Following college graduation, most young people look for a job. Instead, Andrew Forsthoefel went searching for individuals who would talk to him. Inspired by the writings of Walt Whitman, Khalil Gibran and Rainer Maria Rilke, as well as the teachings of Dr. John Francis (Planetwalker), the 23-year-old filled a backpack, much the way someone attempting to walk the Appalachian Trail might. Included with his camping gear and provisions were his tape recorder, journal and a mandolin. Attached to the outside of his pack was a hand-printed sign that read, "Walking to Listen." Forsthoefel was going to trek across the United States to hear people's stories.
He started near Philadelphia with a set of rules: stick to the roads in order to meet a diverse cross-section of people, view everyone as a teacher and walk "until it felt like I should stop; until I broke four thousand dollars; or until I hit the Pacific Ocean. Whichever came first." Forsthoefel found incredible insights, compassion and generosity, in addition to the stories that connected him with those he met.
Forsthoefel opens each chapter of Walking to Listen with a transcribed story and then weaves additional anecdotes, conversations and experiences into the narrative of his journey. His observations are frank, sometimes humorous and always thoughtful. The metaphors he employs to illuminate his experiences are vivid and powerful. And the lessons he takes away from his interactions with people of all walks of life are extraordinary, reshaping his very existence. Reading about it will undoubtedly transform his audience as well. --Jen Forbus, freelancer