Hiking With Diabetes: Introduction

My name is Michael Fox. I'm 49 years old, and was diagnosed with Diabetes about 2 years ago. At this writing I'm about 100 lbs overweight, and in lousy shape.
That said, I've had dreams for years of walking across the country, and even the world. This Spring, that dream will start to come true.
I have a number of reasons for wanting to do this. I'm soon to be out of a home, and soon to be out of a job, because I work from home. I could go into a homeless shelter. I've done it before, but I won't. Homeless shelters are not designed to be an upbeat place to live out of harsh economic times. They are depressing, and right now I need something that is decidedly not depressing.
So I went back to my dream, to walk across America. Not an easy task to be sure. There are long stretches where food and water may not be available. I've never hunted in my life and I don't propose to start now.
Yet, people have walked across America and lived to tell about it. I hope to be one of those.
But first things first: to get into shape.
I plan to hike at least some portions of the Appalachian Trail until I drop that extra 100 lbs. Why the Trail? Lots of shelters, not like the homeless shelters. They have campsites so I can pitch my tent. They have places to get water and food, though the food will cost money. There will be other hikers with whom to share my adventures, and listen to theirs. There is wildlife, not to eat, but to photograph. And there will be time to write.
I am a writer at heart. I have 2 books published, and I am working on a script based on those books.  The hikes will give me time to work on those scripts, with my Digital Voice Recorder. I have a friend who will transcribe the recordings.
I'm doing this to follow a dream, sounds crazy, no? I'm homeless, jobless, virtually broke, ill from Diabetes and I want to walk across America. Well, perhaps I'll find my sanity on the way. Maybe the dreams were a way for my subconscious to communicate the right thing to do.
But the insanity doesn't end there. I've had another dream, of walking across the Atlantic Ocean. Not quite as crazy as it sounds. I would be in a sort of mini-sub, a bubble, if you will,  powered by a combination of solar panels and the electricity created from a treadmill where I would be walking. The engine would drive the propellers to go at whatever speed I'm walking. The top could open up during sunny weather , close at night and during rainy weather, and if the seas got too rough or, God forbid, I run into a hurricane, the sub part takes over and it submerges to a safe depth until the storm passes.
And once I reach Europe, I would continue the walk, and walk right around the globe. At age 50 or so.
How that for insane?
I'll come right out and ask for donations. Send them through PayPal to my email address: michaelharrisonfox at yahoo.com. You don't have to donate. But if you enjoy the writings, and pictures that I put up here, I'd appreciate a little something in return.
That's it for now. I'll post more as the big day approaches!