Am I becoming a character in my book?

In my book series Wrathful Empathies I write about a secret band of rebels that hike the long distance trail, communicating to each other through moldy trail journals tucked away in a series of remote mountain shelters spread along a 2,000 mile trail spanning the Appalachian mountains. These rebels frequently get off trail for resupply and circumvent authorities by traveling back alleys in numerous trail towns. I posted series of photos in past blog post depicting what I imagined these urban paths might look like. Living in Richmond in a less than stellar neighborhood awaiting my next thru hike, I take similar back alleys on my way home late at night. Am I living the real lifestyle of my characters? The similarities are not disputable. The question is am I running from discovery of the authorities? China definitely is following my author’s blog on a weekly basis. Who knows what waits for me down these dark end of the streets. The following are pictures of my paths home. I will let you be the judge.