A patriotic New Jersey man just completed what he’s calling the journey of a lifetime.
Tommy Pasquale of Randolph, New Jersey, successfully walked from the Atlantic to the Pacific – nearly 3,000 miles – in 143 days.
Pasquale gave himself the goal of trekking from Manasquan, New Jersey, to Venice Beach, California, to raise money and awareness for America’s homeless veterans.
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Pasquale has several veterans and active-duty military in his own circle, as Fox News Digital previously reported.
Since completing his trip, he’s raised nearly $97,935 for the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, headquartered in Washington, D.C., Pasquale told Fox News Digital in an interview.
“I have nothing but respect and reverence for what [veterans] do for this country,” he said.
“And just the thought of them coming home [after their service] and being homeless doesn’t sit right with me,” he said.
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Pasquale, who turned 25 years old on Feb. 13, finally set foot on Venice Beach on Feb. 17.Â
There, he was met by his friends and family at his “finish line.”
“I hate to admit it, but I may have gotten a little emotional,” he said. “I felt very accomplished. I felt very relieved.”
The nearly five-month journey took less time than Pasquale expected; he initially predicted he’d make it to California by April.
Toward the end of his journey, he was walking 25 to 30 miles per day with fewer rest days in between, he said.
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The many miles he covered, all while pushing his shopping cart full of essentials, caused him to burn through 10 pairs of shoes, he said.
 “I felt very accomplished. I felt very relieved.”
“I wore some New Balances, some Hokas, Newton running shoes,” he said. “They…
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