Another morning in the mountains of Lake Tahoe. There's even a few new inches of snow on the ground. The peculiar thing is that I'm not skiing it. Granted, I've enjoyed some 40-plus days on the slopes this season, but my motivations have made a definitive shift in the direction of Manuscript Across America. The first scroll signing event - the Lucidity Music & Arts Festival - is just nine days away. Nine days! With that in mind, I'm focusing my energy on the conversion of a massage table into a message table that will hold the glorious scroll - and on raising funds to support the journey. There have been plenty of moments of doubt during these months of preparation - moments where I look at a map of the country or my bank account statement or my dilapidated VW van - but there has always been an underlying feeling of belief in the project itself. A belief, quite simply, that the mission I'm taking on is a good thing. With that unshakeable conviction, I'm prepared for anything. Even if Manuscript Across America is the exact opposite of what I expect (what do I expect?), it will undoubtedly be an educational and beneficial experience for me personally. It will enable me to grow, one way or another, into a better human.