pay bills, or hold a day job for the same purpose. I've not taken in an income for four months now...thus, I cannot pay for a place to live. I'm not destitute, however. I'm not going to be living in a refrigerator box on the side of the highway anytime soon. I simply do not have a place. My stuff is in storage, my car is in Southern California. I appreciate the concern, however.

I was happy to hear that part toned down significantly during the evening news, along with some clarification on the details of the journey. It was a great plug for the run, and my contact at Fox 34 is awesome for making sure things came out right. I'd talk her up using her name here, but I'm not sure if she'd want me to, so I'll leave it there. She's the best though.

Yesterday ended up being a short hiking day, because I had plans to head out to Slaton early the next morning to visit my grandpa from my mother's side. He's one of the few men that have been in my life that mean anything to me. I can't begin to describe what an excellent man he is.

Also...best...cook...ever. I called my mother last night to tell her what he'd fed me for lunch and dinner, and she was jealous. Rightly so. I've not eaten that well since I started this trip three months ago. As the day passed I recorded him with my flip camera from time to time, getting stories and just listening to him talk. I don't have any videos or pictures of him, so I figured this was a great opportunity to get both. The computer I'm currently using doesn't allow me to download the contents of my camera, so there is nothing posted on the site yet...but I think most of these will be for personal consumption.

Sharing my grandpa with everyone would be a big thing for me. He really is the best man I've ever known.

That brings me to today. I have nine days left of this adventure. It sort of freaks me out, because I've not thought in terms of deadlines and time in general for almost three months now. The time display on my Blackberry hasn't meant anything, nor has the date. I was finishing this trip when I finished it...and that's all that mattered. Now, I have a concrete date, and I'm in or near one town constantly. What time it is, what day it is...it's starting to mean something again, and I'm not sure I like that. This has been my life for what feels like forever now. It's been meditative...I've been in a bubble. No, it's not alway been easy...but 'not easy' hasn't bothered me so much. I've had so much time to get to know myself, understand my motives, learn what makes me who I am...and learn who matters to me and who I'm okay with casting aside for my own sake.

I'm a better man for this trip, and it's going away soon. Yes, I have some crazy stuff much like this planned for down the road -- not too far down the road even, but the first event will always have a place in my heart.

It's been transformative in more ways than I think I've even realized to this point. It's coming in waves. I have people who've told me they're my family now, I've made friends I know I can drop in on down the road and pick up with like I'd been there the entire time -- I feel connected.

I also feel isolated, but in a good way. That will be gone soon. I'll be back among the pack, if only for a little bit before I head off for another adventure. It's a little shocking, but I know it's time. This has been far from perfect...in the most perfect way. I've said it again and again...I'd never take away from this. It happened just the way it needed to, and I'm thrilled that I've gotten the opportunity to experience life this way.

Nine more days. Hope to see some of you folks at the finish line.

All the best.

-Dustin