1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:03,920 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Tutor Dixon Podcast. While we are almost 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: starting a new year, and we thought, what better way 3 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:10,400 Speaker 1: to start the new year but with something really motivational. 4 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: And I saw this story about a guy who walked 5 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: the entire world, and that sounds insane. I'm like, how 6 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:20,439 Speaker 1: long does that take? Because you know, I'm used to 7 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:23,640 Speaker 1: like walking around the block, and apparently it takes a 8 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:25,760 Speaker 1: really long time. So I'm going to have Tom come 9 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 1: in and tell you his name and is Tom Ursich. 10 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:33,000 Speaker 1: He is an amazing guy, a motivational speaker, a photographer, 11 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:35,599 Speaker 1: but honestly, the guy walked around the world. How much 12 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:37,919 Speaker 1: cooler does that get? Tom, Welcome to the program. 13 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:39,920 Speaker 2: Thanks so much for having me. Happy to be here. 14 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:42,879 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, I'm so excited to have you. I 15 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:46,519 Speaker 1: was reading your story and I also your part of 16 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:48,880 Speaker 1: your story is that you had this fear of death 17 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:51,599 Speaker 1: growing up and you lost a friend at sixteen, and 18 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: I actually also lost a friend at sixteen, a terrible 19 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 1: car accident, and I kind of feel like I went 20 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 1: through those same thoughts of like, what does this mean? 21 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 1: How do I handle this? Why was it this person 22 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:06,120 Speaker 1: and not me? And you go and as a kid, 23 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 1: I think those are all really hard thoughts to handle. 24 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:12,480 Speaker 1: I did not go with I'm going to walk around 25 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 1: the world. And I'm fascinated by the fact that that 26 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 1: is what you did, because I feel like in that moment, 27 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:21,200 Speaker 1: knowing that kind of pain, there are thoughts like how 28 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:24,759 Speaker 1: can I make an impact? How can I seek what 29 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: I'm I'm looking for and find myself? So tell us 30 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:30,040 Speaker 1: a little bit about that part of your journey. 31 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:33,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, I like you, I had a friend who died. 32 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 2: I was seventeen, she was sixteen, and Marie, and we're 33 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 2: very close since childhood. We grew up a black apart, 34 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 2: walked do elementary school together, walked to high school together, 35 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 2: in the same group of friends, and when she died, 36 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 2: like you said, is especially at that age, it's really impactful. 37 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 2: And I think all these questions of death and how 38 00:01:56,920 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 2: to live are kind of pop into your head when 39 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 2: you're younger, but aren't fully resolvable, come flooding back. And 40 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 2: so for me, when I thought about I have this 41 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 2: very limited amount of time here and my time is 42 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:15,639 Speaker 2: not guaranteed, I thought, Okay, what do I want out 43 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 2: of this one shot that I have in life? And 44 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 2: I reflected on it for about six months, and it 45 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:25,240 Speaker 2: wasn't something I took lightly. I was really just left 46 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 2: in this fog and I was trying to find a 47 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 2: way out of it. I really reflect, Okay, I got 48 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 2: one shot at this what I want? Ultimately I came 49 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:34,239 Speaker 2: to the answer that I wanted to travel. I wanted 50 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 2: to be forced into adventure because I was timid and 51 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 2: I was introverted, and I wanted to grow out of that, 52 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 2: and I wanted to understand the world. And so then 53 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:46,920 Speaker 2: when I started looking for ways to travel, initially I 54 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 2: was looking at the travel blogs of euro Railing, and 55 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 2: I thought, Okay, this summer, I'm going to go with 56 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 2: my cousin over to Europe and we're going to get 57 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:57,079 Speaker 2: a euro pass and we're going to bounce around Europe 58 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 2: and do all that. And I still every night was 59 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 2: spending hours and hours on these travel blogs. I was 60 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:07,639 Speaker 2: just obsessed with it and trying to find a way 61 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:11,079 Speaker 2: to maximize it. And eventually I discovered these two guys, 62 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:14,239 Speaker 2: Steve Newman and Carl Bushby, who had walked around the world. 63 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 2: And as soon as I saw that, really right away 64 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 2: I knew that fulfilled everything I wanted out of life. 65 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:25,200 Speaker 2: It would be this really slow form of travel that 66 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 2: would be an adventure every day. I would understand the 67 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 2: world in a better way than almost any other manner 68 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 2: I could imagine, and I would really get a sense 69 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 2: of what humanity was like outside of just the highlights, 70 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 2: outside of just Paris and Machu Picchu or Anchor Rot, 71 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 2: all the places you normally travel. And then on top 72 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 2: of that, I didn't have any money, so it was 73 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 2: affordable way to go to. 74 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: I mean, I guess affordable, but I find it fascinating 75 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 1: because I think about your fear and trying to overcome 76 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 1: your fears. I mean, you are really putting yourself into 77 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: one of the most dangerous situations you can possibly put 78 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 1: yourself into. Your all alone. You went with your dog, 79 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: so it's you and the dog, and a lot of 80 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 1: the time you're camping. 81 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think the way I resolve that there's a 82 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 2: certain amount of just danger or risk that you have 83 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:27,919 Speaker 2: to accept when you are pursuing I think any dream 84 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 2: in general, and you know, any dream, you're going to 85 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 2: fail a lot. My dream and walking around the world, 86 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 2: the failure could have been, you know, getting kidnapped or 87 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:40,680 Speaker 2: murdered or whatever else. You know, at its worst, you know, I, 88 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 2: especially when I began, I was very naive and I 89 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 2: really didn't know quite how to handle myself. And I 90 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:49,920 Speaker 2: learned as the years went on, I became better at 91 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 2: navigating these different cultures in different places. But in the 92 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 2: beginning was I was very naive. 93 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:54,840 Speaker 1: You know. 94 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:57,839 Speaker 2: I grew up in a safe suburb in New Jersey, 95 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 2: didn't have any exposure to any of that. But all 96 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 2: that being said, you know, the thing that am Marie 97 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 2: taught me when I was seventeen was that, look, nothing's 98 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:07,839 Speaker 2: guaranteed to begin with, and so I may as well 99 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,520 Speaker 2: live the life that I want to live rather than 100 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 2: this passive life where things just sort of happened to 101 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 2: me and the time passes anyway, and nothing is guaranteed anyway, 102 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 2: so I may as well, you know, fail, but in 103 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 2: the direction of my dreams. 104 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: It's so interesting because I think about this and I think, Okay, 105 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 1: you you were so young, and you say it in 106 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 1: some of your stories, you say, I mean you think 107 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:34,719 Speaker 1: that that naive take kind of helped you because you 108 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:36,720 Speaker 1: didn't have as much fear because you didn't know what 109 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:39,280 Speaker 1: to fear. And I think about myself at seventeen, of 110 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 1: course I wouldn't know what to fear going around the world. 111 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:44,840 Speaker 1: I just didn't know that much, you know, But you 112 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:49,719 Speaker 1: stepped into it and potentially that saved your life being naive, 113 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: which seems odd, but maybe that is what happened. But 114 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:58,400 Speaker 1: this was seven years, a seven year walk, twenty eight 115 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 1: thousand miles, six continents that you went through for seven years. 116 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:07,839 Speaker 1: And sometimes you write that you sometimes came to a 117 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 1: city that was dangerous and you decided you would get 118 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:12,840 Speaker 1: a room for the night so that you could protect yourself. 119 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:17,720 Speaker 1: But you ran into some situations where you potentially they 120 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 1: could have gone the wrong way. There was one time 121 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:22,720 Speaker 1: when you were actually detained, right, Yeah, that. 122 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 2: Was years in That was in Turkey and just above 123 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:29,919 Speaker 2: the Syrian border. But I would say, you know, through 124 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:33,240 Speaker 2: all this, you know there there's you know, especially when 125 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:36,920 Speaker 2: you're beginning to walk in your naive and and in 126 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 2: Central America, which is just statistically a little bit more 127 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 2: dangerous because it's a narrow strip land. There's a lot 128 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:47,280 Speaker 2: of movement of of you know, illicit goods and and 129 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 2: people looking for a better life, and so it's just 130 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 2: a little bit more dangerous in Central Central America. I 131 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:55,280 Speaker 2: was glad I was naive then, because I think if 132 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 2: I did that years later, I would have been much 133 00:06:57,800 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 2: more stressed out. But in the beginning I was just 134 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 2: go and kind of be on fire with the idea 135 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:04,640 Speaker 2: of walking around the world and kind of ignore everything 136 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 2: around me. But you know, as the years went on, one 137 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:14,119 Speaker 2: of the facts of humanity that was worn into me really, 138 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:18,240 Speaker 2: really deeply was that people are good everywhere. You know, 139 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 2: there are, of course, you know, bad actors, and there's corruption, 140 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:25,160 Speaker 2: and there's people who want to take advantage of you. 141 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 2: You know, there's that, but that I think is a 142 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:30,320 Speaker 2: pretty minor thing compared to the day to day that 143 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 2: I lived. Majority of time, it's people giving me water 144 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 2: and giving me food and asking if I need help. 145 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:40,960 Speaker 2: The vast majority of humanity is just people trying to 146 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 2: make some money and hang out with their family. And 147 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 2: as the years went on and you do that for five, six, 148 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 2: seven years, traveling kind of gets boring strangely, because you realize, oh, 149 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:55,320 Speaker 2: it is the same everywhere, and people are the same everywhere. 150 00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:58,280 Speaker 2: You know, the surface level things change, But really when 151 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:00,120 Speaker 2: it comes down to it, it's just people that you know, 152 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 2: want to hang out with their friends and family. 153 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 1: Wow, So do you have like the coolest parents in 154 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 1: the world or what. Because if I go to my 155 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 1: parents at seventeen and I'm like, see, i'll be back 156 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:10,840 Speaker 1: in seven years. I'm going to go walk around the world, 157 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 1: They're not like, yeah, that's awesome, go do it. 158 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 2: My mom was I would say not on board is 159 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 2: maybe a little harsh, but she knew how naive and 160 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:25,520 Speaker 2: you know dom I was. And my dad. My dad 161 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 2: lived under tarp and Hawaii for four years when he 162 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:32,080 Speaker 2: was out of high school, and he's spearfish for food 163 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 2: and he worked at a sugar plane plantation for money. 164 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:39,640 Speaker 2: So for him it was much more like, oh, yeah, 165 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:41,319 Speaker 2: I go do it. This is what you're supposed to do. 166 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 2: Go have an adventure. So he was always on board. 167 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 2: And I think it took about a year from my 168 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:47,319 Speaker 2: mom until she was like, Okay, he knows what he's 169 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 2: doing now. 170 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:53,480 Speaker 1: Wow. So this runs in the family obviously, But honestly, 171 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:55,440 Speaker 1: going around the world, I mean, you're I think there's 172 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:57,079 Speaker 1: only ten people, correct. 173 00:08:57,160 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm the tenth person. And my dog Savannah is 174 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:01,760 Speaker 2: the first dog to ever walk around the world. 175 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:04,880 Speaker 1: Wow, that is incredible. So tell us some of the 176 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:07,560 Speaker 1: I mean, I know you say that everybody or it 177 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:11,360 Speaker 1: started to get boring because it like those innate wants. 178 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 1: And I find that interesting with the culture that we're 179 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 1: in right now, is that really you go to work 180 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:19,280 Speaker 1: to feed your family, to spend time with your family, 181 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:22,200 Speaker 1: and you are away from your family for seven years. 182 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 1: So even in one of the writings you put that 183 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 1: it was there were a lot of goodbyes. It was 184 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:30,680 Speaker 1: a constant. Every season was a season of goodbye. Because 185 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:33,720 Speaker 1: you meet people and you leave. That has to be hard. 186 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 1: But what were some of the most fascinating things you 187 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:38,840 Speaker 1: learned from people? Because there have to be some differences 188 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:42,680 Speaker 1: that you saw or some experiences that just stand out. 189 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, of course. Yeah. Like you said, the walk was 190 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:52,960 Speaker 2: just constant change. And in the beginning of my book, 191 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:57,959 Speaker 2: my little tribute is to Savannah, and it's a Savannah 192 00:09:58,040 --> 00:10:02,880 Speaker 2: my only constant because really felt like every day you're 193 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:06,000 Speaker 2: dealing with a new place, a new person, new people, 194 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:11,480 Speaker 2: new food, new terrain. And when I look back on it, 195 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:14,080 Speaker 2: like towards the end of the Walk, I say, the 196 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:15,880 Speaker 2: way I think about it was like those seven years 197 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:18,360 Speaker 2: felt like twenty years just because there's so much growth, 198 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:22,240 Speaker 2: There was so much change always and it's a really 199 00:10:22,280 --> 00:10:26,160 Speaker 2: beautiful thing, and the book The World Walk is really 200 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 2: the story of my growth. But by the end it 201 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:35,120 Speaker 2: was exhausting, and I was so ready for the walk 202 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:37,600 Speaker 2: to be over and to have just a house and 203 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:41,400 Speaker 2: to have a bed, and to have coffee in the morning, 204 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 2: and to have a shelter, to be out of the elements, 205 00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:48,200 Speaker 2: you know, not to be walking through the rain every day, 206 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:53,240 Speaker 2: or the sun or the snow. But the thing that 207 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:57,320 Speaker 2: the walk taught me a few big things, And I 208 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:00,360 Speaker 2: think also, you know, the walk is unique in how 209 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:03,920 Speaker 2: slow it is and how you're able to really feel 210 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:07,280 Speaker 2: the world in a way that you normally can even 211 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 2: if you're biking or driving through a place. I think 212 00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:13,840 Speaker 2: one of the primary lessons that I learned was just 213 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:18,679 Speaker 2: how small people are. Sort of a difficult concept to convey, 214 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:21,720 Speaker 2: but I would meet these people all over the world, 215 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:25,040 Speaker 2: whether it's in the desert of Peru, or in the 216 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:29,319 Speaker 2: jungles of Costa Rica or in you know, the mountains 217 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:34,079 Speaker 2: of Kyrgyzstan, and what you realize is that there are 218 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 2: people who are much smarter than you, much more generous 219 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:40,959 Speaker 2: than you, much more driven than you are, and yet 220 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:46,319 Speaker 2: everyone including them, and yourself are determined by the limitations 221 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:49,840 Speaker 2: of whatever is around them, the geography, the culture, and 222 00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 2: you see yourself in all these different places, and it 223 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:55,360 Speaker 2: could have just as easily been you born in the 224 00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:59,800 Speaker 2: deserts of Peru selling gasoline, passing trucks, and it could 225 00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:03,360 Speaker 2: have and you born, you know, as a shepherd in Kyrgyzstan, 226 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:07,400 Speaker 2: and those would have been my limitations. But I was 227 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,439 Speaker 2: born in America in a very wealthy state and have 228 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:13,920 Speaker 2: an American passport, and I was lucky to get a well, 229 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:18,520 Speaker 2: good paying job out of college, and I was the 230 00:12:18,559 --> 00:12:22,880 Speaker 2: one passing through their country rather than the other way 231 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 2: around because of you know, my circumstances. And so I think, 232 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:30,960 Speaker 2: you know, one of these things that I talk about 233 00:12:31,280 --> 00:12:36,000 Speaker 2: in my motivational speaking, one of the ideas that I 234 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:40,559 Speaker 2: talk about is to kind of let yourself off the 235 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:43,360 Speaker 2: hook in a little bit, you know, set a big goal, 236 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:45,920 Speaker 2: but in the day to day sort of relax. I 237 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 2: think people put so much pressure on themselves to be 238 00:12:49,679 --> 00:12:54,480 Speaker 2: exceptional and to be better than everyone else and to 239 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:59,280 Speaker 2: find some path that differentiates them. There's a lot of 240 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:03,440 Speaker 2: people in the world and they're just people, and you're 241 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:06,480 Speaker 2: just a person too, and so I think it really 242 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:09,080 Speaker 2: takes a lot of pressure off when you realize not 243 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:12,800 Speaker 2: you control much less of your life than you probably 244 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:13,200 Speaker 2: think you do. 245 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:16,320 Speaker 1: Let's take a quick commercial break. We'll continue next on 246 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 1: the Tutor Dixon Podcast. So do you think that that 247 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:24,920 Speaker 1: is an issue in the United States, that there's so 248 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 1: much pressure that people are constantly striving to make a 249 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:32,600 Speaker 1: big mark and you really are. I mean every I 250 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:35,080 Speaker 1: oftentimes think as I drive to work, every house I 251 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:39,359 Speaker 1: drive by is another story, another family, all a different crisis, 252 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:42,200 Speaker 1: different joys. All the things that go on in my 253 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:44,240 Speaker 1: life go on in their life in a different way. 254 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:49,440 Speaker 1: Is it time to step back and focus on the 255 00:13:49,559 --> 00:13:51,959 Speaker 1: moments rather than the years in the future. 256 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:56,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, I do think it's an issue, And maybe it's 257 00:13:56,400 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 2: an American exceptionalism thing or rugged individ dualism thing that 258 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:05,280 Speaker 2: you think you if you aren't as successful as you 259 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 2: think you should be, that you're a failure. And I 260 00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:12,120 Speaker 2: think that's just doing a disservice to yourself and probably 261 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 2: to your family, And it puts these expectations that are 262 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:22,680 Speaker 2: really unrealistic on yourself and probably unattainable. I think you'll 263 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:24,920 Speaker 2: always be moving the bar in that in that way. 264 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:30,600 Speaker 2: But when you understand that you're just a human, the 265 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 2: world is big, you're very small. To achieve your dreams, 266 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:36,600 Speaker 2: you know, things take a long time. It takes a 267 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:40,520 Speaker 2: long time. It doesn't happen overnight. And when you realize 268 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:42,080 Speaker 2: all those things, you kind of are able to take 269 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:45,720 Speaker 2: the pressure off yourself and in a certain way do 270 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:50,560 Speaker 2: the action regardless of whatever emotions are going on inside. 271 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:52,360 Speaker 2: You know, this is one of the things that Savannah, 272 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:54,520 Speaker 2: my dog, really drove home when we were walking. You know, 273 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:57,880 Speaker 2: we're walking together eight hours a day, every day, side 274 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:00,760 Speaker 2: by side, and so I remember having thought looking down 275 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:04,320 Speaker 2: at her in Peru, where I was feeling pretty sick 276 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:06,440 Speaker 2: that day, and I'm thinking, man, I'm sure she has 277 00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 2: stomach aches and muscle pains. I'm sure there are days 278 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 2: she wants nothing more than to just lay in bed, 279 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 2: and yet every day she walks with her tail held high, 280 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 2: doesn't complain. And so that taught me in a certain 281 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 2: way to just do the thing, walk the twenty four 282 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:25,760 Speaker 2: miles regardless of how I'm feeling. And I think there's 283 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:30,440 Speaker 2: a similar thing in life in knowing that you are 284 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:33,760 Speaker 2: just another person, where just do the act, do the 285 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:36,640 Speaker 2: best you can and then everything else. Relax. 286 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:39,720 Speaker 1: It was twenty four miles every day that you walked. 287 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:42,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, twenty four miles every day pretty much. Yeah, you know, 288 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:45,200 Speaker 2: more or less. Sometimes we do thirty if we're in 289 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:49,119 Speaker 2: the desert, you know, other days in winter in Wyoming 290 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 2: or in Kansas, it'll be like eighteen and they'd be miserable. 291 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:54,480 Speaker 1: How much time did you have to prepare for all 292 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:58,520 Speaker 1: of the different environments you would be in, the weather 293 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:01,000 Speaker 1: you would face. How did you know? Oh? 294 00:16:01,040 --> 00:16:05,240 Speaker 2: Well, Luckily, when you're walking, it's very slow changes, and 295 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:08,920 Speaker 2: so I usually had time to adjust to a new 296 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:13,000 Speaker 2: place or new climate, say in One of the more 297 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 2: dramatic changes was in the US when I was the 298 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:20,480 Speaker 2: final section, when I walked from Seattle to New Jersey, 299 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 2: and I walked the Great Plains well Wyoming down to 300 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 2: the Great Plains, across the Great Plains in winter, and 301 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:30,840 Speaker 2: I was picking up winter gear kind of gradually as 302 00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:32,680 Speaker 2: I went. I was like, oh man, I need better boots, Okay, 303 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:35,280 Speaker 2: I need you know, another sleeping bag for Savannah, I 304 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:37,040 Speaker 2: need whatever else, And so you kind of pick it 305 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:39,640 Speaker 2: up along the way, and that's usually how it went, 306 00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:42,760 Speaker 2: where I could adjust gradually. It wasn't like I was 307 00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:44,320 Speaker 2: just being dropped into a place. 308 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:49,440 Speaker 1: That is wild. So I mean, is there anything, Are 309 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 1: there any individual stories like you got really sick? I 310 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:54,720 Speaker 1: mean you went through the pandemic. How did that happen? 311 00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:57,360 Speaker 1: What was it like to go through a pandemic when 312 00:16:57,840 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 1: I mean we were all in the comfort of our 313 00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:02,480 Speaker 1: own home and it was like, Okay, we can stay here, 314 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:05,280 Speaker 1: we can stay safe, we won't go anywhere. You just 315 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:07,800 Speaker 1: where were you? How did that go down? 316 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:11,160 Speaker 2: So I got stuck in Azerbaijan for six months during 317 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:14,000 Speaker 2: the pandemic, which was a It was actually a great 318 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:16,120 Speaker 2: place to be stuck, but it was a strange experience. 319 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:18,399 Speaker 1: I even know that place, Like, that's a place I 320 00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:19,000 Speaker 1: don't even know. 321 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:22,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, it's It's in the Caucasus, so it's next 322 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:27,600 Speaker 2: to Georgia, below Russia, above Turkey, next to Armenia along 323 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:32,359 Speaker 2: the Caspian Sea, and it is wealthy on oil and 324 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:36,800 Speaker 2: gas and anyway. So I'm initially I was thinking, okay, 325 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:38,520 Speaker 2: this is It would have been I guess my fifth 326 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:42,280 Speaker 2: year of walking then, and this was early twenty twenty, 327 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:44,200 Speaker 2: and I'm thinking I'm going to make this long sprint 328 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:49,480 Speaker 2: across Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, who was Bekistan, Kyrgyzstan, back into Kazakhstan, 329 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:52,399 Speaker 2: across Mongolia all the way up to the capital of 330 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:54,720 Speaker 2: Mongolia and Ulambatar, and I thought, I'm going to start 331 00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:57,080 Speaker 2: this sprint. It's going to be a really difficult year. 332 00:17:57,119 --> 00:17:59,480 Speaker 2: But I get there before winter sets in, and I 333 00:17:59,480 --> 00:18:02,280 Speaker 2: get into Azerbaijan and I'm there for about a week 334 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:05,600 Speaker 2: and kind of one by one is like Georgia's closed, 335 00:18:06,359 --> 00:18:09,000 Speaker 2: Russia closed, Armenia is closed. The next thing I know, 336 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:14,040 Speaker 2: every country around Azerbaijan was closed because of COVID. 337 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:16,199 Speaker 1: How were you getting this news, Like did you have 338 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:17,720 Speaker 1: a way of getting news? 339 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah, yeah, And you know there's in today's world. 340 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:23,560 Speaker 2: I was probably the first World walker where the internet 341 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:26,880 Speaker 2: is pretty prevalent, So for the most part, I had 342 00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 2: good internet, or internet at least. But then I was 343 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:32,439 Speaker 2: also talking to people, Like when I found out the 344 00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:35,439 Speaker 2: capital of Azerbaijan was closed, it was just from a 345 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:38,240 Speaker 2: guy in the mountains that was telling me that, you know, Baki, 346 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:41,640 Speaker 2: it's called Baku, but he said Baki said Baki was closed. 347 00:18:42,359 --> 00:18:44,600 Speaker 2: And they let me in anyway, because I was a tourist. 348 00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:48,200 Speaker 2: Basically but yeah, I got stuck in Azerbaijan for six 349 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:50,680 Speaker 2: months because everything was closed and I couldn't find a 350 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:56,560 Speaker 2: flight out that would take Savannah. And then when Turkey reopened, 351 00:18:56,800 --> 00:18:58,800 Speaker 2: or when I was able to get a flight out, 352 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:01,280 Speaker 2: I went back to Turkey, which I had already walked across. 353 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:04,479 Speaker 2: Because the other countries on my route in the future 354 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:07,719 Speaker 2: were closed, I walked around Turkey for a while until 355 00:19:07,840 --> 00:19:10,480 Speaker 2: some countries started reopening, and then I flew into those 356 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:13,680 Speaker 2: countries and walked them when I could. But it did 357 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:18,240 Speaker 2: COVID didn't let me get into Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Australia, 358 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:22,000 Speaker 2: three countries on my original route. But yeah, it was 359 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:24,280 Speaker 2: a strange year. It was a strange year of backtracking 360 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:30,440 Speaker 2: and slowing down, and it also kind of fed that 361 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:32,879 Speaker 2: that desire to be in one place, like you were 362 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:37,240 Speaker 2: asking about earlier, where when I stopped in Azerbaijan for 363 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:39,560 Speaker 2: six months, it's like, man, it's kind of nice to 364 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 2: you know, not be getting blasted by the wind and 365 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:44,919 Speaker 2: the sun every day. You know, I would like to 366 00:19:44,920 --> 00:19:49,240 Speaker 2: do this more. And so that started giving me the 367 00:19:49,359 --> 00:19:52,320 Speaker 2: dreams of you know, ending the walk one day. 368 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:55,199 Speaker 1: Let's take a quick commercial break We'll continue next on 369 00:19:55,240 --> 00:20:01,640 Speaker 1: a Tutor Dixon podcast. I mean, seven years, were you 370 00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:03,560 Speaker 1: ever at the point where you were like, I just 371 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:05,400 Speaker 1: I'm not going to do it. Did you ever think 372 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 1: about going home or turning back? 373 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:13,040 Speaker 2: Not really. I had the bacterial infection after South America 374 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:15,159 Speaker 2: that really knocked me out for a while. 375 00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 1: And you had to go back to the US for that, right. 376 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:20,560 Speaker 2: Correct, Yeah, I dropped like forty five pounds. I was 377 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:22,520 Speaker 2: done one hundred and twenty two pounds at my lowest. 378 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:24,600 Speaker 1: Gosh, you don't look like you could drop that. 379 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:27,480 Speaker 2: Much, right, I'm very skinny already, And so it was. 380 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:30,719 Speaker 2: It was bad. Eventually knocked it out and I started 381 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:33,399 Speaker 2: my walk again in Europe, and I had lived with 382 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:36,439 Speaker 2: this pain from it for months, and when I was 383 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:38,840 Speaker 2: walking in Europe, which should have been probably the easiest 384 00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:43,400 Speaker 2: walking on my journey because of the bike routes and 385 00:20:43,560 --> 00:20:46,439 Speaker 2: how developed it is and how peaceful it is, instead 386 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:49,920 Speaker 2: it was probably the most miserable, just because I'd lived 387 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:53,760 Speaker 2: with all this pain and my normal optimism was turned 388 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:57,199 Speaker 2: to pessimism. And when you're walking, you have to be 389 00:20:57,240 --> 00:20:59,399 Speaker 2: really good company to yourself. It's just you and you 390 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:02,000 Speaker 2: out there all the time, and I was not a good 391 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:05,320 Speaker 2: company to myself, and so there were times then when 392 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:08,080 Speaker 2: I was thinking, man, it'd be really nice to be 393 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:12,080 Speaker 2: back at home, Sunday dinner with the grandparents, getting a 394 00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:15,960 Speaker 2: drink with my friends, waking up in a bed every day, 395 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:19,119 Speaker 2: not pushing through the rain. But when I really played 396 00:21:19,119 --> 00:21:22,960 Speaker 2: those things out, it came back to what I valued. 397 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:28,639 Speaker 2: And you know, Amory dying at seventeen, and again, my 398 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:31,200 Speaker 2: values what I wanted out of life were the same, 399 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:35,040 Speaker 2: you know, even if the outcome was you know, me 400 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:39,040 Speaker 2: being temporarily miserable for me dying. 401 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:46,680 Speaker 3: The values that I really reflected on when I was seventeen, 402 00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:49,119 Speaker 3: you know, wanted to travel, wanted to be forced some adventure, 403 00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:51,960 Speaker 3: wanted to understand the world, and then the world walk, 404 00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:53,080 Speaker 3: which fulfilled all of those. 405 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:55,919 Speaker 2: That was still what I wanted even when I was 406 00:21:55,960 --> 00:21:58,240 Speaker 2: really sick. And so when I played out in my head, 407 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:01,200 Speaker 2: all right, let's go back, that be nearly as fulfilling 408 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:04,520 Speaker 2: as you know, sitting in this forest wherever I was, 409 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:08,560 Speaker 2: you know, eating pasta for the five hundredth time, and 410 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:09,560 Speaker 2: you know. 411 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:13,200 Speaker 1: Well, I mean once you're that far into it, did 412 00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:15,320 Speaker 1: you go home any other time? Was it just that 413 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:17,320 Speaker 1: one time or were there trips back? 414 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:20,800 Speaker 2: So I went home after South America to get Savanna's 415 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:23,920 Speaker 2: paperwork to get her into Europe, and then I started Europe, 416 00:22:24,040 --> 00:22:26,280 Speaker 2: got I came back again, and then I came back 417 00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:30,480 Speaker 2: for like three days in the middle of COVID in 418 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 2: twenty twenty one to get the vaccine so I could 419 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:37,400 Speaker 2: continue into Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. So yeah, I went back 420 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:39,520 Speaker 2: three times, well. 421 00:22:39,240 --> 00:22:40,760 Speaker 1: Just three times in seven years. 422 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:41,800 Speaker 2: Yeah. 423 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:45,480 Speaker 1: Did you communicate a lot though with family? 424 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:49,800 Speaker 2: And yeah, yeah, it was. It was nice because I 425 00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:53,160 Speaker 2: was pretty connected to the internet. You know, there's stretches 426 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 2: in Mexico or Peru and Chile where or in Kyrgyzstan, 427 00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:01,679 Speaker 2: and it was Beekistan where there was no internet. But 428 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 2: when I got to a town and got to a hotel, 429 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:08,720 Speaker 2: you know, there was almost always Wi Fi. Not always, 430 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:10,800 Speaker 2: but you know, most of the time, and I could 431 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:13,639 Speaker 2: like FaceTime my parents or FaceTime a friend or something. 432 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:19,800 Speaker 2: So it was the strange kind of dichotomy of being connected, 433 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:23,040 Speaker 2: but also then for the most part, being very removed 434 00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:27,400 Speaker 2: from everyone. I would talk to my best friend a lot, 435 00:23:27,520 --> 00:23:31,320 Speaker 2: and he always marveled at he was in Manhattan. He's 436 00:23:31,359 --> 00:23:33,439 Speaker 2: working at this ad agency, and he's like, I'm in 437 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:37,120 Speaker 2: Manhattan walking down you know, Fifth Avenue right now, and 438 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:40,000 Speaker 2: you are in the mountains of Columbia. It's like, how 439 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:42,680 Speaker 2: different could our lives be? And yet, you know we're 440 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:43,880 Speaker 2: talking it out on the phone. 441 00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:48,120 Speaker 1: What were the biggest differences in culture? Like where did 442 00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:50,800 Speaker 1: you think it was the biggest change from home? 443 00:23:50,880 --> 00:23:55,760 Speaker 2: It was Pakistan. It is a country that has been 444 00:23:55,880 --> 00:24:00,000 Speaker 2: closed for a really long time. They you know, moved 445 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:03,359 Speaker 2: the Soviet Union fell in ninety one, and then they 446 00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:07,679 Speaker 2: basically had a dictatorship, a very closed off dictatorship until 447 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:10,159 Speaker 2: I guess like six years ago now. And when I 448 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:12,520 Speaker 2: was there, it was only a few years removed from 449 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:17,360 Speaker 2: this dictator's death. And they were so closed off that 450 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:23,200 Speaker 2: and so insular that the food was very homogenous, which 451 00:24:23,240 --> 00:24:25,600 Speaker 2: isn't a bad thing. It was a great food, great flow, 452 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:30,880 Speaker 2: you know, these rice dishes and with lamb, but there's 453 00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:34,000 Speaker 2: like no advertisements. They I would go through these towns 454 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:36,480 Speaker 2: and they had never met a tourist. I mean frequently, 455 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:39,240 Speaker 2: I was the first foreigner they ever met. Wow. And 456 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 2: I had this strange experience a lot when I would 457 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:43,520 Speaker 2: get to these towns where because there's no advertisements, and 458 00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:46,320 Speaker 2: because there's no one kind of passing through these towns 459 00:24:46,359 --> 00:24:49,000 Speaker 2: that isn't from the town. I would ask. I'd be 460 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:50,879 Speaker 2: looking around. It's like, I know there's, you know, a 461 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:53,000 Speaker 2: store here. I know there's a restaurant here. There's too 462 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:55,439 Speaker 2: many people, but I don't see anything. It looks like 463 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:58,240 Speaker 2: just houses. And then I would ask, hey, you know, 464 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:00,840 Speaker 2: is there a restaurant, and they over to this house 465 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:03,240 Speaker 2: and I'd go over there. I wouldn't see any sign, 466 00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:05,880 Speaker 2: and then I'd go back and go, I don't see 467 00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:08,440 Speaker 2: any any restaurant. And then they'd walk me over, open 468 00:25:08,520 --> 00:25:12,359 Speaker 2: the door and there's fifty people inside this house. Just 469 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:15,200 Speaker 2: you didn't You don't need the advertisement. Whenevere knows it's 470 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:15,800 Speaker 2: the restaurant. 471 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:18,240 Speaker 1: That's so funny. But how did you communicate they didn't 472 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:19,639 Speaker 1: speak English? 473 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:22,520 Speaker 2: Well, I had like downloaded uzbek on Google Translate and 474 00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:23,800 Speaker 2: so I could you know, type it. 475 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:26,760 Speaker 1: In that way. So you had to like stop in 476 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:29,240 Speaker 1: random places to charge Yeah. 477 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:32,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, you know, at a at a hotel or 478 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:34,239 Speaker 2: if I was at a restaurant, I would always just 479 00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:36,280 Speaker 2: ask to plug in my things, and you know, you 480 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:39,000 Speaker 2: make you make that work. So it was Bekistan was 481 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:42,040 Speaker 2: very different, for sure, just because how insular it is. 482 00:25:42,960 --> 00:25:47,320 Speaker 2: Algeria was very different from me. It's a really devout country, 483 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:50,320 Speaker 2: and I had a police escort the entire time I 484 00:25:50,359 --> 00:25:52,000 Speaker 2: was there, So for forty five days, I had a 485 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:53,040 Speaker 2: police escort with me. 486 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:55,000 Speaker 1: Wow, how did they know you were there? 487 00:25:56,040 --> 00:25:58,040 Speaker 2: I landed. It's a very difficult country to get into 488 00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:00,919 Speaker 2: in the first place. You need a letter of recommendation 489 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 2: from someone in Algeria. And luckily my exit boss was 490 00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:10,119 Speaker 2: Algerian and his mother still lived in Algeria, so she 491 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:12,119 Speaker 2: wrote me this letter of invitations. I was able to 492 00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:15,960 Speaker 2: get this visa. I took a ferry from Spain down 493 00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:23,240 Speaker 2: to Mostaganem, this town on the Algerian coast, and basically, 494 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:26,280 Speaker 2: you know, as soon as I saw the American passport 495 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:29,000 Speaker 2: and the visa, like, you gotta hold on a second. 496 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:31,119 Speaker 2: We got to just make sure you get the hotel safe. 497 00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:33,080 Speaker 2: And then I got to tell them. They're like, well, 498 00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:35,080 Speaker 2: what are your plans? So you know, I'm planning on 499 00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:37,040 Speaker 2: walking across the country, and says, well, we got to 500 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:38,720 Speaker 2: make sure you do this safely, and so then I 501 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:43,160 Speaker 2: kind of became the responsibility of every municipality. So about 502 00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:46,359 Speaker 2: three times a day, my police escort would change. And 503 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:49,280 Speaker 2: that was really strange because I was used to having, 504 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:52,879 Speaker 2: you know, unlimited freedom and stop whenever I felt like 505 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:55,800 Speaker 2: and letting my mind wander however it wanted to. And 506 00:26:55,840 --> 00:26:59,520 Speaker 2: I went from that to having sometimes like ten guys, 507 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:02,760 Speaker 2: ten policeman like watching me all the time and all 508 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:06,000 Speaker 2: very nice, always very nice and kind. But it was 509 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:08,960 Speaker 2: just very jarring to have that for forty five days. 510 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:14,080 Speaker 1: Wow, Okay, so you come back home. Before you came home, 511 00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:17,840 Speaker 1: you met a couple and then you became friends with them. 512 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:21,280 Speaker 1: I explained how what happened? How did the journey end? 513 00:27:21,359 --> 00:27:24,320 Speaker 1: And you ended up with a love interest? 514 00:27:25,359 --> 00:27:30,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I did. So. I landed in Seattle after 515 00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:33,320 Speaker 2: this was a little under six and a half years 516 00:27:33,359 --> 00:27:38,280 Speaker 2: of walking and the plan walking across the country, and 517 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:43,840 Speaker 2: I stopped in this little town after crossing the Cascades 518 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:46,520 Speaker 2: National Forest. I saw him this a little town to 519 00:27:46,520 --> 00:27:50,480 Speaker 2: write for a little bit, and I downloaded tender for 520 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:52,680 Speaker 2: like the first time, it was like the second time 521 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:56,560 Speaker 2: in my life. And I open it up and there's 522 00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 2: like five girls on there, and one of these girls 523 00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:01,280 Speaker 2: is standing in a her and she's got a bear gun. 524 00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:05,879 Speaker 2: In her h you know, like on her chest and 525 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:08,480 Speaker 2: she got you know, she's fly fish and wow, this 526 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:12,240 Speaker 2: girl looks amazing. She's a paramedic from Alaska. So we 527 00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:16,240 Speaker 2: started messaging she's in the town over doing uh family 528 00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:19,760 Speaker 2: medicine rotation, she's a medical school and uh, and she 529 00:28:19,800 --> 00:28:23,080 Speaker 2: came over. We had this you know, first date getting 530 00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:26,720 Speaker 2: pizza and just kind of hit it off. And you know, 531 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:29,400 Speaker 2: her name is Bonnie and you said to your daughter, right, 532 00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:33,119 Speaker 2: is Bonnie Bonnie? And uh, and then she kind of 533 00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:34,760 Speaker 2: just followed me around. You know, we hit it off 534 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 2: in a way that you know, I met a lot 535 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:42,160 Speaker 2: of people on my travels, I met a lot of people, 536 00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:48,040 Speaker 2: and Bonnie was, you know, if not the best, one 537 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:50,520 Speaker 2: of the best people that I met, you know, really intelligent. 538 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:55,760 Speaker 2: We have a very similar humor, beautiful and driven. And 539 00:28:55,800 --> 00:28:58,320 Speaker 2: then you know she's from Alaska, so she you know, 540 00:28:58,760 --> 00:29:02,719 Speaker 2: she can you know, ride horses, she can ski or snowboard, 541 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:05,520 Speaker 2: you know, she can do it all, fish hunt, all that. 542 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:09,080 Speaker 2: So just a really interesting person. Then and we hit 543 00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:11,120 Speaker 2: it off and she kind of followed me around. You know, 544 00:29:11,160 --> 00:29:13,000 Speaker 2: we had this thing where it was Labor Day weekend 545 00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:15,600 Speaker 2: when we met, and so I stopped for a few days, 546 00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:18,520 Speaker 2: and then I was like, oh, man, I you know, 547 00:29:18,560 --> 00:29:20,480 Speaker 2: I don't want to leave. And we said this really 548 00:29:20,560 --> 00:29:23,520 Speaker 2: dramatic goodbye, and then I realized, I'm only walking twenty 549 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:25,200 Speaker 2: miles and she can just come and pick me up 550 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:28,479 Speaker 2: and we can hang out again. And so we did 551 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:31,520 Speaker 2: that for a few times, and then gradually I got 552 00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:35,640 Speaker 2: out of range and she visited me in Colorado, in Pennsylvania, 553 00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:40,600 Speaker 2: and now we're engaged three years later, over three years later, 554 00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:42,320 Speaker 2: and life is good. 555 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:47,000 Speaker 1: Wow, congratulations, that is so exciting. So you are now home. 556 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:50,240 Speaker 1: You've written a book. It's called The World Walk. Tell 557 00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:50,840 Speaker 1: us about that. 558 00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:54,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, The World Walk is my memoir. You know, it's 559 00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:59,080 Speaker 2: the story of my growth, really going from that very 560 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:02,160 Speaker 2: naive suburb night who doesn't know anything about the world, 561 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:04,440 Speaker 2: who doesn't know how to defend himself, who doesn't know 562 00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:11,120 Speaker 2: how to navigate a new culture, and into a world traveler, 563 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:14,959 Speaker 2: someone who understands the world in a way that is 564 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:19,280 Speaker 2: rare and unique, you know, just from walking for seven years. 565 00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:21,800 Speaker 2: And so it's really about the journey of my growth 566 00:30:21,840 --> 00:30:26,160 Speaker 2: and then of course all these different adventures, and it's 567 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:30,560 Speaker 2: getting great reviews. People are loving it. And yeah, you 568 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:33,000 Speaker 2: can get it anywhere. Barnes and Noble, probably your local 569 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:37,360 Speaker 2: bookstore is published by Skyhorse, so distributed by Simon and Schuster, 570 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:40,800 Speaker 2: so it should be everywhere, you know, Amazon however you 571 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:42,600 Speaker 2: want to get it should be coming out an audiobook 572 00:30:42,800 --> 00:30:44,560 Speaker 2: pretty soon, maybe by the end of the month. Maybe 573 00:30:44,560 --> 00:30:45,920 Speaker 2: by the time this is out, it'll be out on 574 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:50,360 Speaker 2: as well. So yeah, it's it's a great read. It's 575 00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:54,240 Speaker 2: a great holiday you know, gift and quick read. I 576 00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:57,480 Speaker 2: would say I made it as as enjoyable and chewable 577 00:30:57,480 --> 00:30:58,120 Speaker 2: as possible. 578 00:30:58,560 --> 00:31:00,360 Speaker 1: Do you or wake up and go where am I? 579 00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:04,440 Speaker 1: And wish you were back out camping and walking around. 580 00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:08,440 Speaker 2: The world occasionally, But then you know, I get my 581 00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:11,800 Speaker 2: hot shower and I have my hot You know this 582 00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:12,480 Speaker 2: isn't so bad. 583 00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:16,080 Speaker 1: So what's before I let you go? What's the future? 584 00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:18,280 Speaker 1: Do you do any more traveling? Do you guys do 585 00:31:18,360 --> 00:31:19,560 Speaker 1: this together? Yeah? 586 00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:22,000 Speaker 2: Well, I mean well Bonnie and I definitely traveling. We 587 00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:24,320 Speaker 2: did a bunch of trips this year. I think in 588 00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:28,680 Speaker 2: the future. Right now, I'm doing this motivational speaking for 589 00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:33,400 Speaker 2: you know, sales teams and leadership. And it's strange because 590 00:31:33,920 --> 00:31:35,959 Speaker 2: I don't think I ever would have enjoyed it before 591 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 2: doing this walk, but now having walked, I have advice 592 00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:43,120 Speaker 2: that I think makes people's lives better and more enjoyable. 593 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:47,320 Speaker 2: And I'm really enjoying actually doing this public speaking and 594 00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:50,320 Speaker 2: kind of sharing my thoughts on the world and how 595 00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:53,360 Speaker 2: to live a better, happier, more effective life. 596 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:55,240 Speaker 1: And so, what do you think is the most valuable 597 00:31:55,240 --> 00:31:56,400 Speaker 1: piece of advice you've shared. 598 00:31:57,240 --> 00:32:02,000 Speaker 2: I think the most valuable piece of advice is to 599 00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:05,800 Speaker 2: be more reckless. You know. It's kind of a it's 600 00:32:07,040 --> 00:32:09,880 Speaker 2: the idea that you're going to fail no matter what, 601 00:32:10,640 --> 00:32:13,680 Speaker 2: and so you may as well fail in the direction 602 00:32:13,760 --> 00:32:15,959 Speaker 2: big fail, big fail big. 603 00:32:16,360 --> 00:32:16,600 Speaker 1: You know. 604 00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:19,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, basically that fail big and fail in the direction 605 00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:22,080 Speaker 2: that you want to fail. And I think people a 606 00:32:22,120 --> 00:32:25,800 Speaker 2: lot of people end up being so afraid of failure 607 00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:28,880 Speaker 2: that they get paralyzed and they don't do anything with 608 00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:33,240 Speaker 2: their lives. But once you assume failure is guaranteed, it 609 00:32:33,320 --> 00:32:35,440 Speaker 2: liberates you in a lot of ways, and you can 610 00:32:35,480 --> 00:32:38,160 Speaker 2: fail in a way that kind of feels good. You 611 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:41,000 Speaker 2: got some growing in the way I want to grow well. 612 00:32:40,840 --> 00:32:43,600 Speaker 1: Because failure is how you grow. I mean, you really 613 00:32:43,920 --> 00:32:47,280 Speaker 1: have never learned anything if you haven't failed that's learning right, 614 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:50,920 Speaker 1: So failing big means that you're also winning big. 615 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:52,880 Speaker 2: That's exactly it. You're dead on. 616 00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:56,080 Speaker 1: That's awesome. Oh Tom, I'm so glad I got to 617 00:32:56,120 --> 00:32:58,600 Speaker 1: talk to you today. And for everybody out there, the 618 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:01,360 Speaker 1: book is the World Walk, go out and get it. 619 00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:04,320 Speaker 1: It's going to help you to fail big as well 620 00:33:04,360 --> 00:33:06,360 Speaker 1: and be motivated to go out and do big things. 621 00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:07,920 Speaker 1: And at the beginning of the year, we want to 622 00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:10,120 Speaker 1: go out and do big things. So make sure you 623 00:33:10,240 --> 00:33:13,000 Speaker 1: check it out. And it's Tom Ursic. Thank you so 624 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:13,880 Speaker 1: much for being on. 625 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:17,000 Speaker 2: Thanks so much, Jude, I appreciate it absolutely. 626 00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:18,960 Speaker 1: And thank you all for joining the Tutor Dixon Podcast. 627 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:21,880 Speaker 1: For this episode and others, go to Tutor dixonpodcast dot 628 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:25,440 Speaker 1: com or the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 629 00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:27,680 Speaker 1: get your podcasts and join us next time. Have a 630 00:33:27,720 --> 00:33:29,720 Speaker 1: blessed day.