Fal de Saint Phalle ’68, who walked 4,000 miles across the U.S. 17 years ago, in September launched another great adventure. He decided that as a way to celebrate his recent retirement, he would try to paddle 1,000 miles from Chesapeake City, Md., to his home in Ponte Vedra, Fla.

Chronicling his voyage in his blog, kayakinghome.com, de Saint Phalle writes that he was motivated to undertake the “remarkable outdoor adventure” to improve his overall physical, psychological and mental health, and to deepen his “current level of spirituality.” He decided to end his paddle at 520 miles and after 6.5 weeks, after suffering physical pain and fatigue. Despite stopping early, he writes, “This adventure has made me a better person.”