Jack Kadis walks with the intensity and maturity of a man many years his senior, but with the confidence and glee only youth can bring. I first “met” the 22-year-old North Carolina native through his Instagram (@jlkadis). His goal is clear, but daunting. Kadis plans to walk the
outline of the United States, a journey that will take three years — and many pairs of shoes — to complete. When we connected online, he had made it to Miami, and I asked if I could tag along for a few miles when he was closer to Key West. Happily agreeing, we decided to meet at Baby’s Coffee at MM 15.
Kadis keeps to a goal of 12 to 15 miles a day and posts videos on social media. Unlike most 22-year-olds, he’s immediately interesting and surprisingly well-known. Egotistically, I had thought maybe I “discovered” him or something, but before I could even make any introductions, he had already been greeted by Allesandra, who works at Baby’s. She generously offered him and me (I think she was under the impression I was part of his team) breakfast and drinks, even giving him a free hat for his walk.
While we chatted and ate before setting off, Kadis was greeted by seven different people encouraging him, offering breakfast or wanting to take pictures with him. I asked him if he’d gotten used to people knowing him.
“It was weird at first,” he said. “But now I don’t go a day without somebody who knows me or what I’m doing.”
Kadis has always been passionate about online content creation. While attending North Carolina State University, he was known as the “Lime Scooter Guy,” riding the electric scooters down flights of stairs. After leaving NC State, he produced a daily podcast on his YouTube channel, and then came to the conclusion that walking the outline of the United States would suit him better. His daily Instagram videos track his progress and the day’s adventure. He’ll often show people, like me, joining him on his walks — even if only for a few miles — along with his activities for the day or where he slept that night.
Why the outline of the U.S.? He really doesn’t have a reason other than it’s what he thinks is going to be entertaining for his followers.
With full bellies, well-caffeinated minds and not nearly enough sunblock for myself, we set out.
Though Kadis has only been on the road for about three months, he already looks the part.
Rocking a big camper backpack he purchased off Facebook Marketplace, he’s deeply tanned with shaggy hair, a scruffy beard, and the lightness of someone who’s enjoying every step.
As we walked, he told me about the day he set off from North Carolina.
“I bought a tent from Walmart and had $400 with me. Three hundred of that came from my mom,” he said with a smile.
Kadis has a contagious and unshakable drive. We talked for hours about his goals, relationships, loneliness, girlfriends and family. Kadis is dedicated to this journey. He carries
four phones: one for music and call; one to track his geolocation (so people can find him on his website, jackkadis.com); one for his Strava app that tracks his steps, and finally one phone to capture and edit his daily videos.
I asked if he ever gets lonely out here by himself.
“Yeah, sometimes I get lonely, or I would like a girlfriend or something like that,” said Kadis. “But every time I picture myself in a relationship, I get this insane urge to want to run away and do my own thing again.”
Around mile nine, I was beat. I asked my wife to pick me up. Kadis would keep walking into Key West proper, where he had plans to go on a free boat ride later that night.
Kadis still has a long way to go, but instead of trekking back up through the Keys and around the dangerous and largely uninhabited Everglades, his followers convinced him (thank God) to take a short plane ride from Key West to Everglades City, where he would continue his journey.
On the drive back home, I thought of one thing Kadis said as we were walking.
“So many people tell me they wish they could do what I’m doing,” he said. “I’m always confused and ask them, ‘Why don’t you?’”
Follow Kadis’s trek around the United States on his Instagram @jlkadis or his website jackkadis.com, where you can also donate to support his trek.
