When Jeremiah Tigner takes his first steps on his almost 3,000-mile walk to California next January, it won’t be for money. It won’t be for fame. But all for love.

"I believe love is the strongest force in the world," he said.

A total of around six months, with just himself, a cart of supplies, and the serene sights of nature, 29-year-old Tigner said he is on a journey of self-discovery, tracing a path that was once riddled with mystery.

More specifically, a mysterious girl. 

He said it's no ordinary story, but one that has fueled his ambitious spirit and crafted his extraordinary mission. And it all began back in 2023.

Tigner, an Army veteran and full-time student, took a month-long European vacation to visit his brother, who had been recently stationed there. His life was immediately changed.

“I went out there. I met a girl. The girl,” he said. “It felt like I met my soulmate.”

It was like a movie. Too good to be true. A whirlwind of emotions wrapped into one Amsterdam trip. But the last night he was in the city, an hour after they parted ways, Tigner said his phone was stolen and he lost all contact with her. 

He said he questioned how he would find the girl and if he would ever see her again.

“It’s the only thing I thought about. I didn’t care about anything else,” he said.

His solution: write a book in hopes of catching her attention.

"I'm going to ask the world to help me find this girl," he said.

Once he made it back to the United States, his pen moved nonstop, filling pages with his unorthodox story.

But, a plot twist, he said she found him first. 

She lived in Los Angeles, California.  He is in Jacksonville. But he said it didn't matter. He was going to show that what he said is the ultimate level of devotion by lacing up his shoes and walking to her. 

But what started as a mission to find the girl of his dreams soon blossomed into a journey of self-discovery.  And in planning the walk, he said his overall goal changed.

No more is it a walk to find a girl, but a walk to find himself — a two-fold mission of documenting his experience and living it. 

 And for Tigner's book, he's still writing. It's a memoir and love story from his point of view, but its ending will be drastically different. 

“Essentially, the end of this book, the end of this story, is the start of the walk,” he said. “So, it’s my book with a real-life ending that you can follow along.”

With the debut's estimated release set for late September of this year, Tigner said he's excited for readers to join his story and anticipate his ambitious cross-country trek. 

Tigner said the route he picked will begin at Jacksonville Beach, where he will cross eight states, then head to Texas, making a backwards "Z" before making his way to Los Angeles in a straight parallel shot. He hopes to arrive by June, in time for his 30th birthday. 

He said he will encounter 141 stops in towns, cities and locations, including the Santa Monica Pier — taking in the scenery, chatting with anyone he can and documenting his experiences in what he will call a "living book."

In what he compares to "Forrest Gump", Tigner said he plans to walk several miles a day, stretching and hydrating regularly, and even doing some light jogging.

"Music, some silence, and then I plan to pick a topic almost every day to learn about, to listen to, to discuss. Creating a rubric, at the end of this journey. What do I want to have [under] my belt? I'm going to have these hours to myself."

 Additionally, Tigner said he plans to pick up litter and read the Bible.

He said the shortest stretch will be 11 miles and the longest stretch will last about 31 miles.

And to honor the loved ones that he has lost throughout the past couple of years, Tigner said he will also be dedicating the walk to their families. During each stretch, he will ask supporters to donate to the specific charities chosen by each family. 

Although the entire trip is self-funded, Tigner said he is open to any donations that supporters of the walk or his message are willing to give. 

For Tigner, it's a walk to discover who he is and make some memories along the way.  Although he may not come back with all the answers, he said he hopes to have a better outlook on life and inspire others. 

"I feel like at the end of this, you're going to know what kind of man you're going to be. And then you're going to put your effort towards either direction. I don't want to be in a limbo anymore. I want to be certain of who I am."