The Forever Walk
Prior to a couple of weeks ago, we had not heard about The Forever Walk, an initiative started this year by Chris and Sabrina with the goal of traveling across the U.S. on foot and picking up trash along the way. One of our members in our Facebook group posted and shared that Chris and Sabrina were coming to Dayton. We had the opportunity to meet them and learn a little more about their story.
1. Can you share more about yourselves, and what the goal of The Forever Walk is?
Our names are Chris and Sabrina, and we are from Kannapolis North Carolina (Just North of Charlotte.) We have been together for a little over three years. Our long term goal is to have picked up trash in all 50 states before ending our journey. We realize it is a hefty goal but with the momentum and determination we have, we know we will see it through. We hope to leave a positive light everywhere the road takes us.
2. When did the walk start, and how many locations/states have you been in so far?
We began our walk on June 28, 2022. Four months in and we have traveled across four states; NC, TN, KY, and are currently making our way across Ohio. We've honestly lost count of how many cool towns we have wandered through to clean up. We maybe could have covered a little more ground, however we had the opportunity to stay in Eastern KY for about a month, to assist with flood relief efforts.
3. What got you interested in being environmentally conscious? Was there a specific moment or revelation you can recount?
A couple years ago while walking our dog, I (Chris) was complaining about how much litter had accumulated in our neighborhood. Sabrina said the magic words "Let's clean it up." We did, and we learned that we really could make a difference in our community. We have always wanted to travel, so the idea came up to travel the country of foot, while cleaning up litter along the way.
4. Since it is one of our focus areas, we love how you're picking up trash in every city that you're in. Are there other areas in which you're trying to live more sustainably?
While we occasionally accept rides if necessary, we do like the fact that not much fuel is being used through our journey. We enjoy hiking to each destination. Most of our gear and clothing is bought from secondhand thrift stores.We just try to give more than we take in every way possible. We don't need much so we don't consume much. Whatever waste we may create, we try to make sure it's recyclable.
5. What do you enjoy about being environmentally friendly?
We enjoy the all around good and positive feeling of knowing that we are doing our part to help keep our earth clean. It has been amazing to see how many other people are doing their part as well. People caring about our earth as well as one another, what's not to like? There's honestly nothing we dislike about the lifestyle. Once doing the right thing becomes a habit, it's almost effortless.
6. Any other advice to people starting out or thinking about going on this sustainability journey?
We are still learning as we go, so we may not have the greatest advice or the perfect solution for ending pollution, but we do know that just as we only have one planet, we only have one life: So go for it. Every little step into bettering ourselves and our earth counts.
7. Anything else you wish to share with our followers?
We'd just like to say that this journey has been a phenomenal experience so far. Everyone we have encountered and spent time with has been good to us. Since we got to Ohio, people have treated us like family. No matter what obstacles we encounter, we are going to see this through, cleaning up trash as often as possible and leaving a positive light everywhere we go.
We will be following Chris and Sabrina on their journey, and we invite you to as well.
