Why I’m Walking Across America In 2025

Read time: 3 mins

QOTW

"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be."

— Lao Tzu

In this week’s dose, I share my plan to walk across America in 2025 for men’s mental health.

I was sitting around the day before Thanksgiving checking some messages online and a video came across my feed.

It was about a guy who walked across America.

The instant I heard that idea I felt like a lightning bolt shot through my body. For the next 4 days, I couldn’t get it out of my head. So I started to research what it’d take to walk 2,800+ miles and saw that it would be very hard, but very doable.

I envisioned myself getting to the finish line, walking with blisters, walking with joy, walking in the snow, sleeping on the ground, eating food with strangers, sharing the experience with others, training hard, and giving it everything I had to finish it…

It was the kind of idea where I knew with my full heart that I was going to do it.

It became so clear to me this was exactly why I struggled so much this year.

I’ve told friends & family how for the last 1+ year, I’ve felt like something was off. I had finally dialed in my business in 2023 and things were cruising, but it didn’t feel full.

I felt like I was being called to something else - like I wasn’t yet where I’m supposed to be.

In the last 6 months, I had been exploring everything to see what lit a fire in me - moving to Costa Rica, silent meditation retreats, plant medicine ceremonies, a trip to India, working with a new coach, or anything else that would create a seismic shift in my life.

Hard to explain, but it was something that I felt was coming - I just had no idea what it was.

Then the idea of walking across the US hit me like a ton of bricks. This was it.

A chance for me to immerse myself with myself. To go deeper within than I’d ever been before.

A chance for me to explore the depths of self-love and the role God plays in my life.

To stop fighting and surrender to the flow of life for good.

Something that will be a catalyst for the biggest transformation I’ve ever been through.

Then it became clear I needed to do this to bring awareness to men’s mental health & suicide prevention.

For 5 months in 2024, I experience thoughts of suicide. And as I’ve emerged out of that dark space, it’s clear that I need to share that experience with others.

And within 24 hours, I was already creating the gameplan.

Route outlined. Timeline set. Mission & vision detailed. Fundraiser targets.

I loved the idea of doing it to raise awareness for mental health & suicide prevention. Selfishly giving me an outlet to air everything out through content during the trek.

And something that would challenge myself to share more and to be as real & raw as possible.

I shared the deck I made with some of my family & close friends and each one of them replied with “WOW. I love it!”

That was it. We’re in.

So I’m putting all my stuff in storage to walk across the USA to raise awareness for men’s mental health & suicide prevention.

I’m not 100% sure on the route yet - still have big details to look at like weather, wind, etc - but it will take me about 5-6 months to complete.

That’s walking 25-30 miles per day, 6 days per week.

I’ve already started training, building up my endurance over the next 90 days.

I’m going to create videos and write every day to share everything I’m going through on the journey.

I’m excited and I feel a ton of fear.

But I’m practicing surrender and trust that something bigger than me is going to have my back.

What I Need to Make This Happen:

• A Support Vehicle: I’m looking for help along the way—a driver to transport gear, help manage logistics, and be there in case of emergencies. I’m open to have a few people who can commit to different stretches of the journey.
• Gear & Route Planning: I’m reaching out to a few experts to help me plan the best routes, acquire the right gear, and be prepared for any challenge.
• Funding: My estimated costs for the trip is about $30,000 which will cover food, lodging, gear, and other essentials. I’ve created a GoFundMe to help cover some of those costs.
• Fundraising: I aim to raise $50,000+ for mental health and suicide prevention organizations.
• Brand Partnerships: I’m working on a gameplan to collaborate with brands that align with my mission to bring this vision to life. Sponsorships, in-kind donations, etc.

The support has been incredible this week and I look forward to sharing this experience with every one of you.