Tom’s 28,000-Mile Trek to Discover Kindness Across Continents and Cultures

He spent 7 years walking around the world. But his biggest challenge was being back home

Walking Around the World: A Journey of Humanity, Hope, and a Dog Named Savannah

Tom’s 28,000-Mile Trek

In 2015, a man named Tom set out on an incredible journey. With everything he owned packed into a single cart, he walked out of his front door. He embarked on a seven-year, 28,000-mile adventure that would eventually make him the tenth person to walk around the world. But what made Tom’s journey unique was his constant companion—a dog named Savannah. They became the first human-canine team to finish a global trek on foot. His journey began as a way to honor two friends he lost in their youth. Over the years, it evolved into something much greater. It became an intimate, ground-level exploration of humanity and kindness across borders.

Tom walked across continents. He learned firsthand that the world is far safer and more welcoming than most people imagine. Sure, there were risks. In Panama City, a man with a homemade knife attacked him, and he faced an armed robbery in Turkey. But these moments were rare exceptions. For the most part, he encountered people who, regardless of their background, were willing to help a stranger in need.

Central America, for instance, defied his family and friends’ worries. Though El Salvador and Honduras often made headlines for crime, what he found instead were kind-hearted people. Grandmothers insisted he stay for meals, and farmers shared the fruits of their harvest with him. In Panama City, he was attacked. Local shopkeepers quickly came to his aid. They drove away the assailant and offered him safety.

In South America, Tom experienced isolation like never before. He crossed vast deserts, like the world’s driest, the Atacama, where he would go days without seeing a single person. But even in this solitude, humanity managed to find him. One evening, he stumbled into a small Peruvian restaurant. There, he found a note left by another world walker, Karl Bushby. Karl encouraged him to “keep on the road.” Karl’s words felt like a message in a bottle, renewing his spirits in a challenging and desolate landscape. The restaurant owner, upon hearing Tom’s story, fed him generously and offered him a bed for the night.

Arriving in Western Europe, Tom expected comfort, but instead, he faced a different challenge. The infrastructure was excellent, but he felt surprisingly alone, especially after enduring a bacterial infection and struggling with psychological fatigue. He didn’t find connection again until he joined the Camino de Santiago. He shared stories with fellow travelers and rediscovered the joy of companionship on the road.

Why One Man Is Walking Around the World With His Dog

The pandemic presented another unplanned pause in his journey. Stranded in Azerbaijan, Tom learned that sometimes, life’s most meaningful experiences happen when plans go awry. He spent that time reflecting, realizing his yearning for deeper connections—friends, a family, a sense of home. This newfound awareness made the final leg of his journey bittersweet. It also sparked excitement for what will come after.

Throughout it all, Savannah was his greatest source of strength. He adopted the stray just months into his journey. At first, she balked at walking on a leash, but over time, she became Tom’s most loyal companion. Whether trekking through jungles, deserts, or mountains, Savannah was by his side. Her energy lifted his spirits even when he felt too exhausted to continue. Together, they encountered kindness everywhere they went. This proved that a dog’s wagging tail and a friendly smile can transcend any language barrier.

As Tom continued walking across borders and cultures, he found himself welcomed in ways he had never anticipated. In Turkey, strangers offered him shelter so often he rarely had to camp. In Georgia, families treated him like kin. Even in Algeria, police escorts monitored his every move. Despite this, the officers became his friends. They shared meals and stories as they journeyed together.

Tom’s seven-year walk revealed a fundamental truth. People are remarkably similar everywhere. They are driven by kindness and an openness to connect. As he crossed the Ben Franklin Bridge back into New Jersey, he was surrounded by friends and family. He realized he wasn’t walking to escape anymore. He was walking home. His journey had shown him that while the world is vast, it’s also deeply interconnected. Across languages, cultures, and landscapes, we all share a common path. There is always more kindness waiting around each bend.

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