Tom Turcich is on a very long walk. So far, he's spent 472 days traversing 6,300 miles across 11 countries — and he's not anywhere close to finished.
Turcich, 27, felt the urge to explore the world after a close friend died at age 17.
"Her death reordered my understanding of the world,"he recently wrote on Reddit. "I suddenly saw life as something fragile and fleeting. I needed to make the most of the short time I had."
That's when he decided he would someday walk across all seven continents. Turcich spent the next few years completing college and working to save money. Finally, in April 2015, he quit his job as a solar panel installer, gathered his gear, and set out on foot from his home in New Jersey. He began documenting his travels on Facebook and Instagram — and he even picked up a furry companion along the way.
Turcich spoke with INSIDER about what life is like on the road. Here's what he had to say.
This is Tom Turcich and his dog, Savannah. They are walking machines.
Their route touches all seven continents — yes, even Antarctica. If all goes according to plan, the trip will take five years.
Turcich began in New Jersey and walked south through the United States, Mexico, and Central America. Right now, he's in South America. Next, he'll take a boat to Antarctica, then fly to Europe. From there he'll move west through Africa and Asia, fly to Australia, walk its width, then fly back to the US over the Pacific. The final stretch of walking will take him from the West Coast back home to New Jersey.
Last week — more than a year after he made the first step of his journey — Turcich crossed the border from Ecuador to Peru.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider