the journey of sixty miles begins

It is 10:00 PM. In less than six hours, I'll be catching a ride with my friend and fellow walker Debbie - and Cheryl - and we'll be rendezvousing with the rest of our More The Merrier Walkers for Knockers team at the opening ceremony for our 3-Day walk.

Less than 12 hours from now, I will be joining thousands of other walkers as we take part in a three day journey that will take us (nearly) 60 miles around San Diego. We will be sleeping at night in little pink tents and our senses will be filled with what I'm sure will be inspiring and motivational messages (and scenes).

Because I am still sick - very sick - I'm a little afraid that this three day walk will resemble more of the Bataan Death March than a cancer crusade. At least for me.

But I will be there! Dressed in pink!

And by golly, I will be happy and glad to be a part of it all!

ACHOO!

Here are our team t-shirts that the ever so talented Terrell had made up.

This is the front...

And this is the back.

Aren't those GREAT?

So that I remember during my NEXT 3-Day Walk (isn't that optimistic that I'm planning the next one before I've even completed the first?!) and in case any of you decide to embark on a similar journey, this is what I'm packing for my walk.

Two pairs of shoes (wear one one day, one the next and allow the pads to recover for the third day on the first pair. Got that?). Six pairs of socks (two for each day). Three pairs of walking pants. Three sports tops. Three More The Merrier Walkers for Knockers shirts. Fanny pack and water bottle. Daily badge and my lovely pink ribbon baseball hat (thanks Beth!)

The pink shoes were purchased SOLELY because they were pink. I didn't want the blue pair at all, but according to the shoes salesman, they actually fit my foot better. Which might be important considering I'm walking SIXTY MILES. But you know, color coordination is really so critical to me at times. (Shh. Don't tell any serious athletes that. Or my podiatrist.)

This is what I'm packing for my nights at camp.

Sleeping bag rated to 10 below zero. Yes, we are in Southern California but near the ocean, it gets bone chilling cold at night and temperatures will drop in to the 50's. (You be quiet. Everyone who lives north of me. My blood is THIN!)

In addition to my sub zero sleeping bag, I've packed one travel pillow. One camping pad that inflates to a nice cozy mattress. Charlie's shirt which I'll sleep in every night, just to have him close. Two pairs of fleece pants including a pair of fleece overalls. One pair of fleece socks. One hot pink fleece pull over. One fleece vest. One down vest. One fleece hat. One fleece TurtleFur. One pair of fleece gloves. (I hate to be cold which is why I love fleece and subscribe to the 'layer' philosophy.) One pair of Crocs which are perfect to wear after a long day of walking AND can be worn in the shower (double points!). One chamois camp towel. One headlamp (because it's nice to use the restroom without holding a flashlight in your teeth.)

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

No, not really. I'll get to that in a minute.

I'm also packing an assortment of adorable little toiletry items that are almost too cute to use. Each one of those items is no more than 2-inches tall. Have you ever seen such a tiny stick of deodorant? It's just a little wider than a tube of Chapstick. So precious. And yet so highly necessary for a sixty-mile walk. (It would be bad to stink in the pink. I think.)

I'm planning to bring a roll of toilet paper and a few plastic bags that I can use for trash, in my tent. The TP is good to have for runny noses or if heaven-forbid, the Porta Potty runs out. Plus, some might argue that having their brand is beneficial for their posterior while in the wild. Why not do whatever you can to make your trip enjoyable?

Ahhh, yes. I can actually hear you in the future and through my computer screen, bestowing your thanks upon me for this golden nugget of camping wisdom.

You are SO very welcome.

In my fanny pack, I'll have moleskin - Second Skin - and blister bandages. I've got a small Swiss Army knife with scissors for cutting aforementioned blister-preventing-agents. I'll have a wide-mouthed water bottle, my camera, cell phone, sunglasses, gum, small wallet with insurance card and license, small pack of Kleenex, Chapstick, sunscreen, Gold Bond powder, hand sanitizer, tiny hair brush, body glide and a little First Aid kit with Tylenol, bandaids and Neosporin. Last but not least, I'll have a few energy bars. I'm also planning to wear my fleece vest for the first few hours of the walk because it will be CHILLY and since it packs up small, I can store it in my pack once I warm up.

Also in my pack, I'll have about 50 "Be Amazing" bracelets that I'm going to hand out to the people who I befriend along the way. (For those of you that still haven't received your Be Amazing bracelets, I've got 95% of them packaged and ready to ship. I just need to get to the post office to have them weighed. I promise they will be there soon!)

Yesterday, I received a care package from my awesome cousin, Margaret. Inside, there was a card that read something along the lines of, "Jen, these are a few items that I know you'll need for your walk. Band aids, energy bars, pain medicine, epsom salt {what the heck is that for??} and chocolate. The Doves are for our loved ones that we've lost."

OK. STOP.

The DOVES are for loved ones that we've lost.

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know me. You know my family. When you hear the word "DOVES" what are you thinking of?

As for me, I'm thinking of chocolate.

So I go through the box, and I see the band aids and the energy bars and the pain medicine and the epsom salt and I see white plastic birds and I see a bag of Hershey's. And I'm looking - looking - searching - DIGGING ALMOST DESPERATELY - for what I believe to be Dove chocolate bars, buried in the box. That's when Charlie comes in and asks, "What's with all the doves?" and I realize, the DOVES are BIRDS.

And there is one dove for each person we've lost to cancer.

Next to the birds, Margaret has written the names, Raymond (our cousin); Andrea (our cousin); Aunt Carolyn (our Godmother); Jeanne (Charlie's mom); Julie (my girlfriend); Deana (my girlfriend); My Father (my Uncle Bill.)

Yet, there are so many more.

I was so touched by her thoughtfulness, that I took the doves and carefully wrote the names of the person Margaret had in her heart, when she sent them to me. Then, I used safety pins and fastened each of the birds to my pink pirate hat, that I plan to wear on portions of the walk, or at least around camp.

Then I tried the hat on.

And I felt like a living wind chime.

****

As of today, our team of triplet mom walkers have have raised $12,514.00 for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund. My most heartfelt thanks to everyone who has helped to support us on this journey and to those of you who will be sending your positive thoughts and prayers our way as we participate in this event.

I'll be back soon with pictures and stories and I'm sure a blister or two. But most importantly, with the first-hand knowledge that we are all one step closer to a cure.

Amen. Good night.