9,000 Miles Fueled by Social Media

With only a 75-pound backpack, 28-year-old Michael Lee Johnson will be traveling from a Beijing, China to London, England (an over 9,000 mile trek!), entirely by foot.  

Johnson is making history by being the first to walk the entire journey which is estimated to take three to five years and will be entirely fueled by social media.  He plans to tweet his expedition as often as possible along with a video blogging series. Johnson has also launched a fundraising site providing FAQ’s and his position of purpose, “The curiosity about the world and its people.” Johnson also explains an alternative selfless motive:

“The people I’m in for really are the people who are stuck in an office, the people who can’t go out and travel,” he says. “I want them to see it all too. It’s not so much about me, but also the people who are following along. It’s important to show other people what is going on in the world too.”

Funding for the project includes Johnsons own savings of about $13,000 and a sponsorship from Maps.com which he will be paid between $500 and $2,5000 per month depending on how large an audience he accumulates.

“This walk is going to be my job,” he says. “It sounds strange, but that’s exactly what I’ll be: a professional walker.”

Would you follow someone for three to five years on an epic journey? Tell us why.