East Coast Greenway. Here's why I love this Expedition so much

A few months after meeting Shan, the dreamer in me imagined being there for his cross-country run. Assuming our amazing connection and easy getting-along-ness would last, I could see myself supporting him in his lifelong dream of running across the country. Probably many years down the road—once we had retired. I didn’t think much beyond that, nor did I mention it to Shan or anyone else.

We met in January of 2020, so it wasn’t long before we were navigating COVID-19 and all the chaos that came with it. By the end of July, Shan’s events-based work came to an end, and he knew it might take months to find something new. A few ideas were tossed around before he made the decision to run across the country as a fundraiser for Foodshare, a local Connecticut organization supporting families facing food insecurity.

He quickly launched into planning mode. I so badly wanted to say “Yes. Yes! YES!” to his invitation to join him, but I couldn’t get my affairs in order in time. He needed to start right away if he was going to make it over the Rockies before winter. He considered a solo crossing, but in the end, one of his many ultra-running friends happily volunteered to crew and drive the camper van. They set up a website, secured sponsors, mapped out the route, and planned visits with friends along the way.

Me? I made a kick-ass spreadsheet.

We cleaned out his apartment, stowed some of his stuff at my house, and talked a lot about what life might look like for us after the run. We had fallen in love during lockdown and were eager to see where things might go. But the crystal ball was cloudy. In the face of uncertainty, we parted with a loving and optimistic, “see you soon-ish.”

I was thrilled to see him chase this dream over the coming months, but I was also envious—someone else would be by his side 24/7 for the entirety of it.

While his crew chief kept him fed and posted clever updates to social media, I worked on being Shan’s most committed long-distance cheerleader. Within a week of his first steps, we had a heart-to-heart about making things work once he returned. It made me feel even more connected—and prouder than ever.

We talked and texted often, and I watched his progress unfold online, through both his posts and the lens of his crew. As he neared the East Coast, I grew more and more excited. I proudly met him for his last two days of running. I’ve never been so happy to reunite with someone. I had watched on Instagram when he touched the Pacific Ocean—and three months later, I was there when he plunged into the Atlantic.

Long story short: in 2020, Shan ran 3,255 miles in 90 days, from San Francisco to the coast of Connecticut. And it was rough—for me.

Now it’s 2022, and we’re planning a USA crossing together. I couldn’t be more excited. The dreamer in me thought this would happen years from now—but here we are. All it took was a pandemic-induced shift in work/life philosophies and an incredible employer who supports me working from a different location every day for three months.

More on that later - after we take on this East Coast Greenway madness.