He’s walking to all the four corners of the U.S., but he’s not doing it to raise money or awareness. He’s just enjoying the view.
WTOP caught up with Matt Dyer in Haymarket, Virginia, as he continues his long journey across the country.
The 29-year-old Army veteran plans to walk to all four corners of the country, starting in his home state of Maine. Currently, he’s headed to Miami, hoping to be in the Sunshine State by Christmas.
Then, Dyer will head west to San Diego, and then north to Seattle.
While he said others before him have made similar journeys cross-country, to his knowledge, he’s the first person to hit all four corners.
“I’m going to walk across Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas,” Dyer said. “I want to do something no one’s done before.”
On his trek, Dyer has encountered problems like where to fill up his water bottle and where to sleep. He added that he thinks drivers in Pennsylvania are the worst, but that the roads in Virginia are the least walker-friendly.
“I like to say, 95% of the time, I’m 100% on the road,” Dyer said. “My days, they have no start and they have no end.”
He sometimes stays the night at a hotel, other times he sets up a tent. Dyer even made friends during a previous trip across the state of Virginia and plans to stay with them in Warrenton on Friday. He said the best part of his journey has been meeting new people.
“It’s just getting to know a new person. That’s a big part of the walk. That’s one of the things I enjoy most about it,” Dyer said.
You’ll easily spot him if you’re driving by. Dyer wears a neon yellow and orange vest and drags a 150-pound cart behind him. During his downtime, he takes out a 15-pound dumbbell to keep his upper body in shape.
Dyer spends his time while walking just thinking about his dad, who recently passed away, or paying attention to the passing cars.
“You will be pleasantly surprised that there are much less people in general flying around, speeding, than you expect there to be,” Dyer said.
Dyer will celebrate a birthday on the road, and said his girlfriend back in New Mexico does not mind.
“I get a lot of exercise and I get to see a lot of pretty stuff,” he added.
