When Jake Sansing got out of the Army in 2011 after two tours in Afghanistan, he had no plan. What he did have was PTSD, no stable housing, and his own two feet. So he started walking from town to town along the backroads of America, looking for work. He didn't find much work, but somewhere along the way, he noticed the walking was helping him feel better.

That discovery set off a chain of events that has shaped Jake’s life. He has walked back and forth across the United States, logging tens of thousands of miles. He has walked through every state except for Hawaii. There have been stretches of work along the way, but also hard times. Jake wrote his first book, Walking America, a 10,000 Mile Journey of Self Healing, while living in the woods behind a hospital in Tennessee. He published a second book, Walking America 2- The Journey Continues, last September, and has dreams of creating a nonprofit campground for veterans with PTSD. His Facebook page, Jake Walks America, is where he blogs about his journey. He has 97,000 followers and, from all the comments, a remarkable support network.

I caught up with Jake as he made his way through the South Beach. I met him in Grayland, just as he was leaving Waves Reiki Retreat Center, where Terrish Bilbrey (also from Tennessee and a veteran) had hosted Jake the evening prior.

What have you learned from the kindness of strangers?

They want to help because they want to be a part of something. I'm kind of the outlet for that. Most people don't get to help anyone throughout the day. They don't really see the opportunity, or they might feel like they're intervening in people's lives. But when they see me out there, I'm so vulnerable that it gives them a reason to reach out. And it's easy. So it's probably good for them. They need it, you know?

What has walking taught you about people in big towns and small towns across the country?

There's a lot of diversity, but there are more similarities than people realize. Everybody feels so different and disconnected, but they're all actually the same. When I interact with people, no matter where they come from, they've all been pretty much the same to me. We're all just people.

Is spreading that message part of why you do this?

No, that's just something I picked up on. From my perspective, it's more about perseverance — keep going, stick to something no matter how hard it is, and it'll eventually turn into something. I feel like a lot of people don't look at me and see it that way, but that's how it feels to me. I started with nothing. I had nothing for about five years. I built something just by continuing, and it was something as simple as walking. Anything you pursue and keep doing, something will come of it.

What can you tell me about your books?

The first one starts when I got out of the army, and how I ended up homeless. I was walking between towns to look for work, but I couldn't find anything I did that for about three months and I realized a couple of things: there was nothing out there for me work-wise, and walking was helping my PTSD. So I thought I'd walk across America, maybe it would be a healing time, and maybe I'd find somewhere to settle down, or who knows what would happen. Well, that didn't happen exactly, but I did make it across America. Then I turned around and did it again.

But before I wrote the book, I ended up in the VA hospital in San Francisco. After walking 10,000 miles, I'd developed patellar tracking disorder in my knees — they were literally popping out of place. I could hardly walk. I became suicidal. At that point, walking was the only thing I knew. I didn't know how I was going to face the world if I couldn't walk anymore. I was about to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge. Thankfully, a bunch of police officers and firefighters came out and got me, and they took me to the VA Hospital.

At the VA we had group therapy, and I just shared everything, what I'd been through, why I was feeling that way. And everybody there told me they felt inspired by it. I'd never looked at my experience that way. That's when I decided I needed to write a book. More people could read it, and it might help them, the way it seemed to help the group.

During our interview, a passerby stopped to give Jake some money and asked if he needed anything else. He expressed he’d been following him on social media and really just wanted to say hello and good luck on the journey. They posed for a photo, and then I asked Jake if this happens often.

Do people stop to talk or help out regularly?

Probably every 100 to 300 feet when I'm walking, somebody stops. For the most part, I don't mind. The only time it gets to me is if it's getting really late and I still haven't found a place to sleep because by then I'm usually exhausted, it's getting dark, and I don't know how far I have to go to get off the highway

Has it always been like that?

No, not at all. It took about 10 years before it started happening like that. My Facebook blog has helped with that. I used to walk with a backpack and no signs; nobody knew who I was. I ran into a lot of rude people back then. And it's funny, because I've walked through the same areas where everybody was super rude to me, and all of a sudden, they're super nice. So it's weird having that perspective. Now, with this cart and this sign, they can go look me up and read my story.

You said you are originally from Tennessee, but with all the walking, is there a place you feel most at home?

For me, it's the Pacific Northwest. Anywhere from Northern California through British Columbia up to Alaska. I love the climate, being next to the coast, the breeze, and how everything's so green. People are friendly. I like the mountains, the outdoors, and fishing. Everything I want is in this area, really.

Do you have a plan for how far you're going after this?

I wake up every day, and I have a goal for that day, and hopefully by the end of the day I've reached it, which I pretty much always do. It's a day-by-day thing. My goals aren't outlandish. Walk 10 to 20 miles. It's attainable. I also let the weather dictate where I go. I might go all the way down the coast, turn around, and come right back up. I don't know. Right now, this is it.

When we wrapped up, Jake headed across the street to The Local for breakfast. After that, he was grabbing his cart and walking to Tokeland. That was the whole plan. That was enough.

Walking Heals- Jake Walks America