FORSYTH, Ga. — Jimmy Novak has a survival kit, including an air mattress, water, extra shoes and clothes, and body spray. All of it is on a cart he pushes while he walks.
His walk started on March 22 in Washington state, and he says it all started when he was preparing to retire. "I wanted to do something memorable to mark my retirement. I wanted to have some time to reflect on the career that I had and the struggles I'd overcome."
Since then, he's walked thousands of miles across dozens of states, staying with host families along the way, and now, he's in Central Georgia.
"Here in the state of Georgia, some of my first couple of hosts were some of your elected representatives from the Georgia state House and Senate. Majority leader Mike Dugan put me up in Carrollton, and Josh Bonner put me up in Senoia," Novak said.
The veteran says his walk is to honor the veterans who take their lives daily. "I try to walk 22 miles a day to honor, to recognize the 22 veterans who die by suicide."
Novak is a veteran himself, and besides walking across the nation, he has a GoFundMe set up to raise money for the cause.
Novak's been keeping track of his entire journey through his Facebook page and his blog, where you can track his steps. He says the support he's gotten is overwhelming, but he's ready for what is waiting for him at the end of his journey.
"My finish date was my birthday, August 22, so I want to be at DisneyWorld on August 22 for my birthday, spending my birthday with my family in Orlando."
Novak is now weeks away. He says his family is flying to Orlando instead of walking.
He says one of the things he's enjoyed most about Georgia is the fresh peaches, which are his favorite fruit.
Novak will continue through Georgia, still looking for a number of host families as he continues to Florida.
To see the full list of remaining cities and dates, you can find it on his Facebook page.