A couple hundred people have traveled the entire world, but only 10 have actually walked around the world. Tom Turcich is one of them.

Unfortunately, Turcich’s journey started from tragedy with the early death of a friend. Contemplating his own mortality and what he wanted from life, Turcich decided to walk. After a few years of planning and saving, he started his walk in 2015. Seven years, six continents and 28,000 miles later, he completed his journey, achieving his goal.

Turcich took daily notes during his trek. Those notes turned into The World Walk: 7 Years. 28,000 Miles. 6 Continents. A Great Meditation, One Step at a Time, his recently released book. In 296 pages Turcich takes the reader through his amazing journey. It’s a memoir, thriller, survival guide, self-help manual and more.

The World Walk isn’t the only book to come from Turcich’s journey. Another important part of his journey was Savannah, a young pup he found while walking through Texas. Savannah accompanied him for the rest of the walk. Unfortunately, Savannah died earlier this year. Through Savannah’s World of Adventure book series, Turcich keeps her memory alive while teaching youngsters about lesser-known parts of the world. Not only a great tribute, it is a fun educational tool.

In my Talking Travel interview with Turcich, he discussed the highs and lows of his experience, his favorite locations, what he learned and more. He returned with a positive view of the world, adventure and travel.

Talking Travel is an interview series on Global Traveler. Subscribe to the GT YouTube channel to be notified of all future interviews and other travel-related videos.

— John Wroblewski, online writer