Today I met a man who intends to walk across the country, and I bought him some sardines, his top request. My, some of those sardine tins are pretty–I thought I was at Sephora! I have to admit I’ve never had sardines, nor have I been to Sardinia. But my new friend spoke so passionately about sardines (generally how they’re addressed when they’re young; grown, they’re usually called pilchards, akin to herrings, and they’re all part of the family Clupeidae), especially since they outdo milk in calcium content–and if they’re coming at you in the form of ice cream (”grilled sardines” flavor, from the shop bringing you spaghetti, garlic, and trout ice cream), then watch out. I’m going to make it a goal to try some before the quarter wraps. In honor of my ambitious friend, here are some others who have, with various agendas, completed the cross-country trip:

• Steve Vaught, the self-dubbed, “Fat Man Walking” made it to NYC from CA in 2006.
• Frances Choate walked from Rochester to San Francisco in 1925, following a tuberculosis diagnosis
• Doris “Granny D” Haddock walked from SoCal to DC in 1999
• Planetwalk founder John Francis went on foot for 22 years, and in 1983 he walked from Port Reyes Station, CA to Cape May, NJ (meanwhile earning a master’s & a PhD; he also did it silently–he didn’t speak for 17 years, until Earth Day 1990, and the next day he was hit by a car!)