I Want to Do This! You In?

Ever notice how wanting something very badly turns you into a child? No? Just me?

Well, after watching this video of Ben Kane, Russell Whitfield, and Anthony Riches walk from Capua to Rome, kitted out as Roman soldiers, I find myself obsessed with trying to figure out how I could join them in future marches. My pinging thoughts:

I could do it! I wouldn’t have to wear the soldier’s kit, which would make it more do-able for me, right?

I’d train. I do Crossfit workouts after all–I could do this! I mean, I’ve done 100 burpees in a workout before. That’s gotta count for something.

But what would be my role? Behind the legionary lines always followed a camp of supporters–cooks, seamstresses, healers blacksmiths, etc. Well, I can’t cook for crap, I can’t sew, but I CAN carry bandages and salves! Yes, I could be a healer. Most of the healers would’ve been male but whatever.

A water carrier! I could be a water carrier! No, then I’d have to share my water. Do you even know how much water I drink a day?

Of course, women in the camp would’ve had erm…other kinds of jobs, but I won’t think about that. Nope. Stop thinking about that!

Maybe I could convince Kate Quinn, Stephanie Dray, Sophie Perinot, or Eliza Knight to join me–after all, we’ve written with Ben (A Day of Fire) and Russell (A Year of Ravens) and hope to one day do so with Anthony. What do you say, gals? Sophie says she’ll go only if she’s carried in a litter. Which is a thought.

No, I could walk it, I really could. We could raise money for PTSD soldier programs here in the U.S. since they’ve done such a brilliant job in raising funds for similar programs across the pond.

But at the film’s end, one of boys says something about doing a march in Germany. I don’t want to march in Germany. I want to do Rome! Dammit, they’ve already done Rome.

But maybe they’ll do a different Romani walk. Did you even see the gorgeousness of the Italian countryside? Maybe we could do Pompeii to Capua…or the other way around, like Spartacus. And rappel down Vesuvius with vines!

Any other American writers of Roman historical fiction up for it? Steven Saylor? Bruce McBain? Phyllis T. Smith? David Anthony Durham? John Maddox Roberts?  Judith Tarr?

We could do this! We really could.

Please?