Meet The MN Man Who Just Completed A 5,000 Mile Walk Across The US
HOW FAR CAN YOU WALK WITH FIVE PAIR OF SHOES?
Richard Larson knows the answer to that question. How far would you go for your next adventure? Would you save up thousands of dollars to walk across the United States in a matter of 10 months? That's what one Wilmar man has done, and he says he still feels like walking.
MEET 'SKITTLES'
What an adventure. In an interview I read online, Richard Larson, known as Skittles, started walking from Key West in Florida on November 23rd, 2021, and walked all the way to Angle Inlet, Minnesota; arriving there on October 2nd, 2022. His goal was to travel from the southernmost point in Florida to the Northernmost point in Minnesota.
5,000 MILES
In August, Richard celebrated his 50th birthday during his journey. He traveled 5,000 miles on his journey and made the trek through 10 states along the way. He slept in a tent about 90% of the time, sometimes in campsites along the way, and sometimes in tiny spots in the woods.
SLACKPACKING
There were some portions of the trip where he had his parents pick him up at the end of the day, and then they would drive him back the next day to the exact spot where he had stopped walking the day before, so he could continue his journey.
My first thought when I read this story was, "How can anyone do this? Doesn't he work? Is he retired? Is he rich?"
MEET RICHARD LARSON
Richard has a degree in Mass Communications and says that he is someone that will work somewhere for a while, but then get antsy and want to move on to something new. He obviously knows how to save his money, as he spent between $15-$20,000 of his personal savings to finance his adventure.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR RICHARD LARSON?
What's next for Richard Larson? He says he might write a book. His adventure included Alligators, Snakes, Bears, and dogs along the way. He kept a journal on his smartphone. Out of all those encounters, only the dogs bothered him, surrounding him at one point. Seven dogs weren't too happy to see Richard and one actually even bit him before the owner called them off.
Richard said that he will be returning to Alaska this month (October 2022) to continue working as a sports writer in Ketchikan. He has worked for the paper in the past many times. Richard said that seeing the country at ground level has given him renewed energy. Meeting people face-to-face makes our country look a lot better.
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