The person behind the walk
About me
My name is Leon McFarlane.
My first and favourite book as a child was Who, What, Where, Why, When. Looking back, I think it quietly shaped the person I have become. I did not take a traditional academic path, but I have discovered that curiosity does not require permission.
Curiosity does not require permission.
For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by people, history, religion, nature and the questions that connect us all. Who are we? What do we believe? Where did we come from? Why do we live the way we do? And what can we learn from one another if we slow down long enough to listen?
Honestly
Life has not been a straight road
I have experienced trauma, made mistakes, and spent years trying to find my place in the world. At one point, those choices led me to prison. Most people would see that as the end of a story. For me, it became the beginning of a different one.
It forced me to stop, to take responsibility for my life, and to begin rebuilding it through learning, therapy, faith, travel, and an unwavering desire to understand both myself and the world around me. I do not hide that chapter of my life, but neither do I let it define me. It is simply one chapter in a much longer story.
Since then
Since then, I have worked in photography and film, travelled independently, continued to educate myself, and discovered that some of life's greatest lessons do not come from classrooms. They come from conversations with strangers, sleeping under the stars, walking unfamiliar roads, and finding that kindness is understood in every language.
That journey eventually became Wandering Through Mankind. This is not simply a walk across continents. It is an exploration of humanity, our history, our cultures, our beliefs, our relationship with nature, and the values that connect us despite our differences.
I do not expect to finish this journey with all the answers. I hope to finish it with better questions.
If sharing that journey encourages even one person to become more curious, more compassionate, or to believe that their past does not have to dictate their future, then every step will have been worthwhile.
Welcome to Wandering Through Mankind.
Leon
Departing 10 December 2026
16,720 km, 25 countries, on foot
Follow the walk, or help fund the kindness along it.