B.J. Hill's Walking to D.C. to Meet Obama

B.J. Hill pauses for a moment to check out a moped for sale on Route 162 in Milford. He sizes it up, snaps a pic with his cell phone and continues walking on his way.

The 35-year-old resident of Leicester, Mass., isn't just taking a walk and he's not in the market for a moped. He is on the last leg of an epic journey to deliver thousands of Americans' messages to President Barack Obama.

It all started in 2006 when, bummed about a relationship gone wrong, Hill decided to go explore parts of his home state he had never seen before -- on foot.

"I believe that walking is the best way to see and get to know a place – you can stop and talk to people, take photos, and not worry about finding a place to park the car," he writes in a post on his blog, A Walk Across Massachusetts.

As the title suggests, Hill's walk spanned the state. And, along the way, he gathered people's messages to the governor, which he vowed to hand-deliver.

Hill did what he set out to do. On Jan. 29, 2007, he presented the book of messages to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick.

Dear, Mr. President:

The native of Savannah, Georgia, didn't stop there. In 2008 he upped the ante and decided to walk across the country, this time getting messages for the next president of the United States.

He set out from San Francisco and walked 4,250 miles to Boston, once again carrying a book and gathering people's messages every step of the way.

"By the time I finished in Boston ten-and-half-months later, I had collected thousands of handwritten missives, from welfare recipients to business owners to teachers and farmers, on topics ranging from the economy, the environment, UFO research, to the War on Terrorism, even notes of congratulations and advice for marital bliss," Hill writes on his blog, Walk to the White House.

"The books really speak for themselves," he says while walking in Milford. "I just have to make sure they get into his hands."

With the help of U.S. Senator John Kerry, Hill scored a meeting with Obama on Dec. 1. And, in true Hill style, he is walking from Boston to the Oval Office.

The 'Forrest Gump' Reference

Hill, a graduate of Northeastern University and Worcester State, was rocking a Captain America T-shirt while walking on Wednesday. A backpack is strapped over his shoulders and in each hand he has a walking stick, one of which has a mini American flag hanging from the handle. Sunglasses rest atop his baseball cap.

But when you're walking thousands of miles one of the most important pieces of equipment is footwear.

Hill said he went through seven pairs of shoes between San Fran and Alabama. That's when he bought a pair that has taken him from Alabama to Boston and from there to, well, wherever he is now along the route to D.C.

"When it comes to shoes, spend more and get the good ones," Hill says. "Just don't tell your wives," he jokes.

While sleeping accommodations on the cross-country trek mainly consisted of campsites, this time around he's fortunate to have a network of college friends to crash with along the way. 

Hill says most people he encounters are generally receptive and intrigued by what he's doing.

"I get the Forrest Gump reference a lot," he says. And with that, Hill came to the intersection of Route 1 and continued on his journey to meet the president.