Born and raised in Corpus Christi, Read graduated from the University of Texas in Austin. "I've been out of the state more or less since I was 22," Read said. "You get to a certain age and you realize where you're from does affect who you are." After college Read joined the Peace Corps and went to New Guinea where he worked for a few years, wrote and took a 700-mile bike trek. Upon his return to the United States, Read tackled the mighty Appalachian Trail, which snakes along the Appalachian Mountains on the East Coast. Despite all his traveling, Texas was always in the back of his mind. "I started having this draw to come back and explore the place I once called home," Read said. "I wanted to do it in such a way that reflected who I have become and utilize the hobbies I've adopted." Read decided to head out around the edges of Texas and chronicle his adventure in an online blog. The 3,000-mile journey will last the better part of a year, the way Read sees it, and will take him from the humid valley of Southern Texas up to the chilly panhandle this winter. "My hope with this project is to paint a portrait of the state that is a little different than others have before," he said. "There have been others who have traveled across Texas, and I'm certainly following in their footsteps but I'm also trying to do something original."
RPCV Steven Matthew will walk the perimeter of Texas this fall
Writer hoping to make his mark during Texas travels
By STEVEN ALFORD
The Lufkin Daily News
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Some people climb a mountain to make their mark in the world, while others swim the English Channel.
For one writer this fall his legacy will be made by walking the perimeter of Texas, his home state.
Steven Read's journey will kick off in his home town of Corpus Christi, where he will continue counter-clockwise around the perimeter of the state.
The idea came to Steven Matthew Read aka "S. Matt Read" while he was hiking the Appalachian Trail, all 2,200 miles of it, six years ago.
Born and raised in Corpus Christi, Read graduated from the University of Texas in Austin.
"I've been out of the state more or less since I was 22," Read said. "You get to a certain age and you realize where you're from does affect who you are."
After college Read joined the Peace Corps and went to New Guinea where he worked for a few years, wrote and took a 700-mile bike trek. Upon his return to the United States, Read tackled the mighty Appalachian Trail, which snakes along the Appalachian Mountains on the East Coast.
Despite all his traveling, Texas was always in the back of his mind.
"I started having this draw to come back and explore the place I once called home," Read said. "I wanted to do it in such a way that reflected who I have become and utilize the hobbies I've adopted."
Read decided to head out around the edges of Texas and chronicle his adventure in an online blog. The 3,000-mile journey will last the better part of a year, the way Read sees it, and will take him from the humid valley of Southern Texas up to the chilly panhandle this winter.
"My hope with this project is to paint a portrait of the state that is a little different than others have before," he said. "There have been others who have traveled across Texas, and I'm certainly following in their footsteps but I'm also trying to do something original."
Read said he is up to the challenge that the elements and the physical activity will have on his mind and body.
"I just finished a survival course in Utah," Read said. "I enrolled in the Boulder Outdoor Survival School program for four weeks. We hiked through the desert with minimal food and water. They taught us primitive survival techniques."
Read will be followed by some volunteers (mostly comprised of family and friends) during his trek, but for the most part he'll be traveling alone. While passing through various towns, he said, he intends to stop at public libraries and use the Internet to post updates on his blog.
"There's a large part of me that sees the point of view of someone who would rather I not do this, but fortunately for the people in this country much of the progress that we've enjoyed has been attributed to people who were willing to step outside their comfort zone, who were willing to endure the heat and the cold," Read said. "I'd like to think my desire to do this trip has been inherited from a century's tradition of going into the unknown and trying to create something."
The year-long hike begins this weekend when Read starts his journey from Corpus Christi, heads to the perimeter and walks counter-clockwise around the state. You can follow his progress through his columns in The Lufkin Daily News or on his official blog for the journey at www.texasperimeterhike.blogspot.com.
"I'm basically just a Texan writing about Texas," he said. "I'm a person among many millions of people trying to figure out what exactly it means to be a Texan in Texas today."
