Men do it, women do it – sometimes together, sometimes alone. Children do it, great physicians do it, even the Ancient Greek philosophers did it! For Tom Boerman walking was a lifesaver.
Today, millions walk daily – to school, work or as a sport, obsessed with hitting the famous 10,000 steps a day. But Boerman took it a step further, across all seven continents. Walking saved his life and became his calling. He offers insights and advise on hikes and treks across the world. And he has seen and walked it all!
A journey of escape and discovery
Have you ever felt like leaving everything behind and starting all over again? Fast cars, fast trains, even faster planes. Modern life is so fast paced, we sometimes forget the essential: our inner strength and the endless possibilities we carry within us.
In 2016, Boerman was in a bad place. Born in the small Dutch village of Sliedrecht, he struggled with addiction and severe depression, so bad he even contemplated ending his own life, he says. That year, he reached a crisis and knew he needed a dramatic change.
Inspired by Into the wild, Boerman felt he had to take action and reconnect with nature, himself and his purpose in life. It took him another two years to fight his own demons but in 2018, he sold his house, car and most of his belongings and embarked on his first major walking trail in New Zealand. More followed, taking him across Europe, Nepal and the United States.
The decision to walk the world
‘The people that say, “your dreams are impossible”
have already quit on theirs’
(Grant Cardone)
Convinced of the healing power of walking in nature, Boerman also knew he wanted more. One morning he was struck by an idea, “All the walking and the memories I made kinda triggered something because, all of a sudden, my journey kind of picked me “.
I vividly remember waking up in the morning, leaping up in bed and was like, I know what I’m gonna do! I’m going to walk around the world!
And that is exactly what he did.
Despite people warning him he was crazy, Boerman worked to save enough money to fund his dream. He left behind comfort and safety, and the possibility of a settled life – at a time all his friends were starting their families, and he left on his own.
On May 8, 2021, a crowd of supporters gathered in his village to cheer him as he set on his way, all captured on IG.
“People live in their own created prison, without realising it. For many people, working five days is the norm so they can buy an even bigger house, an even more expensive car, even more stuff. They don’t care about the choices they make. They no longer like their job but can’t switch because they are tied to their mortgage, to fixed costs, to their partner. People are addicted to stuff and therefore they create their own prison and somewhere also their ruin. There are too many people who have never really lived.”
The philosophy of walking
Albert Einstein once said the ‘the person who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever seen before’. A truth Boerman came to understand first-hand.
‘When you can’t escape yourself, and your thoughts, and you’re depending on yourself for everything, you develop a unique self-love.’
Over the last two decades, walking has gained in popularity, not just as a sport, but as a lifestyle choice. While the widely held belief that 10,000 steps a day leads to better health, has been contested, it is worth remembering that Aristotle himself recognised the power of using one’s own two feet.
He founded the Peripatetic School, where he and his students discussed philosophy while strolling through Athens. The name would come to lose its original meaning over the years and design something entirely different in French, but that is a different story altogether.
Walking the world: adventures and encounters
When Boerman started his journey across the 7 continents, Covid restrictions were still in place. This forced him to change his itinerary but also gave him rare access to usually overcrowded tourist places – such as Petra, in Jordan.
Luckily for both his followers (224k on Instagram) and himself he documented it all on social media. His stories an infectious mix of self-deprecating humour, keen observations and unshakeable optimism for life and people’s goodness kept people engaged and even proved useful at times.
One of the most significant aspects of his journey was the people he encountered. On the road but also off the road, through social media – he would get thousands of messages a day from people offering support, encouragement, and even thanking him for inspiring them.
He found Americans more hesitant to host a stranger and it was only after a few appearances on TV that people warmed up to him. He even got a message from a man telling him ‘My wife would never let you stay here, but if you’re hungry thirsty need some cash or want to smoke a bowl. Let me know I got you’.
Today Boerman gives his advice on trips and trails and organises his own trips three months a year. And he has learned a lot and collected a lifetime of stories: he has escaped dogs, of course, but also wolves and bears and has even spent three nights in jail, twice in different European countries and once the US after accidentally trespassing on private farmland to ask for direction. ‘Corrupted cops are everywhere,’ he says. If you speak Dutch, you can read more of his adventures in his book.
Luxury treks for those who love walking and comfort
Hopping on the trend many companies now offer guided treks, ranging from affordable hikes to hig-end luxury expeditions.
If you love walking and nature but also enjoy a good massage and a glass of wine after a day’s walk, these high-end luxury hotels and travel companies will offer you the stunning landscapes and nature, top-tier accommodations, gourmet dining and expert guides: Abercombie & Kent, for ultra-luxurious curated experiences, with bespoke trekking worldwide, in Nepal, walking safaris in Africa and even private Inca Trail hikes. In Peru, Mountain Lodges of Peru will take you on the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu, in boutique eco-lodges rather than tents, and with Explora, you can walk around Patagonia, Atacama and Easter Island with expert guides in top-tier accommodation.
If you are more into raising your adrenaline than pleasing your taste buds, The Snowman Trek through the remote Himalayas of Bhutan will take you across 11 mountains in 25 days and offers stunning views and Buddhist monasteries on the way.
And finally, if you are looking for exoticism, why not try the Simien Moutain trek in Ethiopia? Also dubbed ‘Africa’s Grand Canyon, this UNESCO-listed park will not disappoint you, and offers multi-day treks through villages and wild landscapes, untouched by mass tourism.
As of last, Boerman is currently with a group at the Everest base camp trail, in Nepal, living his dream.
“Very hard work with a lot of responsibilities, but a dream job!” he writes on IG
Why not live yours?
