Day 9 Mississippi River

Another great day on the river!

Things started off early this morning with a 7:15AM call from Clinton Rosette Middle School in DeKalb, IL. A second teacher from the school has decided to hop on board with the project, so we had a quick chat discussing how I envision the project going and some of what I hope the kids get from it. A short 15 minutes later I hung up and set up my lawn chair to overlook the river.

The campsite, Crazy James Point, is my favorite yet. A small hill overlooks a winding stretch of the Mississippi. As I enjoyed a warm cup of coffee I heard the first of 3 groups that would pass my point. The long distance hikers paddled by and we exchanged hellos. About an hour later Jeff cruised by in his yellow kayak. He had taken a wrong turn at the previous lake and went a mile in the wrong direction to start his morning. Despite the set back he was in good spirits. A short while after a third canoe floated by. This group had plans of a weekend paddle in the North Country.

At 10:30AM I made my first video chat call with Mr. Murray's 6th grade class at Clinton Rosette. The chat went great, as I explained my journey, told them that I used to go to school there, and that when I was a 6th grader at Rosette I had Mr. Vincent (now the school principal) as a student teacher. It was encouraging to see how excited the kids were. Several students got up, introduced themselves and asked questions. After ending the chat Mr. Murray texted to offer his thanks for my time.

When I first dreamed of this trip I kept it to myself. I figured most folks would look down on me, thinking I am crazy hippie, leaving a job and security to become a homeless transient on the river. I never imagined all the positive feedback I've gotten from the kids, from my friends and colleagues, and from all of you following along with my journey. It means a lot to have all of your support!

It seems to me that once you take the first step and fully commit to whatever it is you're passionate about, people will come out of the woodwork to lend a hand.

After wrapping up my call I packed up and hit the water around 1pm full of encouragement and inspiration. I paddled until about 7:15pm, when I pulled over and set up camp on a small sand bar at the edge of the river.

Another good day, with more to come!