Hey hall! I know a lot of people commented how they’d wanted updates and whatnot to continue to some extent after I finished so I figured why not knock one out now.

First, a little over two weeks since the walk finished. I struggled for a lot of that post-walk timeframe. Not sure if it was anxiety, depression, a combination or what. Some of my friends who’ve served before said it sounds like I was going through the same thing that soldiers do when they come off a deployment. Being at home felt off, not walking every day felt off. Everything mentally felt off. 
 

I got back to work. Im in the same warehouse I worked in before, only now I work for a major grocery chain in the Midwest doing quality assurance for their produce. It’s a bit of a change of pace from what I did before and from the walk. But being back around the people I’ve worked around and worth for the last 8-9 years has been a huge help as well. 
 

Physically, a lot of new pains have set in, not sure if it’s everything catching up to me or what. My calves and hammies are perpetually tight, my right knee on the outside has started hurting, the plantar fasciitis in my left foot hasn’t gotten better, and after a week and a half or so of rest being back on my feet all day has started causing pain in my lower back. Soon I may make an appointment with my ortho and general practitioner just to get a checkup and see where I’m at and what I gotta do to recover. 
 

With that being said, the next two places that “Hall Across The Country” are going will be exciting. One of them will perhaps make walking across the country seem relatively easy.  First, after a discussion with a good buddy of mine, I’m going to get back in a wrestling mat, start training again, and will head out to Vegas in April to compete in the Veterans nationals wrestling tournament. I competed at the “Wrestle Against Autism” tournament back in 2021 and that was the first bit of competition after the motorcycle wreck. So this will be a fun way to chase personal improvement again.  
 

The second adventure that I’ll be going on, is the fun one. I’ve talked to and partnered up with http://www.firstdescents.org and will be fundraising for them. First Descents is a non-profit that provides outdoor opportunities for young adults who’ve battled cancer, MS and other diseases. These opportunities allow these people to improve their self esteem, self confidence, and make their overall happiness and healthiness increase. The goal is to raise $3,500 by August ($1,500 by June) and they are going to sponsor me to compete on a their behalf, as well as represent HATC at the Leadville 100 trail run in August. For those of you who dont know what Leadville is, it’s a 100 mile trail race in Leadville, CO. The entire race takes place at over 9,000 feet in elevation, and features 15,000 feet of elevation gain and loss. The time limit for the race is 30 hours, with cutoff times at each aid station. I’m essentially going from 0-100. 
 

The goal for these two things is to hopefully catalog my successes and struggles along the way, and hope that seeing me overcome things will help others to pursue big things and/or persevere when things get hard. If taking on these challenges can motivate someone else to overcome the things burdening them, then it’s worth it. 
 

The plans to write the book are still there, as is the non-profit and speaking engagements. My friends trying to find a CPA who’d work with me as we work towards officially becoming a non-profit, as far as filing paperwork and whatnot in that area. I’ve also had a school reach out to have me speak and they want to know what I would charge and I legitimately have no idea what to charge. 
 

So that’s where things are right now. Some big things on the horizon, some big things in the immediate or near future, and a lot of uncertainty. But then again isn’t that life? Like David Goggins said, not trying is the real failure. 
 

Take it easy guys!