I met Garth Poorman today!
Garth began his walk from upstate New York to New Orleans about a month before I began my walk, in September of 2009.
Doing some research before hitting the road in 2009, I’d spent an hour on the phone with three different men who’d recently finished walking across America, and one of them referred me to Garth– who’d barely begun. I spent an hour on the phone with Garth as well, who answered my litany of questions with the perspective of a man currently on the trail and already having covered hundreds of miles. As was the case with all others, his advice was invaluable.
Garth and I loosely stayed in touch across the miles, and in Alabama this past summer, I was hosted by kind souls who hosted Garth in 2009.
What a fantastic experience to finally meet Garth in person today, share a meal, and spend hours swapping stories of all experiences under the sun (and moon), walking and talking!

FOLLOW UP:
Garth returned to his previous job after his walk, and after working a couple more years, saving more $, he’s free again– this time to visit family, friends, and embark on a project to spend a month in five different cities: San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Detroit and Toronto. He’s planning to spend 4-5 nights with hosts in various parts of each of these cities, and take long, daily walks to explore each of the cities while there. Garth is a very talented writer, and I can’t wait to read anything he wishes to share with the Universe via his blog: www.poormanwalking.com