My mom and dad formed a welcoming party at Union Station in Denver when I arrived back in Colorado. Four cousins and an aunt and uncle joined the party, too. I left Union Station April 1st, and returned October 9th, bringing my entire trip full circle.

One of my favorite aspects of Walking Across America was the simplistic beauty behind it. Once everything is boiled down to the basics, it becomes incredibly straightforward. I felt like I was able to act like a kid more than I have since, well, I was a kid. It was wonderful. Just getting goofy….Wearing whatever I felt like, taking funny pictures, talking to animals, and doing my best to look at the world through a child’s eyes. It’s amazing how much this changed my perspective during the trip. It will be something I continue to challenge myself to do. Maintaining that sense of wonder, dreaming, and feeling like anything is possible, because it is.

This was a light traffic day in California! Of course, dealing with cars was a consistent challenge. One challenge I had for myself was to not react to cars that were visibly pissed I was on the road. I had my fair share of “encouragement honks” and waves, but also had countless “f**k you honks,” too. I’ll admit I lost my temper once and flipped off a trucker who purposefully drove onto the rumble strips and angrily honked when he passed me on I-80 in Nevada. Other than that, I reacted the same to any honk, with a wave and smile, or nothing at all. This is reflective of the positivity I maintained throughout the trip. Of course there were bad days and hard moments, but I did everything I could to stay positive. This turned out to be one of the biggest lessons learned, and the greatest strength I utilized on the trip. Wearing a smile and putting an optimistic spin on every situation, no matter how difficult, kept my spirits high and made me more approachable. If I wore a scowl or was negative about things, people would have been less likely to approach me. A smile and positive attitude make you the kind of person people want to be around and help if the situation warrants it.

I was helped by so many people throughout the country…People with varying backgrounds and situations, ranging from wealthy to homeless. All of them had two things in common: huge hearts and faith. There were countless situations on this trip when things looked bleak. Whenever that happened, a guardian angel came along, in one form or another, and helped. I’m thankful God’s disciples were scattered between Virginia and Baker Beach to lend a helping hand, and strengthen my Faith in the process. Thank you.

My stay at Joe Bowen’s B&B in Bowen, KY, turned out to be one of the most inspiring nights of my trip. Now 72, Joe Walked Across America on stilts, twice biked across America, and built his house himself by hand. My biggest takeaway from our talks was follow your passions, and follow them with 100% of your heart. It’s not always easy, but imperative to do this if you want to succeed. I’ve taken this thought a step further…I’m not sure what the next step in my life is, but there is no way I’ll “fail” if I pursue something I’m passionate about and am 100% in. Even if I don’t succeed in society’s eyes, I’ll succeed in my eyes if I learn something and pour all of my heart into it. Ultimately, there’s only one person to answer to.

When I was walking through the Salt Flats, a photographer named Ryan Trimble stopped to talk to me on his way back to Salt Lake City after attending Burning Man. Ryan specializes in portraits of “street people.” He saw me and wanted to hear my story. Reflecting on our encounter reinforces the importance of not rushing to judgment. Everyone has a story and everyone has unique circumstances. We can all work on remembering that before jumping to conclusions about a person based on their appearance or our perception of their situation.