Walk Across Connecticut 2018 — Day 4

It’s hard the believe this year’s walk is already over but somehow four days flew past in the blink of an eye. Today may have been short, but it was full of eye-opening conversations, donuts, and a great celebration at the finish line.

Here’s my full recap of my last day on the road:

Just a quick 11 miles for my last day, taking me from Quinnipiac University in Hamden to the food trucks on Longwharf in New Haven.

Here’s my view in Hamden as I head out this morning — it’s a beautiful day for some walking.

People often ask me what I listen to during quiet stretches of the walk, so I put together a playlist. A couple Tom Petty covers, the obligatory Phish track, something from my kids’ current favorite soundtrack, and a few others. You can listen to the whole thing here.

I run into Mat on Dixwell Ave and we chat about gun violence. He’s a veteran and a longtime NRA member. But he left because he watched the NRA become out of touch with its members. Mat supports universal background checks.

As I’m heading toward Hamden High School I meet Fritz and Lulu. They drove all the way from Westport to bring me some donuts!

These kids on the New Haven Heat AAU basketball team are out here hustling in the hot sun to raise money to go to a basketball tournament in Orlando.

Passing IKEA in New Haven means only a quarter mile left!

I turn onto Long Wharf Drive to head toward the food trucks and I see a great crowd has assembled to help me celebrate at the finish line!

Thanks to everyone who came out to meet me at the end of the walk!

I stay to chat with everyone who came out to meet me at Long Wharf and I share a couple stories from this year’s walk that I’m sure will stick with me long after I’ve hung up my sneakers.

I tell them about a woman I talked with who spent all of her savings in order to get treatment for a brain tumor. I tell them about Glenn, the man I met in Hartford who is working 60+ hours a week at two jobs and still struggling to make ends meet. I tell them about the New Haven Heat AAU team that I saw just this morning. The people that I’ve met along this walk have challenged me, but more than anything, they have inspired me.

Recently, my kids have been obsessed with the musical Hamilton. And there’s one line from that show that has always stuck with me, and it’s one that I thought about often during this walk. They sing, “Look around, look around, how lucky we are to be alive right now.” They’re talking about how special it is to get to be there at the dawn of our new country and how history is being made every day.

But when I hear that line, I think about the moment we’re living in right now. There’s no denying that it’s a time filled with challenges. Our politics can be frustrating and divisive. People feel agitated and nervous and sometimes angry. But it’s moments like this where we recommit ourselves to the idea of democracy. Where we stand up and fight for the things that matter. These are the moments are going to shape our country for decades to come.

And I feel lucky every single day that the people of Connecticut have given me the chance to be their voice during this particular moment in history. How lucky I am to be alive right now, serving this state, and working on behalf of all of you.

Thank you to everyone who was a part of this walk. Thank you for coming to town hall meetings, for asking questions and for sharing your thoughts and ideas with me. I couldn’t do this job without your feedback, and I’m going to keep walking and keep listening for as long as the people of Connecticut will let me.