California man walking across America stops in Linn
By Neal A. Johnson

Many people enjoy taking a walk or even walking for their health.
Jeovany Zavala, 22, of Pico Rivera, Calif., however, has taken it a few steps further as he decided to walk from Victorville, Calif., just north of his hometown, to New York City. On Sunday, his 79th day on the road, he reached Linn, where he stopped to rest for the night.
Carmen Huesgen, who lives in Warrensburg and has family in Linn, alerted the UD to Zavala’s journey. Her friend, Brandi Carter, owner of B&G Scoops in Knob Noster, which serves Central Dairy ice cream, posted about Zavala’s adventure as well.
“It’s been pretty neat how people are sharing this,” said Zavala.
His project is called #acrosstheamberwaves and his journey can be followed on Instagram.
“I call it that because of the ‘America the Beautiful’ song,” said Zavala, who has yearned to walk across the country for some time. “The pandemic kind of brought it to a head, and the time was right.”
Zavala said he tried community college for a year and a half but couldn’t wrap his head around it. Working full-time in a warehouse wasn’t fulfilling either.
“I knew that this kind of thing was something I probably wouldn’t have a chance to do later in life,” he said of his reasoning for the long walk. “I decided to do it while I can.”
Zavala said he and his two younger sisters grew up in a middle-class family with plenty of support, even for this adventure.
“My mom thought I was insane at first but my dad was on board from the start,” said Zavala. “My mom thought I was watching too much ‘Forrest Gump’ but when she saw I was serious about it, she came around.”
Zavala was a Boy Scout and spent lots of time hiking, camping, and enjoying other outdoor activities, though he had not participated in any charity walks or lengthy activities since he was about 13.
“I used to walk upwards of two miles to school so long walks were not unattractive,” Zavala said.
To prepare for his journey, he began walking to build up endurance, and in the beginning, a childhood friend was ready to go with him.
“He didn’t have the background for this kind of thing,” said Zavala. “We got five days in, and at Barstow, he called it quits. It was a gut punch but I don’t have any anger or anything. I wanted this to be a positive experience and I have been happy with my journey alone. I’m still in contact with him and I understand this just isn’t his thing.”
When he began planning for the trip in October 2020, he knew the presidential election would have an impact on his travels. “I wondered what kind of country would I be walking across,” Zavala said. “So far, I’ve met some great people and most of my experiences have been positive. I keep a low profile about my politics and in the end, it doesn’t matter. What matters is a person’s character.”
Zavala left his family and friends in early February, hiking on I-40 into Arizona until he reached Kingman. From there, he traveled on old Rt. 66 for a while and made his way north to the Grand Canyon.
“From Kingman to the Grand Canyon was one of the best parts of my trip so far,” said Zavala. “It was almost like the area was in stasis but very much alive. It was like time hadn’t moved and I found it invigorating.”
Interactions with people along the way haven’t been plentiful but Zavala said he met two men in Colorado that were particularly special. “I’ve been surprised at how generous people are,” he said. “They’ll stop on the side of the road and ask if I’m okay. I’ve kept a journal and I have several names of people and the context of how I met them.”
One man in Deer Creek, Colo., invited Zavala to his home and provided him food, rest, and shelter for the night. Another in Gem Village, Colo., did the same. Most of his evenings, however, have been spent in the great outdoors, in camping equipment secured in the cart he’s pushing across the nation.
When inclement weather proves too much for camping, Zavala looks for a hotel room.
“It’s nice once in a while to have a hot shower and sleep in a real bed,” he said, noting he went 13 days without a shower early in his trip. “You really appreciate things like that when you don’t have them for a while.”
In addition to leaving his family and friends behind, Zavala said goodbye to his girlfriend of seven years, Cheyenne, who awaits his return while studying music theory in college. “She’s so much more put together than I am,” said Zavala. “She has been incredibly supportive and understands I need to do this. She’s an amazing musician and composer, and wants to be a music producer.”
Being away from her is tough but Zavala said video chats and phone calls help. He’s also missing his family. “I have had bouts of homesickness,” he admitted. “There are times when I’m on the side of the highway or settling down in a field for the night that I miss my mom cooking dinner.”
He has done his best to keep to a schedule, calling his parents in the morning and evening, though there were times he had no cellular signal.
“I know they worry a little bit when I can’t call them but I know they have faith that everything will be okay,” said Zavala.
While he was raised Roman Catholic, Zavala said he is not as devout as he was in his youth, and that has led him to question things while on the road.
“I have always wondered what people see or experience that gives them faith,” said Zavala, who has stopped occasionally at churches along the way. “I wonder if something I see will be God but I enjoy the mystery.”
His parents check in, especially his dad, with weather and mileage updates, and on one occasion, his father surprised him.
“After I crossed from Kansas into Missouri, I stopped in Lee’s Summit, and I got a text from my mom telling me to open the door,” said Zavala, explaining the entire family uses GPS tracking. “I opened the door and my dad was there. That was pretty cool.”
Zavala left Linn Monday morning and will remain on Hwy. 50 until he reaches Union. From there, he will make a decision on how best to proceed.
“When I started this out, I naively dotted out points from California to New York,” said Zavala. “Now that I’m on the road, things have a way of changing and a lot of my decisions have been made on the fly.”
All he knows for certain is that his destination is New York City, specifically, Bethesda Terrace in Central Park. When Zavala was a senior in high school, he and his fellow choir members traveled to NYC to sing at Carnegie Hall.
“That terrace caught my eye when we were out seeing the sights,” he said. “That is where I’m headed.”
Averaging about 23 miles a day on foot, Zavala believes he’ll reach New York in late July or early August.
Once there, Zavala said he plans to spend a few days or a week enjoying the sights of the Big Apple. “I’m not walking all the way across the country just to turn right around and head back,” he said.
Along those lines, Zavala said he plans to return on a Greyhound bus so he can view the country from a different perspective. “Walking has its charms, and I’ve seen a lot but there are things I’m sure I missed, and I’ll have a chance to see them. I don’t want to fly back because I’d miss those things.”
While there was talk about his family and friends meeting him in New York, Zavala said he is not expecting it.
When it’s all said and done, and he’s safely back in California, Zavala plans to put his journey together in a slideshow featuring all the photos he has taken (and will take) along the way.
To anyone looking for a smaller version of such an adventure, Zavala offers this advice: “Take a walk you normally wouldn’t take. Instead of driving to the store, consider walking. You’ll see something along the way you hadn’t noticed before.”
To follow Zavala’s journey, he’s on Instagram at #acrosstheamberwaves.