The Mercury News

Singer finishes six-month walk across U.S. with a new outlook on life

- By Alaa Elassar

You probably think you’re cooler than him. But you’re not.

Singer-songwriter Mike Posner has just crossed the entire United States, coast to coast — on foot.

Posner trekked 2,851 miles over six months, starting in Asbury Park, New Jersey, on April 15 and ending in Venice Beach on Friday.

“My name is Mike Posner and I walked across America,” he said on Twitter. “Keep Going.”

Posner celebrated the end of his journey by jumping into the Pacific Ocean and enjoying a well-deserved massage on the beach.

“I don’t even know what this experience means in the context of my life yet,” Posner said in a Facebook post near the end of his journey.

“I do know that I am not the same person I was when I started. I’m harder. I’m more authentic. I’m more real. I’m more myself. That’s the only trophy I need.”

On his website, Posner said the journey had a three-part mission: to “enjoy my life and help others enjoy theirs,” “be as authentic to other people as possible,” and “help others to experience transcende­nce.”

He also aimed to spend more time listening to people and invited others to participat­e — even for just a mile or two.

When he wasn’t walking, he meditated and did a lot of yoga. Posner documented the experience on social media.

Although he kept a positive attitude through most of the trek, it wasn’t easy. In fact, it almost cost him his life.

In August, Posner had to be airlifted to a Colorado hospital after being bitten by a rattlesnak­e. It took several weeks of rehabilita­tion before he could continue his journey.

On Oct. 9, Posner released a 16-track mixtape titled “Keep Going,” his mantra during the journey, The tape features other artists, including Wiz Khalifa, Ty Dolla $ign and Logic.

“I created this project, these songs and these affirmatio­ns to remind myself who I am when things get hard. I hope they can provide you the same strength,” he said at the beginning of the album.

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