(INTO THE LIGHT WALK) My First Ever Sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean!

by Alan Bounville

The very first time I’ve ever watched the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean. (And I’m an east coaster!). Walking into the light today for sure! Take a few minutes to enjoy the sound of crashing waves as you watch this beautiful moment with me.

I have the urge to write. Much of the time I have something to say. But right now I just have the urge to write…something. Maybe it’s because I’ve passed a major turning point and I’m going through a transition period in this whole walk experience? Now that I’ve walked every step across the North American continent, I find that I tell new people I meet, “I’ve walked every step across the North American Continent!” I say this with such pride. It was as if that was the first thing I thought of too when I ran into the Atlantic Ocean a few weeks ago. But it’s so weird when I do say it. Like I wonder if I actually did do this thing. Me? The guy who always thought of himself as average.


But average I know I am not. Not in the way I fight for my rights and the rights of my sisters and brothers. I spent my whole life trying to make others happy. And this walk is as much about me as it is about the message. I am demanding full equality for me as much as for everyone else.

Sticking with this. That too plays its roll. There’s something to say about sticking to something as ridiculous as a walk like this.

What is it I want to write about right now? Not loneliness. Not being tired. Stick-with-it-ness? I’ve reached the Atlantic Ocean! Yahoo! Right? Sure. Yahoo. But it was just another day. It was another grounding experience, sure. Like when I reached the summit of Loveland Pass or earlier still when I walked into the Mountain Time Zone. From Seattle, WA to here, N. Ormond Beach, FL. Over 4,000 miles later. Over 4,000 miles! I’m proud. But it was still just another day.

I’m not feeling anything emerge yet. Yet I feel like I should or I want to write about something. I could write about the cyclist who came up to me twice yesterday – but whatevz – that shit’s getting old. The ignorant who stop me to tell me what they think about gay people. Blah!

I could just post this free-write as-is. Why not? I’m sitting here listening over and over to the Broadway It Gets Better song. I miss NYC. This is the hardest part of this walk – knowing it’s the same old same old now. But there is so much I CAN be doing! I can be interviewing tons of people for a future interview theatre play. I’ve heard so many awesome stories this year+ from so many awesome people!

IIT GETS BETTER, BETTER, BETTER.

It will. If I make it so!

Maybe I will just post this as is. I want to do a post about the smells of the road!
The onion trucks of Idaho breezing down the road.
The mix of pine and ocean around Puget Sound.
The dry sweltering sage mixed with my salt and sweat of the desert west.
The smell of the Atlantic Ocean. It just brings me back to my east coast roots!

The preparations for job searching and grant applications. It’s slowly but surely happening! If I’m not walking I’m posting photos. If I’m not posting photos I’m wasting around. If I’m not wasting around I’m working on finding where I’m going to sleep or more donations or figuring out my future past the walk.

I wish I were a better writer. I always feel my vocabulary and style is sophomoric. I feel sophomoric! Sophomores are sophomoric!

Time to replay the song. Replaying a song over and over is sophomoric!

I get fixated on a song. I may wear this one out tonight. But these sappy movement songs touch me deeply.

JUST LOOK UP. CAUSE THOSE SKIES ARE GONNA CLEAR.
THERE’S SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST THE HERE AND NOW.

While I’m walking I often look up. Such beauty I find in the sky. Sometimes, while walking I give Equality Cart a good shove, lift my arms to the sky as I look up, smile, take in a deep breath and let out a loud sigh. What a great way to crack my shoulders too. They get so stiff from pushing Equality Cart. If I’m listening to a song like this one instead of sighing I’ll sing!

IT GETS BETTER, BETTER, BETTER.
THE PAIN WILL LET UP, LET UP, LET UP.
IF YOU FALL JUST GET UP, GET UP, GET UP.
OH – CAUSE THERE’S ANOTHER WAY!

Danny Calvert is so cute! This is so We Are the World redux. Well, that was already reduxted. Reduxt? Reducttaped? Re…

Yup – This is totally my new walking song, if I don’t in fact wear it out tonight. One day of listening to it and I’ll need to take a break from it for sure. Since in an average walking day I could listen to it fifty times. Not that I would listen to it that much in one day. Well, maybe I would. Tomorrow I walk from Ormond Beach to Palm Coast, FL. Then St. Augustine. Then, then, then… Maybe tomorrow I’ll listen to it and TRY not to wear it out. Maybe this one will be bigger than being worn out.

It would be fun for someone to walk a stretch with me again. Especially now since the weather is slowly starting to break. In the next few weeks it should be amazing walking weather!

Time to replay the song and remember…

JUST LOOK UP. CAUSE A BETTER DAY IS HERE.
TOMORROW FEEL THE SUNLIGHT SHINING DOWN!

Write free! Free write! And reach out if you need help. Because it can get better. And if it is better – help build your community to make it better for us all!

Thanks Brady Turner for posting this song on your wall! Just another example of how we can spread good and light to each other.