One of the two women’s team were lucky this morning in being the ones out to run along the vast and beautiful New Hampshire coastline of the Atlantic Ocean. After I ended my run there yesterday, I was quite energized and uplifted by the unique qualities of salt water air and ocean vast vistas which permeated my mind and body as I ran. This area was also the site of one of our classic marathons in the late 70’s and early 80’s, called the ‘Inspiration Marathon’. Even though this annual race was held in February in the dead cold of winter, it was inspirational nonetheless, due to the idyllic and powerful coastal setting that we are now enjoying once again.

Fortunately or unfortunately, we have to keep moving on so we cannot enjoy one ideal spot for too long. It keeps us from getting attached to one place or thing as well. As the route started to head inland from the coast, the heat and humidity returned and the roads became quite busy again. We knew it would be a challenging day as we made our way to the very big and beautiful city of Boston.

On our way to Boston, our first stop was the very cute colonial style town of Newburyport, where we were very enthusiastically welcomed by the Mayor, Mary Ann Clancy, and Counselor James Shanley. As the Newburyport Daily News covered the story, Mayor Clancy and Mr. Shanley offered kind messages of support along with a proclamation stating that today is World Harmony Run Day in Newburyport. We are grateful to our new friends for such an uplifting greeting to start our day.

As my team ran out of Newburyport, we felt the excitement of heading towards Boston, but at the same time we were a bit sad that we did not have any time to spend in this nice small town. Along the way we struggled with some long hills and increasing humidity as we headed south on route 1. This is the same route we started some of the first days of our Run about four months ago, a bit further south. Back then I remember that to think we would be coming home in the last week on the same road was too much to fathom as we headed out in April when no leaves were yet on the trees. But now, here we are, in the dead heat of August having covered over 10,000 miles, one step at a time and in the last few days barely remembering the struggles and joys of the first few days.

This is truly a lesson in faith, patience, perseverance and determination as we near the physical goal of our journey. The ultimate goal of world harmony though still seems a far cry, but as Sri Chinmoy , the founder of the World Harmony Run says, “May each and every individual each day have a new dream of world harmony.” Each day is a new hope, so we take each day, one step at a time, as a valuable experience with lessons learned in the struggle to share this essential concept with thousands of others around the world.

After an intense run into downtown Boston with lots of traffic to keep us on our toes, we met up with the NECN TV news crew. They very professionally covered our entrance to this bustling area as we stopped in front of the State House for a proclamation from a state official and meeting with some friends and strangers alike. Even without a crowd of participants, we were happy to share our run here in Boston with those who came to join us and the media that came to pass on our experiences to as many people as possible.

We are very grateful to Chalanta, Renuka and Suchesta for their time and efforts to get us into and out of this grand city. The guys who were still running south towards Boston were escorted into Everett by a kind officer Joe Gaff. They were kindly received by Charlie Savage, the Veterans Service Officer, who represented the Mayor who could not make it today. He was very appreciative of our stop here at Everett City Hall and offered us a beautiful proclamation and bottles of cold spring water, which is one of the best offerings we can get on hot days like this.

After a short mileage day that was in the mid to upper 90’s F (34C), we were able to spend some time with our friends who provided us a superb dinner at their beautiful country home. We were also offered motel rooms for the guys due to the kind contributions of Chalanta and Renuka, as the women stayed with Suchesta. It was a perfect way to end a long, hot day as we slowly and steadily make our way into the last three days of this epic adventure.

Being so close, yet so far in some ways, I cannot help think of all those who helped us along the way and reflect upon all the kind words and gestures that have been generously heaped upon us. I wish I could name them all here, but those of you who are reading this and know how much you have contributed to the success of this initiative, please feel all of our gratitude for being part of our world family and the efforts to make the future of this world a better place for all the children to inherit. Of course, the children all along the way have been one of our main sources of inspiration and energy as we try to carry their yearnings and hopes for harmony everywhere we go.

Arpan and Team Harmony in the ‘Home Stretch’

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