LOOK! New things all around you! Cool, huh? New intro paragraph (say goodbye to the “Fresh Prince” reference). New progress banner (survey is still available on the side for you slackers). And NEW PICS in the gallery.

Speaking of progress, GOOD JOB team 2200miles.com. We’ve got some kids sponsored! THANK you SOOO much. 🙂 That’s so cool…really. We just have a little farther to go. Glad you’re going there with me!

Past the 1/2 way point now and things are looking up. I’ve been more encouraged lately than downcast, so I’m thankful for that. 🙂 I’m out of Maryland for good and almost out of Pennsylvania. I’m hoping to average 17 miles a day with one “zero” per week.

One of the best days I’ve had in a long time was Monday June 29th. It turned out to be my second longest day at this point at 26.5 miles! Most of the day was flat as the trail passed through fields and farm lands. Rather than being surrounded by the “Green Tunnel,” it was so refreshing to have a change of scenery. Corn fields (knee-high by the 4th of July!). Soybean fields. It was like…palate-cleansing sorbet between courses. Or a piece of ginger between sushi. Mmmmm…sushi.

Othern’ that…I’ve seen another bear (morning of 7/8)…and LOTS of snakes. Lots. Big snakes, baby snakes, poisonous snakes, non-poisonous snakes. I’ve been hiking with fellow hiker “Mostly” for over a week now. Luckily he deals/sells reptiles in his normal life, so he’s recognized and described every snake we’ve seen so far! See photo gallery!

So, below is the long awaited intro video for the documentary I’m filming! It’ll also have a website soon, and I’ll let you know when that is up:

Cool, huh? Unfortunately, of the original 7 people who started, there are only 2 of us left! The producer, Jason, gave a camera to a 3rd person who we’ve met along the way but hasn’t been filming since the beginning.

Also cool, I was able to record an interview with CDR radio in Cedarville, OH where I graduated from school. Here are the excerpts from those clips! (They’re each about 3 min long.)

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Thanks for choosing me over Saturday morning cartoons!

Well, are you ready to hear about me crying in the woods again? I’m not really ready to talk about it, but it’s not for my benefit…I hope it is for yours.

But first a word from one of my best friends from high school and his wife! I’m giving Nick the honorary trail name “Urban Eskimo” because of his amazing ability to run year round while living in Minnesota. (In high school, he once ran to my house from his in Ohio on a snow day…). His wife Christy gets the honorary trail name “Nurse DeFrost” because, well, she is a nurse, and someone has to warm Nick up!

I first sponsored a child because it was a tangible way to give back to a country that I had visited. My trip to Ghana was powerful and challenging, so I wanted a way to keep giving back to support the country – one child at a time. Christy and I sponsored a second child from Zambia, a place she had spent several months of her life, after going through the World Vision Experience. These children are a reminder to us of our calling to serve in Africa and the hope that is within the continent and its youth.

Thanks Nick and Christy! More on sponsorship by the end of this blog…

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Friday 6/19 was one of those days when I was ready to quit. It was the hottest hiking day so far and not only was my temperature meter on high, but my doubts were running high and my water running low. I was also out of vitamin-I and in need of a few anti-inflamatory pills as the arch in my right foot was painfully reminding me how much I didn’t like my new shoes and inserts. I was rehearsing in my mind what the “last” 2200miles.com blog would sound like…how to bow out gracefully and graciously this year and let any readers know that perhaps a year or two from now I would resume the hike.

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Several milestones have been reached since we last talked:

First, I made it to the 1,000 mile mark! While this isn’t quite 1/2 way, it’s still a cool number. 🙂

Second, I FINALLY left Virginia and entered the 5th state on the trail, West Virginia. VA took a good long time as did the first 4 states — almost 3 months! WV will only take up a few miles of the trail, and it won’t be long until I’m out of Maryland and into Pennsylvania.

Third, Sunday marked the first day of summer! Traditionally hikers use the summer solstice as “Hike Naked Day” but thankfully, I saw none and did not partake. Jason, the producer for the “Road Less Traveled” TV show, hiked with me on part of Saturday and all of Sunday. Coming soon: a 60-second clip that previews the show for which I’m filming!

Fourth, I saw my first bear on the trail! I was hiking through the Shenandoah National Park and sure enough…he was on the trail just ahead of me. The first bear you see while walking in the woods is pretty exhilarating. Not that bears two through seven weren’t exhilarating…yes, I saw a total of 7! The first two hung around for a picture or two (we’ll call them Smiley and Sniffy) but the others were all running away from me by the time I saw them! Either way, SOOO cool! Here are their pics:

(click pics to enlarge)

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