7 Million Steps                   Blog 54

Directional Skills

While in Jackson Mississippi, after a very frustrating and cold day, Kelly told me “I didn’t have the directional skills of a 4th Grader!” Initially I was taken aback, but I thought about it and totally agreed with her!

When I was in 4th Grade, so so so so so so so so many years ago I am sure I had those skills, but as we grow older unless you hike, or need to know directions for one reason or another, it’s a skill I never really use. When I was married my husband had great navigating skills, as does Josh, so being with them most of the time I never really needed them. Also I am a “city gal” and now a “sat nav gal”., so I mostly rely on landmarks to navigate my way around… Alone, I have walked cities in USA, parts of Europe, Ireland, England and Asia using my “landmark” skills successfully, of course this hardly equipped me for the Warrior Momz Walk, where every day was a new day, new area and a lot of emptiness.

It was never on my bucket list to Walk across America, I commenced the walk with little research, I knew distances between cities I was walking and kinda what the weather would be like, but that sadly was all the research I did.

I really had NO CLUE what I was getting myself into, but because God told me to “Walk Across America” I knew I would be fine…ummm pretty naïve of me!

In hindsight it’s a bit like the moment you are told your loved one has a spinal cord injury at that moment in time “you have no clue” about what you are going to do or how you will all survive, yet through time you “get through” and begin to understand your journey.

The Warrior Momz Walk has so much replicated my journey with Josh in those early months/ years, as I have mentioned in other blogs…

In both cases I had no clue what I would do or how we would get through!

Kelly has been amazing, finding the right roads, trails, parks for me to walk, the end is near for me on my “mission” and so is the end of Kelly’s “adventure”… Our mind sets have been totally different, Kelly has embraced each day of her adventure, I on the other hand regardless, of heat, cold, rain, relentless sun, had to drag myself out of bed most days, at 5.30 am make smoothies, coffee, and prepare myself to walk around 22 miles a day in areas I didn’t know or especially in the beginning understand, to allow me to complete my “Mission of Change!”

Only time will tell whether I have succeeded for me personally I am relieved my journey is ending!

It’s not just the Walk that is ending but the period of my life these last 18 years has consumed! Whatever happens whatever direction I travel after the morning of  the 12th of March, it will be a “new start” for not only me but for my loving family!!!