After three months of running through America, Arpan and Team Harmony are stronger than ever and full of enthusiasm.

Video of the first month in USA

Another clear and hot day was expected, but by being on the early morning team one can avoid much of the heat and intense sun. I was fortunate to be on the early team that left around 7:30 from the motel in Winner. The route was quite peaceful today with few cars and lots of fields, pastures and farms. But there were a few small towns we passed through including Gregory, the first town we came to after about ten miles of running.

Although the small town of Gregory, South Dakota, is noted for being the “epicenter of pheasentdom”, we were only able to get this shot of a statue of one of those beautiful birds.

There we were met by Jenna of the Times Advocate Newspaper at Pheasant Park. The huge statue of a pheasant, the most popular bird in that area, was hard to miss in this very small farming town. There were no people around as everyone was working and the town itself had only one main street. But to have Jenna come out to cover our presence there was very encouraging to us.

In the next town of Burke, we also were greeted by the local newspaper. Rachel and Cindy from the Burke Gazzette came out to cover our story. We also were joined by Cheryl Williams, a local fitness instructor who met some of us last year. I had been looking for her phone number to let her know we were coming through her town again. Somehow she found us on her own and came out to meet us, postponing one of her fitness classed to do so.

Fitness Instructor Cheryl Williams treated us all with some really cold sports drinks and a generous helping of infectious enthusiasm on this really hot day.

Her enthusiasm and joy was so refreshing and uplifting to us. She even bought us each a bottle of Gatorade for this hot day of running.

In Pickston, later in the day, just after passing over the huge Missouri River, some of our runners were met by Monica from the local newspaper there. She was quite enthusiastic and was anxious to do a story on our ventures for harmony.

Ron Tindal and his daughter Kayleen gave us one of the friendliest welcomes to their town that we have received .

Some of us stopped in a town called Tyndall on our way to our hotel in Yankton. Ron and his daughter Kayleen stopped to meet us in a parking lot. They had heard about us coming and went to look up our website and even printed out some of our stories and photos. They were also quite excited and enthusiastic to meet us and spend some time with us, posing with the Torch. Again it was quite encouraging and uplifting to us to have them go out of their way like this for us.

Wild turkeys hightail it out to the pasture at the site of our runner with flame in hand.

So even on days where there are no ceremonies planned and our route only passes through a few small towns, we seem to attract wonderful people who wish to share the idea of harmony starting with each person and spreading out into the family, community and finally the world.

This Universal principle is quite clear, evident and important to people everywhere we go and it is important that we share this with others and allow others to share it through our stories and photos as we do here.

Our final stop of the day was Yankton, where we are staying for the night. We are in three different motels. The Best Western Kelly Inn,

the Broadway Inn and the Days Inn all offered us a room or two for the night as we get ready for another long and hot day on the road, running for Harmony. We are so grateful to all those who offer us these valuable ‘gifts’ and make it possible for us to carry the Harmony Torch to as many people as possible.

Arpan and Team Harmony

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