Tom Turcich set off on a five-year, seven-continent trip April 2, 2015
Tom Turcich is seeing the world one step at a time -- and his four-legged companion, Savannah, has been by his side since Day 1.
Last April, the 27-year-old Haddon Township native packed up necessities -- food, water, clothes, a tent, sleeping bag, knives, cameras, a pen and paper and a firestarter -- and set off on a five-year, 22,000-mile journey around the globe.
"Since leaving the States, I've had a hell of an adventure," Turcich wrote in a Reddit's Ask Me Anything forum July 9. "I've had to learn Spanish, climb the terrible mountains of Guatemala, sprint through the deserts of Honduras and sleep in the Costa Rican rainforest.
Tom and Savannah "There have been a few run-ins, but besides a shiv to the neck in Panama City, nothing too serious," he continued. "Mostly, I'm amazed how generous people are. I'm brought in by strangers far more often than I ever imagined."
On Thursday, day 474 of his walk, he was in Peru.
He says he was inspired to make the seven-continent trek after his friend, AnneMarie, died at 17.
"I suddenly saw life as something fragile and fleeting," he wrote. "I needed to make the most of the short time I had -- I wanted adventure, to see the world."
For nine years, the trip stayed on his mind.
"I went to college, worked, paid off loans, saved, then set off before I had too much responsibility," he said.
A month before he was set to start, the owner of the Philadelphia Sign Company, who knew AnneMarie, reached out to support him. They have also donated a dollar for every mile he walks to a scholarship fund for her.
So far, he's walked more than 6,300 miles.
"My dog, Savannah, has grown from a mange-ridden street pup I pushed in my cart to muscular, walking machine," he wrote in Reddit. "She's been on the olfactory adventure of a lifetime. We walk every mile together and with the right paperwork crossing borders with her has been a breeze."
Turcich blogs on theworldwalk.com and you can follow him on Facebook or Instagram @theworldwalk
3 questions for Tom about the journey
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find NJ.com on Facebook.