With a backpack on his shoulders, several phones in hand and thousands of thousands still ahead, Jack Kadis walked into Gautier on Thursday as part of his goal to walk the outline of the continental United States.
Kadis, 22, is from Charlotte, North Carolina. He has built an Instagram following of about 130,000 by posting daily videos documenting his journey around the country’s perimeter.
After taking about a week and a half off to return home, Kadis flew back to New Orleans, took Amtrak to Pascagoula and resumed his journey, making the shorter walk to Gautier as he eased back into his routine.
“This is my first couple of thousands back in a week and a half,” Kadis said. “It feels hot, in a good way.”
Kadis began the trek Jan. 14 at the North Carolina-Virginia state line along the Atlantic coast. Since then, he has walked through the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama and into Mississippi. His goal is to continue west along the Gulf Coast, reach the Pacific Ocean before the holidays and eventually complete the full outline of the United States, a journey he expects will take about three more years before ending back in North Carolina.
Before setting out, Kadis worked at a Jersey Mike’s in Raleigh.
“I worked the slicer,” Kadis said. “I was a very big fan of that job.”
Still, he said the opportunity to take on the journey outweighed staying behind.
“I miss that place, but I had to start walking,” he said.
Kadis said he decided to begin the walk after feeling like he needed something different.
“It was more of everything in my life. There was nothing else going on, if you could relate to that,” he said. “I think a lot of people relate to that. Sometimes you just don’t have much going on.”
Now, walking is both his daily routine and his full-time job.
Kadis said he typically walks about 14 miles a day, spending six or seven hours on the road. Along the way, he listens to music, makes phone calls, responds to comments and edits the videos that thousands of followers watch every day.
Each video begins the same way.
“Walking an outline of the United States, I’m Jack. Here’s yesterday.”
While the journey has taken him through six states so far, Kadis said the people he meets along the way have become one of the most rewarding parts of the experience, with strangers often stopping to ask about his trip or offer encouragement.
The walk has also brought uncomfortable moments.
“I’ll be thinking, ‘Oh man, should I stop or should I not stop?’” Kadis said.
Rather than dwell on the difficult days, he tries to keep the challenge in perspective.
“You know what, dude? It’s all in the mind,” Kadis said. “Lately I feel like I’ve been complaining a lot and whining about how I’m uncomfortable, and it’s not that bad. I would say this is pretty fun. I just get to walk every day.”
Kadis said the trip has been “more fun than hard.”
His advice to the thousands of people following along is simple.
“My overall message would be ‘have fun,’” Kadis said.
For now, Kadis is focused on continuing west and is focused on putting one foot in front of the other.
