🐾 A 7-Year Walk Across 6 Continents—with a Dog! 🗺️

🎙️ New episode: "The World Walk" author Tom Turcich on the trek of a lifetime

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Dec 15, 2024

Hey Privates!

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to walk across the entire world? On the latest episode of Private Parts Unknown, I had the privilege of talking with

Thomas Turcich

, the 10th person ever to achieve this extraordinary feat. Accompanying him on this epic journey was his dog, Savannah, who made history as the first dog to walk around the globe.

Over the course of seven years and 28,000 miles, Tom experienced everything from heart-pounding dangers to heartwarming acts of kindness—and he chronicled it all in his new book, The World Walk. What struck me most were the profound lessons he discovered along the way about life, love, and humanity.

Here are some highlights from our conversation:

The kindness of strangers

Tom’s journey was about more than travel—it was a testament to human kindness. From truckers along the Pan-American Highway in Peru and Chile, who stopped to give him food and water, to the father of a social media follower in Istanbul, who moved mountains to get Tom special permission to cross the Bosphorus Bridge on foot—an act that made national news in Turkey.

Yes, there were terrifying moments, like being held up at gunpoint near the Syrian border or at knifepoint in Panama. But for every scary moment, there were 10,000 good ones.

Cross-cultural love & relationship insights

Tom didn’t just walk through countries; he immersed himself in their cultures.

In Algeria, he found connections were approached with long-term seriousness and deep intentionality—a stark contrast to the “sampling” mentality common in larger Western cities.
In South America, family came first. Dating often meant integrating into someone’s entire family, not just connecting with one person.

From heartbreak to finding "The One"

Before starting his trek, Tom ended a long-term relationship. Over the years, as he walked and reflected, he gained clarity about what truly mattered in a partner, so he was able to recognize when the right thing came along. On the final leg of his walk, he matched with Bonnie, a fiercely independent paramedic from Alaska, on Tinder. Their relationship deepened as she joined him at various stops across the U.S., and they recently got engaged!

Life-changing philosophies from the road

Passing through a Turkish village, Tom had the humbling realization:

How many people, how many families have lived here over thousands of years that you know nothing of, and they lived totally fulfilling lives—they fell in love, they had kids, they harvested olives, and now you know nothing of them.

This sense of perspective gave him peace. The experience taught him to appreciate life’s fleeting, interconnected moments and accept how little control we really have.

The real universal truth is that you're small. You're way smaller than you think you are… And when you really take that to heart, I think there's a great relief in it.

Tom’s story isn’t just about walking—it’s a beautiful reminder that the world is vast, full of kindness, and crawling with people eager to help, love, and connect.

🎧 Tune in to hear my full interview with Tom Turcich!