I am Tom Turcich, I'm 160 days and roughly 2500 miles into living my dream of walking around the world. Ask me anything!

Tom, it's Rob from high school. It's great, seeing your AMA on my Front Page. Your trip and motivation are truly awesome. I know that a running company bought you a pair of shoes recently, but how long will they last? I would expect that your shoes are your most important gear. I'm surprised you don't have a shoe sponsor. What are you currently walking in? How do/will they handle the elements (rain, mud, snow in antarctica, etc)?

Good luck with everything and I hope you have a safe return.

Yo dude! Thanks for reaching out. I don't have an official shoe sponsor, but luckily a good friend is a Brooks rep and he is able to send me shoes whenever I need them (and thank god for that since there's no way I'd be able to for $100 shoes every month). I can get 500-600 miles out of a pair before they're completely flat. I get send Brooks Cascadia, they're phenomenal and airy, great for the heat. For water-proof shoes I have a pair of La Sportiva. I only wear them when I'm walking in the rain so they're still fairly new.

Have you had sex on your journey? If so, how did it come about?

In a tent, among the dunes, on Sandbridge Island in VA.

The Darien Gap is one of the most dangerous places in the Western Hemishpere.. I recently read an article that said: "The Darien gap is an extremely dangerous place to go, probably the most dangerous place in the west hemisphere" and "It’s a conduit for drugs. There are no police, no military, and no marked trails" and "Unless you have a lot of experience in Colombia I wouldn’t suggest it". What makes you think you are trained enough to attempt it? How will you maneuver your cart through this area? How will you navigate as this area is generally uncharted?

Yea, not going through there. I'm not remotely qualified to attempt that. Maybe if I have a team of people I'll go with them, but even then you're tramping through crime-infested swamp. I'll be taking a ferry from Panama to Colombia sipping on a Coca-Cola. I want adventure, but know my limits.

Inspiring cause! Hope your your journey becomes a success.

Did you face any trouble at the borders?

Do you do anything to earn money on your travels? I can't imagine that it'll be cheap.

Thanks! Haven't even made it to any borders yet, I'm in Corpus Christi right now so should be down to the Mexican border in a few weeks though. The only real worry there is getting some paperwork for the pup.

I have a sponsor, Philadelphia Sign, the owner/CEO knew the girl who passed away so they give me a little money, enough for food.

I hate to tell you, but taking a dog across international borders is going to be a big problem.

Yea, it looks like every country has way different rules on them, needing new paperwork filled out and fresh vaccines, occasionally quarantined...I'll sort it out though.

I imagine it's tough for them to cover all your needs. Is there anyway we can donate to the cause? Looking forward to following along!

Definitely getting by, just living simply.

And there is: http://theworldwalk.com/walk/donate/

Thanks!

So far in your journey, who's the person who's made the biggest impact on you? There have to be a lot of interesting people you've met so far.

The biggest impact was necessarily a good one. I met this guy in rural Georgia who insisted I come over so he could cook me dinner. I was reluctant to go over but it's really hard to turn down a meal when I hadn't eaten since twelve and he was being so persistent. So I went over to his house then got in his car to pick up his son, and the more time I spent with him the creepier he got, telling me he was molested as a kid, that when he saw me walking alone he thought "what's a good-looking boy like that doing out here," and that he "used" to be a drug-addict. We never picked up his son, we drove in one direction then drove back. Once we got back to his house I got out of there as quickly as possible and ran three miles to a church. I had bad vibes from the guy since he pulled up next to me but I didn't trust my gut. Nothing happened but it was super creepy and from now on I'm a little more leery.

EDIT: If you want to read the full story it's on my site here: http://theworldwalk.com/walk/2015/07/04/trust-your-gut/

What is the physical toll like? Have you lost or gained weight? I imagine you have a system for your meals as far as paying for some here and there, but you cant possibly be paying for every meal right?

At the beginning it was brutal. I walk with a cart so I don't have to carry a heavy backpack, but going from walking five miles a day to twenty really hurt. For a while my legs were sore to the touch and my hamstrings were always cramping. But after a month my legs were strong enough, and now my legs feel like tree trunks and I can walk all down without a thought.

And I've lost weight, about ten pounds. It's just near impossible to always be eating enough. I burn around 5000 calories a day and sometimes I'm in rural areas where there's no McDonalds to get 2000 cheap calories. Day to day I mostly eat trail mix, crackers, pop-tarts, bagels with peanut butter and nutella.

Hey dude, great idea. I'm from London. If you happen to come around here I'd love to have a meal with you somewhere (on me of course!) in trade for some of your copl stories! I know it will be months or even years be for you come around here. But it's an open invitation!

Thanks man! Appreciate the invitation!

Is there any non-vegetarian and vegetarian food item that you had while walking which made you feel stronger and helped you a lot in reaching miles a day.

Trail mix and peanut butter, absolutely. Also, when I'm in town chocolate milk is the best thing ever, it tastes incredible and has sugar, fat, and protein.

It's very nice to know that you have trail mix as a part of your diet, also what about any non-vegetarian item.

Oh sorry, missed that, non-veg would be jerky (but that's crazy expensive) or sausage links (cheaper than jerky but harder to find).

Any reason you are just barely scratching all of Africa? I assume for safety reasons, yes?

Pretty much. I'm not a Navy Seal or survivalist so don't think I'm ready for a place as expansive and undeveloped.

You're going to be going through some not safe places. What precautions are you taking to protect yourself in dangerous countries?

I carry and knife and mace, then once Savannah is bigger she should turn away most muggers, but there are certain things I just wouldn't be able to do anything about. If a van pulls up and points an AK at me well I'm probably getting in the van. The best thing I can do is talk to locals and get their advice on where to avoid and what roads to take. An El Salvadorian man I was talking to outside of Houston told me not to be out in Mexico after 6pm, so until I see a reason to do otherwise, I'll be heeding that advice.

Mexico is a big country and in most places this is not great advice. In Juarez, yeah don't be out at night, in baja, go have fun. Ask city by city. You should know too that nobody is likely to rob someone who's walking with a cart, kidnappings happen to very wealthy people

Most of what you hear about Mexico on TV, and therefore from most people, is bullshit.

Nice, thanks for the info, man. And to your last point, I'm thinking the exact same thing. Most people are just trying to live their lives.

What's the greatest act of generosity someone has shown you so far?

Oh man, there have been so many. I'll give two different ones.

In New Orleans, the family of a friend took me in for three nights. I never met them before but they welcomed me and gave me a home base that let me explore the city.

Then just the other day, walking on eighteen miles of hot, barren, Texas road, a young woman pulled over to see if I needed anything. Said if she had any cool water that'd be great. She didn't, but she drove into town then back out to me to give me two liters of cold water. Out on the road, hot and exposed like that, cold water is incredible.

Do you have a firm rule of not accepting rides (since you are walking)? Or are you kinda just winging everything and walking most of the time? I can see how in certain situations a ride might be the most amazing thing ever.

I'm pretty strict about taking rides, but a few miles outside Corpus yesterday the cops pulled up and told me they weren't gonna let me walk on the highway cause I'd get killed. So accepted that ride, seemed acceptable.

Where are you most looking forward to visiting?

Croatia! I have loads of family there and my Father's counsin's cousin (who we consider close family) owns a hotel on the island Krk.

No shit! I've got a friend who owns an apartment in the city of Krk, on the Krk island. Anyways, I live in a neighbour country Slovenia, so if you need to crash for a few nights I can definitely hook you up with a bed, food and maybe some other supplies! Just PM me if/when you'll be around! Best of luck on your journey, you are living my dreams man! Maybe one day...

Thanks Tom Cruise! Appreciate it.

Be sure to have a walk through Slovenia if you have the chance. It's a beautiful country, the people are very friendly (most teenagers will speak English decent enough) and the view you'll get is amazing. Bled is a fairly tourist heavy place, but for a good reason. But almost any place is beautiful.

It's also on the route from Croatia to Germany which I expect you to likely want to visit. Best of luck and have fun!

Sounds great! I'll mark my map.

Are you going to explore more in the U.S., or head straight to Mexico? If you come up to Denver, you are more than welcome to stay with me. (I'm a girl, if that's more of an incentive! )

I'll be coming back through the U.S. in a couple years, would definitely like to hit Denver. Colorado is a gorgeous state.

Thank you for the AMA! It's such a long time, was wondering if you've thought of life after the walk at all? Thanks :)

It is, that was the idea, five-years is enough for it to become a lifestyle, not just a vacation. I've put some thought into it, but who knows who and where I'll be by then...

This is exciting! Tell us more about the route you are planning, have you already made concrete plans or will you just let it happen? Where and how are you planning to change continents, what about really dangerous bottlenecks, will you try to get through there at all costs or be careful and bypass those somehow? Oh, sorry, too many questions at once.

Hey! The route is rough. It's really impossible to map the exact route, some roads end up being bad walking, others end up being good. But there are certain points that I want to hit, like Bogota, Lima, Madrid, and other points like the Darien Gap that I'm trained not enough to attempt to walk through (won't insist on walking at all costs, taking enough chances as it is).

From Argentina to Antarctica I'll be taking a boat, then a few other times I'll fly over to the other continents.

How do you pick out routes that are safe to walk on so that you avoid major highways?

Luckily the US has great cell service, so for the past 160 days it's been Google Earth.

What kind of gear are you bringing with you? I doubt you'll finish with any of the same things you started with. But what did you start with?

The biggest piece of gear is my cart. I started with what was basically a massive aluminum cart with a steel bottom. Was far far too heavy though and the axle broke so I switched it out for a Thule baby stroller (which Philadelphia Sign bought for me since I couldn't afford it). Otherwise it's the typical camping things, isobutane stove, water filter, sleeping bag, sleeping pad. But one other major thing I switched out was an REI tent because it was a bit too heavy and impossible to set it up in the rain without rain getting into the tent.

Glad you made it through GA!

I wanted to attempt to walk across the US. But it seems so daunting!!

Where do you sleep? how do you have enough water/food on you? I feel like walking the highway isnt legal, so your walking on backroads? Is there enough gas stations to get water when you run out?

I just feel like unless you have a lot of $$ and a shopping cart full of food and water you'd die. haha hope your ok today! Good luck and I will keep up with your website and updates.. very cool.

Thanks, GA was really rough, I didn't realize it at the time but took just about the least developed path possible.

It really isn't that bad once you're on the road, you should do it. It ends up being just something you do, you get up and walk, that simple. The days flow by, it's a nice way to live.

I sleep in patches of woods but in the south I can usually rely on finding a church to set up my tent behind too.

Water and food is easy with the cart I push. Water is a bigger concern because it's more important and when it's hot out I can drink seemingly endless amounts of it. When I'm in town and I know it'll be a while to the next town I try and drink a gallon of water before heading out, just good practice. And state roads are legal to walk on, just not interstates. Yea gas stations are everywhere, and if not gas stations I could usually find a spigot somewhere.

I saw your answer about figuring out what to do with Savannah, but I have to ask what you're feeding her and how she's adjusting to all the excersise? I can't help but think she'll be awfully tired!

Feeding her some yummy grain-free dog food. She's still only a pup so a six pound bag lasts a little while. She's doing well with the exercise. She's really energetic in the morning so I've been able to get her to walk two straight hours but after that she gets tired and starts sitting down and refusing to get up. Luckily the basket fits her perfectly so she can lay in there and sleep most of the day. She's only been out a little bit and is still growing so I'd say she's doing very well.

I have so many questions for you.

Will you be visiting India? If so, what places? Which place are you most excited about visiting? You said seven continents, so are you visiting Antarctica too? What do you plan to do there?

I wish you success in your journey, you are an inspiration to many of us for following your dream.

Don't think I'll be hitting India unfortunately. Would really love to, seems like an amazing country, but I'd have to go through the Middle East to get there and that's a little too tumultuous right now.

I'll be planting my feet on Antarctica at the very least. An expedition to the south pole is for an entirely separate adventure, maybe after The World Walk is finished.

And thanks! Best of luck in your pursuits!

Woo! We out 'ere! What's the most beautiful sight of your walk thus far?

We out here!

Walking through windless Alabama in July then cresting a hill and seeing the Gulf of Mexico, nearly cried, definitely threw my fist in the air. Terrible thing though was that there ended up being basically no wind for two days and I couldn't swim in the gulf cause of flesh-eating bacteria. Still, was a beautiful sight.

How do you plan on walking to other continents?

I'll fly from South America to Europe, then Asia to Australia, the Australia to the US. Between then though it'll be walking.

Good luck to you on this awesome journey! I'm a bit jealous and might have to take a journey across the US like this myself!

1. Do you listen to any kind of music while you're walking?

2. How easy is it to find places to charge your electronics/phone?

Again, good luck to you!

Thanks, you should, lots to see.

I'm mostly listening to podcasts, RadioLab, This American Life, JRE.

Charging is super easy, have some solar panels and a battery which gives me more than enough juice.

Do you have a phone that is going to work (at least voice and data-wise) outside the US? Though I guess semi-consistently having WiFi at night might cover that mostly.

I have an unlocked iPhone which I'm told works on all the frequencies other countries would use, so should just be able to swap sim cards. I'd love to get in on the Google Fi program, hoping for a response soon.

How many pairs of shoes have you gone through so far? Any specific brands or types?

Five thus far, they tend to last around 500 miles. I have a friend who's a Brooks rep and he's been sending me their Cascadia which have been great.

Where do you poop?

Stores. The woods if it comes to that. Avoid cheese.

What's your favorite walking song?

Django got me into Jim Croce, specifically I Got a Name. Willie Nelson provides some solid strumming to stroll along too as well.

I am a 15 year old kid, whose always wabted to drive round the world. Do you have any tips for places to go or just generally how to make it work?

Also, where is the most interesting place that you have stumbled upon, without having ever heard of it.

Hey, I don't know about where to go, I'm still getting there, but as far as making it work I'd say just always keep that goal in your mind. Life will push you around and have you going down unexpected paths, but always be striving for the direction you want to head.

Good question, one of the best places was in no man's land Alabama, there was a super well run, delicious restaurant, the Rt 80 Barn. It was such a great surprise. I got talking to the owner and she put me up for the night in her Airstream trailer and paid for my meal. Was great.

How have your family reacted to your journey? Do you miss them?

My dad lived under a tarp in Hawaii for five years so he's all for it. My mom was worried at first but always supportive and as I've walked further she's adjusted better to the idea. I do miss them, but I'm living my dream and I know this is what I'm suppose to be doing. I can't wait to see them again, but that won't slow me down.

Hey Tom - Sean Darcy here!

Could you give an idea of what goods you consider essential to your trip? Beyond food, what gadgets and supplies are you using and consider absolutely necessary? And how will these change in different environments, countries, etc? An easy example would be Google Maps not working where there is no cell data, but expand if you can.

Sean Darcy!

Water filter - absolute necessity. Don't really need it in the US since this country is so developed, but once I'm below the border I'll be relying on it whenever I can't get bottled water.

Solar panels - this is the 21st century. Just because I'm hiking all day doesn't mean I don't want my phone charged so I can listen to podcasts and post to insta.

Leatherman - so versatile. It's heavy, but endlessly useful. I use it to to fix tires, get splinters out, hammer things, open things, cut things.

Nice work dude, sounds awesome!

How much have you spent so far on this trip, it doesn't sound like it could be that cheap...

What is the greatest/most beautiful thing you've seen so far?

Have you faced any danger during your travels?

I think it's pretty inspiring what you're doing here, I hope nothing happens that could stop you before you finish.

Not sure exactly, I don't spend much though, always camp out and pretty much live on peanut butter and bagels.

Greatest/most beautiful thing is probably whenever I've had a chance to meet up with some family members. Always great to see a familiar face.

Danger, kind of, met a pretty creepy guy in Georgia that I should have avoided from the start but foolishly didn't. Nothing happened but he was creeping and my god it was stressful.

Thanks! Hope nothing happens to stop me either haha.

A follow-up question for you:

Do you tend to do most of your walking during the early hours of the day, or do you adjust as the weather permits? Or maybe you just walk all day?

Note: Cascadias are the most comfortable sneakers I've ever put on my feet!

In July and parts of August it was really brutal, for a little I was waking at five and getting in as much as I could then resting through the middle of the day then picking up when it cooled down a little. It was tough though cause it's really hard to nap in the middle of the day when it's 100+ degrees. A schedule like that messes with your sleep and if I don't get a lot of sleep I end up really dragging.

Also, that's awesome, I'm definitely won over by Cascadias.

You think the Eagles can salvage the season after their disappointing start?

Best question of the day. Yes, of course. I don't know how, but if the o-line starts blocking that'd be a start.

Curious if you have read the book Worldwalk before trying this?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/413371.Worldwalk

I did! Multiple times! He got attacked in Morocco but his external frame backpack stopped the machete. Crazy.

Hey Tommy!

I love The World Walk on Insta, but is there any chance we could see daily blog posts?

Oh man, I write in my journal daily but daily blog posts would be a lot. I try for weekly posts because I have time to revise and edit what I write.

What is the most important piece of advice you would give to someone who wants to one day do something similar to you?

I mean something that's not commonly thought of, like how challenging it is and/or what you can do to prepare for it aside from the obvious stuff?

P.S My good friend is walking about 17,000 miles across the entire U.S right now in memory of his brother who passed away of a drug overdose a few years ago, so this story really has me interested.

When I was writing my unpublished novels I used to listen to this motivational speech by Eric Church before going in the library. He'd say, "When you want something as bad as you want to breathe, then you'll be successful." Now that can be interpreted in as many ways as there are people on the planet, but for me (especially now that I'm walking and can look back on things), it means I was willing to give up everything to walk. I stayed at home after college to save money, I left a girl was deeply in love with, and now that I'm on the road I face heat and exhaustion daily. But I want the walk more than anything in the world, if I'm not walking around the world I'm not who I am. So when it comes to giving up certain things and facing obstacles I don't really have a choice. It's all for the walk.

So I'd say, set whatever your goal is like a flag in the distance then always be walking towards it. If you want to get to that flag, you'll get there.

And that's so cool about your friend, I'm sure he felt similar to me in that he had to walk. What's your friend's name? Site?

Hi bro, I picked up your friend Fitz from IAH and drove him to Liberty that day after seeing his thread on /r/houston!

What was your favorite part about Houston?

Are you afraid of the cartels near the border?

Yo dude!

Houston was a cool place, the best part was walking through the suburbs outside the city and seeing a horse tied up in a guys backyard. Was so ordinary and yet nothing I'd ever see in the northeast.

Yes, and no. Nothing I can do but be alert and smart. If something is gonna happen, it's gonna happen.

What is the most difficult for you in this adventure?

It varies at different times. For the first month it was the physical aspect, my body wasn't ready and I wasn't eating enough. Then after a month I took two weeks off to get Lasik and attend a friend's wedding, after coming back I wasn't motivated at all, took me a bit to get back into it. Then after seeing my family in Savannah, GA, I went through a bit of withdrawal for a few days afterwards. But everything passes, if I give it a few days then I'm always feeling back to it.

Tell me everything about your shoes and feet, what's up with them?

Brooks Cascadia. Wright socks. Used to get blisters, not anymore.

How long do you estimate the journey will take?

I'm thinking it's about 25,000 miles, and I should be able to walk 5,000 miles a year relatively easily, so around five years.

Where has been your favorite place to be? Have you seen any once in a lifetime sights on your journey?

There are a few favorites. Savannah, GA was gorgeous and lush; parks every other block. And Austin was a great place too; young, friendly, athletic.

Think I've seen a lot of once in a lifetime sights, there are hundreds of tiny towns I passed through that I'm certain I'll never pass through again. Amazes me everyday how much of this country is actually just single stop-light or no stop-light towns.

Real cool thing you are doing. I was thinking about doing something like that if I ever win the lottery. When was the no turning back point that lead you to this adventure?

Hey, thanks, don't think you'd need to win the lottery to do it. If you were able to save for a year or two, then lived frugally on the road, you could probably get a good adventure out of your savings.

The point of no return was actually really really early on for me. It was about seven months after my friend passed, and only a month or two after discovering other World Walkers. I had a speech and communications class where I made a speech talking about how I was going to walk around the world. I was seventeen and remember saying "You may not believe me, but I'm going to do it." In my mind I couldn't turn back after that.

Did you ever get an middle-upper back pain from walking? how did you deal with it?

My back has never felt better. I'm 6'2" and since sitting in those brutal high school chairs I've had pretty terrible posture, but all this walking has me feeling great.

I wonder if you've read any of Robyn Davidson's work? Seems very similar to what you are attempting, though I'm not sure who's journey is more dangerous.

I haven't read any of her stuff but have heard about her. Her trek is way more dangerous! Central Australian is supposed to be one of the craziest places on Earth.

This might be stupid but how do you eat?

I bring dried foods mostly; granola, trail mix, crackers, mountain houses. Also, some bread, peanut butter, nutella.

The most important question: What are you wearing on your feet?

And how are they holding up so far.

Brooks Cascadia. They're great, highly recommend. Usually last between 500-600 miles.

What kind of shoes are you wearing?

Brooks Cascadia

How much weight have you lost during this trip?

Ten pounds or so, but I was also doing a lot of lifting before I left so my weight was probably artificially high anyway.

Hi! What has been your most interesting experience so far on the trip?

Lots and lots of interesting experiences. It's great seeing all these cities that I've never been to before. Each one has its own personality and appeal. Charleston was really cool, I remember walking downtown around ten at night and everything was quiet, not even cars. Have never been in a part of Philly like that, especially not at 10.

Out of curiosity where in NJ are you from? (That's my homestate so it's great to see a native so do something so cool)

Haddon Twp, right over the Ben Franklin.

Did you visit Toy Joy while you were in Austin? Seriously one of the coolest toy stores I've ever been to. Austin is a very cool city.

Day to day I mostly eat trail mix, crackers, pop-tarts, bagels with peanut butter and nutella.

Get some Biscoff!!

And, what do you want to do when you get done with your travels? Congratulations on getting to do this.

Didn't make it to Toy Joy! Seemed like there were awesome places all over Austin, couldn't definitely see myself living there.

If I find Biscoff I'll definitely pick some up!

I'm not sure what I want to do when it's all over, hopefully have published a few books and be able to keep traveling.

at seventeen a close friend passed away and I realized life could be over as quickly and arbitrarily as the flick of a switch.

So, you desired to put yourself in more danger?

I don't understand.

Are you going to walk the border of Venezuela and Colombia?

Not necessarily, I just want to make being alive count.

I'll be close to Venezuela but won't enter it, I'll heading down the west coast of South America. I'm told there's a road that runs all along the coast.

Are you going to be coming to Canada at all? If you ever come through the capital I'll feed you a good meal! :)

I don't know...wasn't planning on it, but a few years down the road, who knows. Appreciate it!