Author: brettbramble

Today is Brittany’s 2 year Angelversary. I was pretty exhausted this morning and couldn’t get motivated when I looked at the weather. It was supposed to be rainy off and on until around noon and then it was supposed to finally clear up a bit. I asked my host, Andrew, if it was OK if I hung around for a bit and got some more rest. He had no problem with that. So I got some more sleep and then spent some time reconfiguring Jenny (my stroller) to get a little more organized.

I got rolling around 1230 and five minutes into it it started to rain. I darted back into town to seek shelter under an awning because I wasn’t prepared for rain as I thought it was going to clear up. A few minutes later it stopped raining and I decided to take the chance and go on.

Earlier this morning I received a phone call from a local news station that wanted to come meet me on the walk and do a story. Turns out Andrew sent some emails to help out my cause. Yeah. Talk about awesome! They came and met me and Domino and we got the footage we needed. Turned out that the reporter went to Tucker high school back in the Atlanta area. The same high my parents went to and near the town I lived in for the 10 years of my life. Small world…

A little after that I was minding my own business. Just pushing a baby stroller down the highway, being totally normal when a truck driver thought otherwise. I guess he has a thing for people walking on the side of roads so he let me know with a total intentional swerve toward us as he passed. My hat flew off and my middle finger flew up in his direction…

After I cooled down and shook off the near death experience I realized that I was pretty close to Maryland. I had to the urge to take my walking stick and point it forward and say, “To Maryland!” I had to wait for a few cars to get out of sight because I didn’t want to look crazy lol. As soon as I was in the clear I did it.

Not long after that I flicked off my second truck driver. This time some verbal obscenities assisted my hand gesture for increased impact. I don’t think it mattered…

The sun FINALLY started to peek out of the clouds. I’d been waiting to use my headphones since I started. I didn’t want to get them wet in the bad weather that I’d been dealing with the last few days so I finally got to break them out. I clicked Pandora radio and the first song that popped up was “Into the Great Wide Open” by Tom Petty. Not my favorite song or anything but it was absolutely perfect for the moment. The next few songs sucked so I turned it off and called my brother.

I was talking to him as I crossed the state line into Maryland. My first state behind me. I found the welcome to Maryland sign and stopped for a break and some pictures. I ended up just laying on the grass next to Domino and nodded off for a few minutes with the sun on my face and cars whizzing by probably putting together what they were witnessing.

Because I had such a late start I knew that I’d be camping tonight and my only real goal of the day was to get to the state line. So I kept on going until it was about 2 hours to sunset. I can look up at the sun and tell you exactly when the sun will go down. Just hold your hand out under the sun and every finger represents 15 minutes until the horizon. Once I got to the 2 hour mark I started to look for places. I found this perfect covered structure next to a church. There was a house on property also with a car there. All I needed to do was ask for permission and I would be great. I chickened out. Couldn’t do it. So I kept going. About an hour later I realized I had no choice but to think of something. I saw some woods way in the distance and decided to just stealth camp. I hate to be on someone’s property without permission but it’s just woods and I’ll leave no trace. I snuck in and found a clearing and set up the tent and cooked a meal for me and Domino. We ate like kings (canned chili) and I cleaned up and got ready for bed.

Here I am now.. Domino curled up next to me and Jenny on the other side. Hopefully keeping Jenny in here won’t come back to haunt me. I’m pretty sure that raccoons and opossums are the only animals I should face out here. Both are persistent but I can handle them if they come and try to get too close. If there are bear in southern Delaware then I’m screwed. I didn’t feel like hanging up all my food knowing that the property owner can come out here with a shotgun at any given moment and force us out of here in a hurry.

So that’s my situation… gonna get into the 40’s but I am pretty sure we are both covered enough to stay warm. Tomorrow is going to be sunshine and 70!!!! I am making good progress out here and I’m proud of myself. I said all that of that stuff in the last paragraph a little sarcastically. Sure, any of it can happen… but I think I will be fine.

Until tomorrow…!   Miss ya Brittany!

So today started off great. I woke up early and felt rejuvenated. Frank, the guy who was hosting me at his house, made breakfast for Erin, the other hiker that’s walking across America, and I. We ate and talked and got ready for the day. I took off and it was cold and rainy but I wanted to get an early start because I was feeling good. I was off and running and doing very well at first. There were hundreds of earthworms on the road and I was trying to avoid running over them. I walked by a mailbox that had a target painted on it. I thought it was funny and regretted not taking a picture of it.

It was a challenge in the cold rain. Especially on a busy highway. I had a large shoulder to walk on safely but the cars were all going very fast on this highway. I learned how to get the timing right on when to duck my head down to avoid rain and road grime hitting my face by the size and speed of the vehicle whizzing by. A few trucks flew by and the wind knocked my flag off of Jenny and my even my hat once. Domino started to get better at positioning herself behind Jenny to avoid the wind gusts from the trucks. Domino started to get a little anxious today. Maybe it was the rain and all the fast cars. I noticed she was struggling so we stopped for a break. She wouldn’t leave my side which is out of character. Usually when I let her off the leash, she darts off quickly and uses the bathroom and sniffs around. This time I could tell she was scared. I was trying to calm her down and a car approached. A nice man pulled over to check and see if we were ok. I told him what we were doing and he grabbed a dog treat out of his pocket and gave it to Domino. She instantly felt better haha. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that. It was perfect how it happened though. I think she thought that everything was going to be ok.

We walked and walked for miles and miles. Stopping here and there for snacks and water. I was starting to struggle and was getting pissed off at the cars and the rain and had to keep telling myself to just keep going. My legs were killing me and I was starting to feel stupid for being out there. Then out of nowhere, another car pulls up and offers me and Domino a can of dog food and a can of chili. I thought it was so nice and I was grateful for the wet food for domino because she hasn’t been eating as much as I want her to while walking so much. The guy’s name was Jackson and he had a story that touched my heart. That one is between us but it was because of his story that he felt the desire to help. He asked if we wanted anymore cans. He said, “I have a lot of them.” I said I’d another can or two of dog food thinking that he had them in his car. He told me that he’d be right back and went back to his car and drove off fast signaling that he’d be right back. If I had known that he had to drive to get the stuff I wouldn’t have said that I needed it. He came back shortly with a bag full of treats and soups and drinks and a lot of dog stuff. It was all stuff that we will use. It was so uplifting to witness that kind of generosity first hand.

Shortly after I had the biggest challenge so far. Domino stepped on something and started limping. I checked her out and she had a little blood spot on one of her pads. It looked a lot like if you step on a very small piece of glass. I squeezed it out and cleaned it off. She hated me for it at the time. I let her ride for at least an hour on top of Jenny. She isn’t very comfortable up there but she knew and understood the situation. She finally couldn’t take it anymore and jumped down. I checked her again and everything looked fine. We walked slowly and her limp was gone. I sped up back to normal pace and she kept up fine. It was scary as hell. When she started limping my heart dropped. Thankfully she is ok. I have been keeping up with it and taking care of it the way it needs to be.

In the last 3 miles before I got to my destination I was sore and over the cars and tired and just wanted to get there. I actually considered just stopping and setting up camp even though I had a house to go to. I had to tell myself to just keep going. I didn’t want to let the guy down that had offered his place either. That was some motivation to keep going. Another car pulled up…

A woman named Bambi and her cute furry dog pulled over and asked what we were doing. She was concerned about domino and maybe me too a little bit. She had seen me earlier and went to her house and came back to bring us dog food snacks for me and gatorade. I took as much as I could carry as Jenny is slammed full of stuff. I was so happy that she stopped. It was really good timing. It helped put a little pep in my step and get me a few more miles under my belt.

In the last mile, another woman pulled over to check on me and Domino. I told her about the cause and she immediately wanted to help by donating. We talked for a few and assured her that we are ok. Thanks so much Jen 🙂

I FINALLY reached the town of Greenwood, DE. It was my goal for the day and I had a couch waiting for me. A great guy named Andrew that I found on couchsurfing.com hosted me and Domino for the night. He made a great dinner and we hung out with his roommate Mason all night as I shook off the day.

All in all, today turned out to be a good one. Only because of the wonderful people I encountered. Everything else was kind of annoying. I am HOPING that I can do one more really long day tomorrow. I am 18 miles from the next big town and if I make it I decided that I’d treat myself to hotel as they have one there. If I don’t make it I am in my tent. We’ll see how that goes….!

Wow! I went through every emotion known to man today. I took the ferry from new Jersey to Delaware to get to my starting point. When I looked out the window from the boat and saw my starting point for the first time I broke down crying. It just so happened that I was in the gift shop buying a refrigerator magnet. The girl who worked there was like ummmm…. haha. I told her what I was doing and she understood and helped me get over the freak out. When we got off of the boat and then headed to the beach I was surprised to see a gathering of people there to support me and cheer me on. There are words to describe how it feels when someone tells you that you are helping them with their grief of losing a loved one to an overdose. Having gone through that pain myself, I remember how much it meant to me for the people that did that for me. People brought gifts and smiles and it was amazing. My family and all of the crowd gathered and we had a great time as I prepared to begin this crazy trip. And then…. I began this crazy trip.

My family walked with me for a mile or so and then we said our goodbyes. It was soooooooooooo hard to leave Brooke. My daughter, who is being left in very good hands as I do this walk. And then I was alone.

Just me and Domino. I stayed there for a long moment and savored all of the different feelings. I think in 20 seconds I went through everything from intense excitement to sheer terror. Then I started to walk. Shortly after I was met by a nice woman who coordinates the American Discovery Trail in Delaware to let me know that if I needed anything while I was there to let her know. I mean come on!!! It’s just amazing how a gesture of kindness from a stranger can make you feel like everything is going to be ok.

Then I went for a long stretch of walking and in total awe of every detail. Everything I saw or felt or smelled was “the first.” I crossed my first bridge, I saw my first roadkill, I saw my first small town, I met my first trail angel….

She was there when I was at the beach and asked if I needed anything. She lives nearby and really wanted to help. Her neighbor’s son just passed away from an overdose 2 weeks ago. She noticed that I didn’t have any reflective vests and offered to get them for me and for Domino. I knew this was something that I had forgotten and it was on my list of things to get when I pass a store that had them. I felt a little awkward but chose to let her know that I would highly appreciate it if she did. Not only did she come back later and find me on the road to give us the vests but they were really nice vests and she bought 2 for each of us. So Domino and I now have safety vests for any occasion in any weather for the entire trip. She also threw some snacks in. She asked where I was walking and she said that I was literally going to pass her house in a few miles. We exchanged numbers and she asked if I wanted company for a few miles and I did. So she was going to go home and get ready and then walk with me. When I got there, after 12 miles of walking on the cold rain already, she had warm Maryland crab soup waiting for me. Oh. My. Lort! So good! We talked for a while and me and Domino rested a bit and then we hit the road together for a while and talked about the epidemic and the walk and other things. It was nice to have someone to talk to. Especially on such a roller coaster of a day. When we said goodbye and she turned back, I had about 2 miles to go until I reached my destination for the night. A super cool guy that offered his place to stay for the night that I found on couchsurfing.com.

So I get there and he comes outside to greet me and is super nice. I was so thankful to be done for the day. My legs were killing me. I went a little over 16 miles and I think I was walking a bit too fast with all of the excitement. So I go inside and he’s like I hope you don’t mind but there is a girl who is also walking across America and I’m hosting her also. Get the eff outta here right!!??? So yeah, she started about an hour before I did in the exact same spot. So all us hung out and the host made us dinner and we all ate together. Then I had a shower and a bed and I mean come on!!!!! Life is great!

I’m so freaking happy that my first day was filled with positive connections. It still wasn’t easy, but it was all good. Even the pain and minor let downs from the walk were easy to get through knowing that I had a place to stay. It is supposed to rain a lot tonight and it’s cold up here!

Tomorrow will be tough but I think I can fight through it. Have rain and 18ish miles to make tomorrow. We’ll see how that goes…

Off to bed now. Domino is already snoring…

We drove 2 days up to New Jersey to visit my aunt who lives near my starting location.  The road trip went well. Brooke was great and so was Domino. Along the way, we stopped in Philadelphia to visit a friend who is doing so good with raising awareness of the overdose epidemic and bringing support to the people who have lost loved ones to it. We met in a deli and I was given my first REAL Philly cheesesteak. It was soooooooooooo good!!!! When we arrived at my aunt’s, I saw this banner they had made for me. There were friends and family and beers and hamburgers waiting for me. It was very special. I am happy to be spending the last couple of days before the walk with such wonderful people.

I’ve been getting a lot of media coverage lately. Raising awareness one station at a time!!

This weekend Brittany would have turned 30. It also marked 2 weeks before I begin my walk. It was a rough couple of days. Thankfully, we had a lot of family come together and that made everything better. I thought that being her 2nd birthday since she died that it would be easier. It wasn’t. Maybe because it was a milestone year (30). Maybe not. I thought I was going to be ok until the night before. That’s when it all hit me. Once the family was together I felt a million times better. We laughed and played and hugged and took a great picture!

The next day was interesting. I woke up to find out my aunt was in the hospital in critical condition. She will be ok but it was very scary. Because of that I didn’t realize that it was my 2 week before I start day. I didn’t notice that until the next day. So I guess technically it’s less than 2 weeks away. I’m very excited. I’ve been telling people in that area that they are welcome to come out and be there for me as I begin. I may have a pretty good turnout. As much as I want to do this walk without any fame or attention, I know that I must entertain it so that I can raise awareness of the overdose epidemic. This whole thing is bigger than me and I am actually really loving the support. The more I get out there, the more I want the support and attention of others. I can’t wait to see what I learn about myself and others along the way.

So I am less than a month away. Everyone keeps asking me if I am nervous. I feel a little strange to say that I am not in least bit nervous. I’m ready! I know there will be times where I’ll be down and in dire straits but I feel that I am prepared and can handle anything that this walk throws at me. I am looking forward to overcoming the challenges that I will face. I am more so looking forward to the awesome people and amazing views that I’ll see. I’m a little worried about domino but I think she’ll be fine. I mean she’s a dog! She’s gonna love it!!

I miss Brittany every day but this walk helps keep her alive in my heart and that is what it all comes down to for me and my family. I hope that people will change and lives will be saved. But it’s all a success to me already. I’ve found a way to keep my sister’s story going…

I have had great support as I have been preparing for this quest. I still need to raise a lot of money but I’ve raised enough to comfortably begin. I really appreciate everyone who is pulling for me on this. I’m going to need that motivation at some points.

I will be posting updates here along the way and hope to keep an interesting blog for everyone to enjoy. I’m sure there will be some stories to tell 🙂

 

Such a big step for our country. Please click this link to read more….

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/naloxone-overdose-reversal-high-schools_us_56a68951e4b0404eb8f29097

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/15/health/addiction-schools-education-prevention/index.html