I'm the guy walking from Los Angeles to Boston. Yesterday I hit the 50% mark. Nearly 1,600 miles down, 1,500 left to go. I'm going to try to answer every question asked. AMA

How many times have people made Forrest Gump references?

Too many, bro. Too many.

Have a nice day!

Thanks!

What is your budget?

Where do you stay at night?

How do you stay safe?

Do you walk in day time only?

• The goal is $1 per mile, but I overspent in the first few weeks. I estimate it will cost ~$5,000 total but it can be done for much cheaper if you're willing to truly rough it. I'm a sucker for a hotel and hot shower every few nights.
• My tent/sleeping bag, a hotel if I feel indulgent, lately strangers and Instagram followers have been opening their spare bedrooms for me, which is really cool. I've been blogging/writing for about eight years, so I know people all over.
• I've never felt threatened really. I have a big knife, but have never felt the need to reach for it. No guns.
• Daytime only. I walked once a few hours past dark, but it was when my brother had joined me for a few days and we felt safe together.

I have a big knife, but have never felt the need to reach for it

How I'm imagining you, if you get into trouble

Just a little chubbier.

How is one chubby after walking 1600 miles in 74 days?

I started out more chubby.

How difficult is it to maintain your existing relationships being out on the road for the length of time you have been already and will be before you finish?

It's hard. We met and started dating about 3 months before I left so it was really tough still being in that puppy love stage. We talk/text/facetime/skype every day which makes it a lot easier. And she's coming to KC to spend a few nights with me for my 30th birthday this week, so that's going to be awesome. I had this walk planned for about 6 months before we met and I had envisioned it as me being alone and unattached, so it was a game-changer in that regard, but having her be so supportive back home, and having someone to talk to every day, it's made a huge difference mentally.

I am totally going to crash your KC birthday party.

Let's GOOO

how many times have you listened to I'm gonna be (500 miles) by the proclaimers?

Zero. Never have liked that song.

Edit: If you count people singing it to me, then I've listened to it roughly one million times.

What brand & type of footwear are you sporting?

New Balance, 450V3 running shoes. I come from a running background, so it's what I feel best in. Since I'm on the highways/pavement all day and night I don't really need proper hiking boots. Just standard walking/running shoes.

Why did you choose a cross-country hike with a stroller as opposed to an 'in the woods' hike with a backpack like the Appalachian Trail?

I liked the concrete goal of ocean to ocean.

What was the reason behind doing this?

The adventure. I was in a place in life where I had the freedom to do it and once I had the idea, I realized I didn't want to end up at 80 years old wishing I had done it. The prospect of regret spurred me to research and start planning. I'm so glad I did. It's been the time of my life, truly.

How long did you plan this for before leaving? What was your planning process like? What advice about planning would you give to someone considering something similar?

There's not a whole lot of planning. Just reading previous walkers gear list. A lot of it can be made up as you go since you're always near big towns early on. I'd just recommend reading some material about long highway walks. There are a few books about coast to coast walks.

So happy to hear this and not some "to bring awareness to.." bullshit. Good luck to you and safe travels.

Yeah, everyone is entitled to their thing, and I respect people's charitable causes, it's just not my style I don't think.

Hey Ben, So I assume you have spent most of your hours walking alone. What are you thinking about most of the time? I feel like this is an awesome personal journey, Have you learned anything about yourself, how you want to live the rest of your life, or anything else along those lines.

I feel like spending that amount of time alone, conquering goals, getting to see the country and becoming aware of how small my little corner of the earth is would make me have some pretty deep internal conversations.

If you feel comfortable sharing any revelations I would appreciate it! Good luck Ben!

I spend only an hour or two per day listening to music. The other 12-14 hours I'm just thinking. All sorts of shit. All the time. Weird hypothetical situations, introspective reflections, am I a bad person? Am I a good person? How could I better myself? Is that a goat?

Are you using any kind of GPS-tracking of your route? I love looking at the maps after my walks, and your maps would be on a whole new level.

It chews up my battery like crazy. I did it in the desert for my mom's peace of mind, but not anymore.

What's the funniest experience you had so far?

I was in the Mojave Desert, middle of nowhere, and my phone was getting no signal for miles and miles. When the sun starts to set you want to camp somewhere with at least voice calling service. A drunk dude with three girls in the backseat pulled up and asked if I was okay. "YOU ALLRIGHT?!" he yelled. "Yeah, I'm good! Hey, do you happen to know when I'll get cell phone service?" He laughed as he drove away, "OH FUCK MAN, WHEN PIGS FREEZE OVER!" He laughed as he sped away. I chuckled at that.

Did being in the Mojave almost make you wish for a nuclear winter?

God it was brutal. It just goes on and on and on and on.

1.) Were there any moments when you wanted to give up? How do you keep yourself motivated?

2.) Was this adventure planned or was it pretty spontaneous?

3.) Which food/restaurant was the best you tried so far?

1. Never wanted to give up. It's too much fun.
2. I started planning at 381 pounds on my 29th birthday last May.
3. Town and Country in Florence, Kansas. BACON SO THICK

Make sure to wear sunscreen!! Hahaha

Every hour!

A shower must feel absolutely amazing, getting all that caked up sunscreen and grit off.

Sunscreen+bug spray combo is so gross after 25 miles.

How mad would you be if you realized now that you forgot your keys?

I have no keys! My triple pocket tap has become a double tap. I sold my car and my apartment lease was up. No keys for me.

What an awesome adventure! Thanks for sharing! Do you wear a Fitbit or a step tracker of any kind? If so, can you share some stats?

65,000 steps per day on average!

The path you have set to go, do you have hotel reservations or just going by when you feel comfortable to stop?

The nights you spend in a tent, did you ever feel like you were in danger?

Thanks for doing this!! Good luck with the rest of your journey!

Hotels happen spur of the moment.

I'm always scared in my tent after dark. It's a mind game thing. I always hide out pretty well and far off the road, so logically nothing is going to happen (I'm scared of Criminal Minds type murderers, not animals) but it's just ... eerie. I don't like being out in the wilderness alone.

Lately I've been putting headphones in and listening to classical music all night so not hearing the wind and random tree noises helps.

What we're you doing, career wise, before you decided to walk?

Plans after you finish the walk?

Writing. My first book was published in 2013 (Do Life) by Penguin. Then some technical writing and marketing for firms in Little Rock.

What have you been doing to pass the time? do days pass where you were incredibly bored all day?

I rarely get bored. I listen to music occasionally. Red Sox games. Hypothetical arguments in my head. I write a lot in my journal.

I've got a Sox ticket with your name on it when you get to Boston, man. Message me once you make it. Godspeed.

Dude. That would be awesome. I grew up in Fenway.

If you decided to turn around and walk back to where you started, would you consider it a failure?

I would never do that. The desert followed by the Rockies, followed by the prairies. The three hardest parts. So desolate. If someone put a gun to my head and told me to turn around, I'd ask them to just end me there. It's too daunting to do again.

Do people ask you why you are pushing a baby in the middle of nowhere with that stroller like contraption?

Yes, a couple times a week, lol.

Do you have a set goal of how far you intend to go for the day? Or do you just sleep when you get sleepy?

The goal is always at least 25 miles per day. I'll go up to 30 if theres a town ahead.

What kind of shoes do you use?

What's some of the things you have learned doing your time walking?

What advice do you have for someone interested in walking a long distance? Not across the US perhaps, but doing something on a smaller scale for a holiday?

Lastly you must have experienced some weird stuff, got any stories?

Anyways keep it up and thanks for doing this!

• New Balance running shoes
• I've learned to appreciate the small things and live minimally. When all you have is not a lot, not a lot becomes plenty.
• Take plenty of breaks and plan out water. Sometimes people overpack water because they think it's super important (and it is) but if you're going to be passing a gas station after 20 miles, you're not going to need 4 gallons of water to get you there. Water is heavy and you can refill basically anywhere. This is highway walking mentality though. If you're going to do the Appalachian Trail or PCT, plan accordingly. I take rest breaks every couple hours and make sure to get my legs elevated.
• The coolest thing that has happened is I walked into a McDonalds in Garden City, KS at the exact same time another cross-country walker was walking in. We had the exact same stroller model. He was going Tallahassee to Seattle and we just happened to cross paths at a random McDonalds.

When all you have is not a lot, not a lot becomes plenty.

/r/unexpectedbuddhism

hahaha

Favorite place you've been so far? Place you're most looking forward to?

Wolf Creek Pass in the Rockies was amazing. Here's my camp at the top. I'm just happy to be east of Wichita. It was so desolate once I hit Mojave Desert in California and it really is only starting to get civilized. Flagstaff was cool. Durango, CO was cool. Northern Arizona was not cool.

How are you walking for five months straight but complaining about exhaustion from answering an AMA?

Good point.

Hey I watched your weight loss video yesterday when somebody posted it in the comments. Approximately how much time had passed from the day you began your weight loss journey to the day you ran the marathon?

10 months. 365 pounds on Jan 1, 2009. down to 220 on October 18th, 2009 for the Denver Marathon (4:45)

Are you stopping for BBQ in KC? If you do, let us know where you went!

Yessssss

How's the weather been?

So good! I've been really lucky. Only one rainy day. (and a windy snow day in Kayenta, AZ)

Thanks for doing this, Ben! I started following your story yesterday and think it's great inspiration to take chances and live in the moment.

What has the hardest part been so far, outside of missing friends and family? Has anything surprised you about the trek?

I've been surprised by how easy it is. When you look at the map it seems so big. But when you look at it in the micro, it's really just manual labor 7-9 hours a day.

Hardest part is being scared at night, the paranoia. The isolation.

Ever have a bad day, and just want to get a ride to an airport, and go home? Another way to phrase it could be - Is it hard to stay motivated?

Very rarely do I get discouraged. I had a bad day from Dodge City to Cimarron, Kansas, just hated every step, but then, as usually happens, I get picked up by the kindness of strangers. The woman who worked at the hotel in Cimarron walked Delaware to San Francisco and gave me a free night in the hotel out of the rain. It was magical.

How much are you carrying?

Computer, tent, sleeping bag, air mattress, computer, a couple cameras, portable USB charger, food, clothes, some first aid, a big knife.

How do you charge your phone daily?

Insignia portable power charger. When it's fully charged it charges my phone up to 8 times. Also, shoutout to when we used to farm together in Diablo (2012-2013).

Hey man! I applaud your effort to complete your journey. Mad props.

Do you get to camp out where it's super dark? How's seeing so many stars at night? I'm a photographer and have tried to get away from Florida's light pollution but it's tough.

What's the closest you've come to quitting?

The stars are so amazing in the Mojave Desert and in the Rockies (I went through wolf creek pass). God it's cool. Never come close to even thinking about quitting. I've only had one or two bad days and even those were nothing compared to how fun it is.

What unexpected physical, mental or just plain bizarre situation have you encountered so far? What has been the most surreal moment so far?

The first night I camped out in a city was Riverside California and around 4 a.m. I got so sick of bad sleep from being scared that I just got up and started walking. I walked by an adult book store in east riverside and a strange dude standing outside it started calling after me. "HEY, COME HERE" I told him, "I'm good" and kept walking, trying to play it cool. Dude started following me with his grocery cart, and yelling for me to come over to him, that he had to show me some stuff. I'm pretty good with regular crazy people but this guy just seemed, threatening, so I started running. He half-heartedly jogged after me but gave up. Adrenaline was going pretty good.

I know you said that you want to write about your journey, but I was wondering what happens when you finish. Are you going to hang out in Boston for a while? Have a big party? Are you going to fly home and start working again?

Party happening in the ocean around noon and then a proper bash at a nearby locale. Everyone is invited. Tons of people follow along in New York and Boston and the Northeast in general and have said they're coming in for the party.

How much water do you drink a day? If you're coming through Cincinnati drop in for some Skyline Chili!

A gallon or two.

Hey Ben! Started following you yesterday and this whole thing has been super inspiring. Question: did you map your route with the shortest horizontal distance in mind (not worrying about mountain passes, hills/valleys, etc) or are you circumventing any extra vertical terrain like that? If someone were to plan their own route (however long the distance) what tips do you have for starting out and following that correct path?

For the most part, the shortest distance. Mountains don't scare me too much. I did want to hit a few big cities, so I made sure to put those into the route. Google's Walking Directions work pretty well but they sometimes put you on "restricted" roads. Never go down a restricted road. I've had some very bad experiences trying.

How much toilet paper do you have on hand at any time?

Just one roll. No reason to have more since I go through towns all the time.

How many changes of clothes did you bring? I saw you're wearing New Balance shoes, but how many pairs did you bring and how often are you switching them out, if at all?

I only have one pair with me at a time.

A few shirts, two pairs of shorts, 5 underwear, 6 pairs of socks, rain jacket and ponchos to keep my stuff dry.

How do you not go mad?

Sometimes I do. I talk to cows a lot.

Have you had any unpleasant experiences with other people during the trip?

Did you work out in preperation of this trip?

How does your legs feel?

Yeah, a lot of weight loss and running. I was up to about 35 miles per week running. About a month before I left for the walk I started doing 10-12 mile walks a few times per week around Little Rock (home) but I'd say the first couple of weeks of the official walk was the main training. Now I can do 25-30 miles each day.

Where are you right now?

Ottawa, KS

What kind of foods do you carry? I want to do the AT one day. I recently moved just outside of Boston. Great weather today, I hear it's even better in the summer. Enjoy the rest of your trek, and stay safe!

Trail mix, M&Ms, dried fruit, beef jerky, occasional poptarts. I don't have a stove but I get hot meals at restaurants regularly.

What silly side show attraction would you recommend out west to see?

I liked Joshua Tree national park. Pagosa Springs, CO is a nice spa town with natural hot springs. That was fun. Tsegi, AZ is a weird place that's worth staying in for the night just to see what it's like to live without wifi or cell phone service. Stay at the only Inn in town, Anasazi Inn.

What are you gonna do when you get to Boston?

Jump in the ocean and eat a lot.

Have you thought about doing any other giant excursions like this one? What advice would you give to a sophmore in college if they are wanting to do similar trips?

Also thanks for keeping us updated on this, its super cool and inspiring! Good luck on the end of your trip!

I can't look past this trip since I'm still so far from the goal, but I love doing triathlons so I'll definitely get back into that. Just plan a trip and do it when your apartment lease runs out. Go over summer break. You'd be amazed how far you can walk in three months (90 days x 25-30 miles per day by foot or 100+ by bike).

Have blisters or chafing been a thing?

Total envy of your journey, btw; I've wanted to do something like this for years now. Keep it up and stay safe.

Chafing is my #1 source of pain. No blisters, but I need to lose some fat around my ass/thighs because holy shit...

Could you tell us about the experiences on the restricted roads?

One was leading into a Native American reservation and it wasn't clearly marked. The guy in the booth wasn't pleased at all that I was walking into the reservation. I tried to ask for alternate routes and he just simply told me to back up and turn away. He wasn't very nice.

Where do you sleep at night when you aren't near a campground/state land? Do you just pitch the tent in a random field? Surely there must be some large gaps in your trip where you just aren't near any public land.

I go a few hundred yards off the road. Lately in Kansas and Colorado everything is barb wired off so you can't. In those cases I camp in culverts under the highway.

What's your average day looking like? Do you spend the entire day walking, or do you stop in certain cities to experience their culture? What are you eating along the way?

I walk 25-30 miles with a few hours of rest so most of the daylight is taken up by that. I stop in every town I go to and talk to the locals. I'm writing a book about the journey so I love meeting new people and seeing how they live life in their respective towns.

Why Boston instead of the Atlantic ocean?

I'm jumping into the ocean when I get there.

How do you weather storms out? Also how has weather effected you?

I'll walk in rain and snow as long as it's not too cold or windy. Otherwise I'll just wait it out in a hotel or someone's house.

How are your knees and ankles holding up?

Knees are good! Ankles get sore at the end of the day.

I saw that you said that you're following Google maps walking directions, but are you going off the route at times to visit major cities? What's been the coolest thing you've seen?

Congrats on your journey, and good luck! I've always loved the thought of just up and traveling around the country; gotta say I'm a little jealous. Before anyone says, "just do it then"; I am the sole provider for my wife and 2 small children, so couldn't really just drop everything to travel.

EDIT: Thought I would post this photo of me from a Halloween half marathon a ran a few years ago as motiviation

Yeah, I'm lucky to be without child and my girlfriend is super supportive.

Coolest moment: I lost my wallet somewhere between Las Animas and Lamar, CO. I met a farmer at a restaurant and he invited me back to his house to stay with him and his wife. They made me dinner and gave me a place to stay. I worked on the farm for them for a day. I needed a new ID and the DMV in Little Rock was telling me they would have to ship me some forms for me to fill out and send back. Farmer just said, "Take my truck and go down there and get it all sorted out. See your girlfriend while you're at it." So I took his truck to Little Rock and drove back when I had everything replaced. A nice break and then I came back and they gave me a bag of homemade cinnamon rolls for the walk out of town. God those were so good.

What's the craziest animal you have encountered in your journey so far?

Cows and Coyotes.

Has anyone offered to join you walking for a stretch? Is the solitude a major factor of the journey?

My brother joined for 6 days over his spring break which was amazing. My dad has walked 5 days (2 and 3 in different sections). Isolation and loneliness are the hardest parts. Having data helps.

What are you listening to as you're walking?

Third Eye Blind and Lorde and Taylor Swift and Brand New, for the most part.

Why did the Norse Greenland colony fail?

I don't get the reference :(

What would you say is the thing you like the most of the journey? Are you motivated by achieving something this crazy or it's just for the sake of the adventure?

The satisfaction of knocking down state lines is a lot of fun. And the statistics. I'm keeping meticulous stats and data (calories, miles per hour, miles per day, weight loss, inches lost, etc) and those are fun to chart.

Will you be passing through/near Pittsburgh?

I think about 40 miles south.

With no other roads and trails are you forced to use highways as a medium to travel through?

There's almost always a highway. I've had to take the interstate twice which is illegal, but I did it to shave off some annoying out-of-the-way miles on the highway.

What valuable lessons have you learned from your trip so far?

Living simply is easier than we think.

What is the legality of walking down the highway? Does the police stop you or anything like that?

Highways and roads are legal. Interstates are not.

What's your opinion of the film Forrest Gump?

I am fond of it.

What if you had left the oven on?

Lease was up and there have been no reports of the apartment burning down.

What does your meal plan look like, Have you been keeping up a regular diet from before you left or has it completely changed? Have you noticed weight gain/loss or any muscle definition? Also what was your family & friends opinion when you first told them about your journey! Other then that your doing awesome man, I hope to do the Pacific Crest trail someday so I can relate to your thirst for adventure and living. Followed you on insta as well, Goodluck with the rest of your journey! Good vibes coming from Ontario, Canada!

Answered food question earlier. I'm down about 25 pounds. Should be more but Colorado/Kansas biscuits and gravy are .... good to say the least. My mom was highly skeptical and didn't understand the point, but now she loves it and is my biggest fan. My dad was always enthusiastic and excited to help. My brother was in between. My girlfriend was worried I wasn't planning enough, which I might not have been.

This is great man. Started following your journey yesterday great instagram pics. Your almost to Boston good luck and stay safe!

If Hollywood were to make this journey of yours into a movie who would you cast to play you?

Jonah Hill?

Do you ever have trouble getting motivated. You ever wake up and think "screw this I'm going home?"

No, it's way too much fun.

Are you employed? Or were you employed before you started this.? If so what was your job?

Writing, technical writing, marketing. Books.

What character do you play on Skyrim?

The only games I've played in my life are Diablo and Mario KartL Double Dash. I cracked World top 150 in Double Dash back in my heyday. Here's me in action.

What do you do for a living? How do you make money?

Writing, technical writing, marketing. Books.

Hi Ben! I've been following you or several years (since the beginning) through the ups and downs.

How many people generally offer you a ride everday? Have you had any amazing experiences with a complete stranger, extremely generous? Any encounters with wildlife?

Thanks! I'd say 2-3 people per week stop and offer a ride. I thank them and ask if they happen to have a McDouble they can give me instead. They never have one :(

How many miles do you average per day?

25 on days I'm walking. 21.3 total including rest days.

Where/how do you use the restroom?

You just look for some privacy. When I pee I just walk 25-30 yards off the road and pee. No one cares.

How sore are you? 👲🏻

At the end of the day I'm pretty sore, but it resets every morning to nearly 100%.

Integrating back into the everyday grind. Are you looking forward to it, or are you dreading it (or something else entirely)?

I'm excited to be back home with my girlfriend, but I have a feeling I'm going to miss the simple life of the road. I know when I take a day off, my mind yearns for the grind.

Why don't you have a job?

Writing is my job. I left a job to do this.

Place you're glad you walked away from and the best food you've had on this trip so far?

Riverside, CA. I told the story in another response. But I was walking toward a sketchy hotel where no cars were parked. The sign said "knock loudly and we'll wake up." It was a frightening motel, like House of Wax style. I noped out.