In fact, it’s so long he expects to be walking for at least seven years. Salopek began his trek four years ago in Africa and plans on following the migration of Homo sapiens to South America, relying solely on the generosity of people to feed and shelter him. In a New York Times article titled “Exploring the World on Foot,” Salopek says that “walking as a lifestyle is a moment-to-moment intellectual exercise.” The details of his adventures are endlessly fascinating, but what strikes home as the epitome of his experience so far is his assertion that he is “awake.”