On July 17, 2013, I sat down at a small diner in Nashville for a first date with a musician I had met a month earlier. We participated in the usual small talk like,"What are you majoring in?", "What brought you to Nashville?", and "Where are you from?". When I asked, "What are your future plans?", I expected to hear an answer like, "Oh, I think I'll be an accountant while trying to do music on the side." Instead he responded with, "I am going to walk across the country while playing music along the way." *Cue jaw drop* Almost two years later on July 8, 2015, I stood in Portland, Maine saying goodbye to this crazy guy I call my boyfriend while he started his journey of walking 1,600 miles back home to Nashville.
Months previous to the start of the walk, my boyfriend, Benjamin Hoefling, had planned on doing this crazy adventure by himself. At the time, he believed there would be no way other people would be crazy enough to join him for this four-month-long walk. However, after posting on a Nashville Musicians' Facebook page, Christopher Kessenich replied saying he was interested in learning more about this "unusual music tour" Benjamin had mentioned. Two weeks later, Will Stevens, a guy Benjamin met while hiking the Appalachian, called and said he was interested in joining as well. Only a week after that, Riley Moore, a friend Benjamin had interned with, also contacted Benjamin about his interest. In just a month, the three other crazy guys committed to spending four months of their lives walking back to Nashville while playing music.
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Now the guys spend their time walking between 15 and 23 miles a day on the side of the road, pushing two strollers filled with gear, and carrying a large, white sign that says, "The Walking Guys. GOOGLE US!". They've walked through large cities like Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia but they have spent the majority of their time passing through small towns most people have never heard of.
"I believe we've all enjoyed walking through small towns the most because while there, we aren't just another group of guys in a crowd. In small towns, our shows oftentimes become a community event and tons of people from the towns flock to hang out and hear our tales. They seem to be even more open to hearing our story than people in crazy, big city life!"says Benjamin.
While passing through small towns, the guys will usually be stopped by curious drivers or business owners stopping to say hi, ask questions, or drop snacks off for them. Many times while chatting on the phone with Benjamin, I will hear multiple honks and also people shouting, "Good luck! Be safe out there!"
One unforeseen part of the tour (that has actually turned out being the one of the best parts), has been the kindness and hospitality of strangers along the way. I was able to spend seven days walking with the Guys through Pennsylvania and Maryland and was blown away by how many people opened up their homes, bought meals, and shared laughs with us over that short week. Every night I was with the Guys, we did not know where we would rest our heads at night. However, the kindness of strangers came through every night, and we ended up sleeping on couches at an adventurous, sky-diving bachelor's apartment, crashing on the floor of two sweet girls' row house in Philadelphia, and staying with a loving family in a small township. Each of these people we met impacted me in the most powerful ways, and my hope in humanity was restored due to their kindness towards us!
"It's been humbling to watch how people of all different economic levels have helped us out on the tour. So many of these people have done all they could to roll out their version of a red carpet. Some have been fancy, others simple. But each have helped us make it thorough this trip and made us feel so welcomed," says Benjamin
Numerous times the Guys have been asked how many nights they've had to camp. To many people's surprise, the Guys' answer is that out of about 123 nights, they've only had to camp 15 nights! The Guys haven't paid for any hotels; they have been housed usually by strangers or friends of a friend. Most of us wouldn't consider letting four, smelly, grown (scary-looking, homeless) men stay in our homes, however over 80 people have warmly opened their doors for these Guys.
"The experiences we have had are irreplaceable. Every morning we leave not knowing where we are going to stay, and we make it work. We haven't had any sound equipment but we book shows on the fly and make it work. When you put yourself in a place of need, you end up pushing yourself past your normal barriers, and you find a way to make things work out," says Christopher.
Will expounded by saying, "It's truly been the trip of a lifetime that has changed my outlook on humanity because of the consistent, unbelievable generosity we've experienced."
I would have never imagined how incredible this walking tour would turn out when Benjamin mentioned his dream of it on our first date. Its been a surreal experience, even for me on the outside, to watch the ups and downs the Guys have been through. They've had a fun, yet grueling trip of a life-time spreading their music down 1,600 miles of the East Coast.
Christopher reflects saying, "This tour has been an absolute beast. The longevity is finally setting in, and I'm darn tired. I never thought this was going to be a learning experience, but even now as I look back I can see growth in all of us as musicians, people, and businessmen."
On Saturday, November 14, the Walking Guys will finish their tour by walking home to Nashville. Family, friends, and people they have met on the tour will all be congregating in Nashville to welcome the Guys back home. They will be performing at a local venue, The Anchor, to showcase their melodious tunes and share stories from their adventure. All are welcome to join the night to celebrate their return, and you can purchase your ticket here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-walking-guys-home...The Walking Guys will also be producing a documentary and live album from their tour, so be on the look out for it in 2016!
