A Canadian man who has spent the last 11-years walking around the world, completed his march yesterday, arriving back home in Montreal. Over the course of his journey, he covered more than 75,500 km (46,913 miles) and burned through 54 pairs of shoes.The 56-year Jean Béliveau began his World Wide Walk back in August of 2000 as an attempt to not only circumnavigate the globe under his own power, but also promote peace and non-violence as a way of making the world a better place for children. His route first took him south across North and South America, where he then jumped over to Africa and began heading north once again. From there, it was on to Europe, before turning east to cross Asia to Japan, then down to Australia and New Zeland, and finally returning to Canada.
For the most part, Béliveau traveled alone, pushing a three wheeled cart that carried his gear. Over the course of the trip, he pushed that cart through 60 different countries, where he often stayed in the homes of the people he met along the way. He said that one of the most rewarding parts of the journey was experiencing the cultures in those nations first hand and embracing as much as he could along the way.
According to the story I linked to above, Béliveau hadn't been home to Montreal since he embarked on his walk a decade ago. In fact, he met his five year old granddaughter for the first time upon his arrival back to the city, where he was greeted by his wife as well. The journey began out of what he describes as a mid-life crisis, but now he's ready to be home, where he intends to write about his travels, do some public speaking, and continue to promote the cause of peace.
Pretty impressive hike this guy went on. Even more impressive his how understanding his wife must be!
