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Watch the video I’ve attached at the top here before reading on….

(another disclaimer is you should all know we actually walked 35 or so miles the first day. Unfortunately only 18 of them counted towards are trip because we didn’t touch the ocean until after we had walked a ton.)

So now you understand why I’m writing rather than talking to you
through a video blog. The first day of walking was yesterday and it
was great. However I now have no voice and I’m starting to wonder if
it’s a case of strep throat.

Before we could get to the beach in Long Island where we would touch
the Atlantic we got to walk around Manhattan and Brooklyn to do a few
great interviews. It was a beautiful day in New York City and the
streets where packed as we navigated through the sea of bodies. We
where able to take a short break for lunch at a diner and rest the
souls of our feet before heading out to Long Island. Our last ride in
a moving automotive for five or six months was cathartic. As we rode
out we saw the bridge that we would have to walk back over to get to
Brooklyn. We got off the train around 5:45 and for the first time
where completely lost.

We quickly found out that asking for directions is a great way to
start a conversation with people and tell them about the project. It’s
also a great way to find the beach. The sky had darkened by time we
reached the beach and rain started to fall from the clouds. As we took
off our shoe’s to walk on the beach it was an overwhelming moment to
know that all the hard work we’ve put into Walk the Dream over the
past eight months had finally come to this moment. The sand was cool
between our toes as we walked towards the water and set up our
camera’s to capture the beginning of our journey. Rain beat down and
the wind blew sand down the coast. We rolled our pants up to keep them
dry for the eighteen mile walk that would follow.

We walked into the Atlantic together at 5:17pm. We where officially on
one side of the United States. We stood in the water letting the waves
roll over our feet. And then we went in a little too far and an
unexpected wave caught the bottom of our pants. It was a great moment
but the weather didn’t allow us to enjoy it long. A storm was coming
in from off the coast. We had to hustle to get our camera’s out of the
rain as they where already decently soaked, head to the public showers
to get the sand off our feet and begin our walk. We started by going
the wrong direction (which is never great, especially if it’s
pouring). We eventually found the correct directions to head to our
home for the evening with some great film students in friends in
Manhattan.

It rained for what felt like hours but was probably only an hour in
honesty. We walked across the Marine Parkway Bridge soaked with wind
blowing against our bodies the whole time. We made the best of it and
talked about the adventure ahead to get our minds off of the poor
circumstances the first day had brought us. By the end of the night we
made it to our generous hosts apartment around 2:30 am. The last few
miles where difficult. It was cold, we where wet and it was a constant
mental battle not knowing if we’d be reaching the Brooklyn Bridge
(near the end of our travel for that day) in a street or in three more
miles.

I lost my voice last night and chalked it up to talking loud so the
other walkers could all hear me for the duration of the day. I’ve
certainly talked a lot on some days of my life and had a soar throat.
When I woke up this morning I felt much better until a few hours into
the day when my voice went completely. It’s kind of funny to try to
talk and have nothing but rasps and then a whisper of what you
intended to say come out. I’m now hoping I haven’t caught strep throat
or something worse. However in the long run when I can look back on
this in better health I’m certain I will be proud of continuing on in
poor health because I cared so much for my goal and project.

We learned a lot yesterday. We learned we’re capable of walking
through bad weather even if it isn’t the most convenient. We learned
not to trust directions from just any local, to ask again and
re-confirm their accuracy. We learned that we can walk 35 miles in a
day we planned on walking only 18 and still get through it. Most of
all I think we learned we’re willing to put ourselves through pain and
the sacrifice needed to get through this project.

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