I’m halfway across America!!!!!!! Tulsa, Oklahoma is about 15 miles from exactly halfway between New York City and Los Angeles, so I have already started celebrating this milestone.

I’ve been in Oklahoma for 5 days now, and I’m enjoying the change of scenery from large hills and forests to flat plains and huge fields of grass. The walking can be boring but the people make up for it. When I first entered Oklahoma I was in Native American territories. A Native American man gave me $10, which I immediately took to the closest casino and gambled away. I promise I haven’t done that with anyone else’s donated money.

My journey through Missouri was interesting to say the least. It is the state where I was born so I felt like I had to spend some more time there before I could leave. Couchsurfing proved to be extremely useful in finding me places to stay, and I will continue to use it as much as possible. It saves me money, and I get to hang out with some really great people.

I spent a few days in Springfield, Missouri with some couchsurfers. I did my first radio interview for NPR there, but I doubt any of it will be aired. It is possible that some of the interview can be edited and posted online. I will provide a link when it’s available.

I will stay in Tulsa till Friday because I have two potential shows on Thursday night. I am taking this time to relax and celebrate my enormous accomplishment. I just hope that the second half of my journey can go as smoothly.

Cold is slowly creeping up. It makes walking so much easier, but camping will become more difficult. Anyone who has family in New Mexico or Arizona should leave a comment and let me know if I can stay with them.

Is there anything else I can do for you?…Cop a nut?

Right now I am on Fort Leonard Wood military base near St Robert, MO. It seems that couchsurfing.com has been very helpful in my walk, and has provided me with 3 places to stay in the past week. I spent some time in Rolla, Missouri at the University of Missouri-Rolla, and I was able to put on a show at their student center. It was a decent crowd for a last minute show, and I did an hour of music and comedy, my longest show ever.

At the TKE house on campus they have a bell that they use for emergency purposes. My contact from Rolla, Chris, told me that if I rang the bell the pledges would chase after me and tackle me. Not really believing it I rang the bell. I was chased for several minutes by a group of 6 or 7 guys that I eventually got away from. I hid under a car until they were gone, but they found me later and tackled me to the ground.

I have been following route 66 since just outside St Louis. The plan backfired yesterday when the road dead ended. I was forced to walk on railroad tracks over a river to hit a highway that took me back over the river. At one point while crossing the bridge I heard what I thought was a train and nearly crapped my pants.

Today I had a walking companion from the Army that carried my backpack the whole day. He had no problem carrying the 50 pound bag up and down some very large Missouri hills. I will stay in the barracks tonight, and head out tomorrow towards Springfield.

After 3 weeks at home I am finally back in Missouri, continuing my walk across America. I was very reluctant to come back. It was a round trip plane ticket that really forced me to return, but now I’m I am glad to be walking again. Last night I camped at a Christian retreat and tonight I am in St Clair, MO staying at a place that I found on couchsurfing.com.

Today I watched a midget play golf.