Jonathan's Epic Journey: Walking from Sweden to Spain to Raise Mental Health Awareness

Jonathan Milton from Norrköping is in the midst of an extraordinary journey. He is walking all the way from Östergötland to Spain, aiming to raise awareness about mental health issues.

Just over a month ago, Jonathan Milton began his trek from Norrköping. Since then, he has covered many miles and reached Denmark. When we spoke to him on Sunday afternoon, he had arrived in Glostrup, outside Copenhagen.

"It's quite windy, but weather-wise, it's almost like tropical heat. You can walk in a T-shirt," says Jonathan.

He often spends nights in a tent or under a shelter, but on the night before Sunday, he was fortunate to stay in a friend's hotel room in Glostrup.

"I could indulge a bit, crash here, and enjoy a nice breakfast."

"I'm a Complete Rookie"

The journey to Denmark has gone well, but he describes it as something of a rollercoaster.

"At times, it's been tough with the packing, lots of blisters on my feet, and so on. I'm a complete rookie, not a pro in any way. So I've made all the mistakes you can make."

The toughest stretch so far was when he walked over 40 kilometers from Eslöv to Malmö in one day.

"It was 54,000 steps that day. I hadn't done that before, and my feet started to give out. The weather was chaotic. Luckily, I could get to a friend's place in Malmö, completely soaked."

Raising Awareness for Mental Health

Jonathan has long dreamed of undertaking a grand adventure. When he was around 20, he heard on the radio about a girl who cycled to Asia.

"I thought 'that's completely crazy,' and became interested in this."

Along with his walk, he wants to raise awareness about mental health. Jonathan has personally struggled with mental health issues since his late teens. Last fall, he suffered from depression, which affected him greatly. But it also became the catalyst for him to embark on this journey.

He believes there are significant shortcomings in psychiatric care, he says.

"I felt I wasn't getting the help I needed and that the medications only made things worse. So I decided to drop everything and set out to clear my head," says Jonathan.

A little over a month into the walk, Jonathan feels he is doing better.

"Initially, I thought it would just be nice to get away, clear my mind a bit. But it's crazy how much better I feel."

He now hopes his journey will give hope to others who are struggling:

"Even if you feel like you do now, that it's a mountain of misery, there is hope."

When He Will Reach His Final Destination

Jonathan expects to reach Spain by the end of September to early October. However, he is open to the possibility that it might take longer.

"I don't want to say no to opportunities that come along the way. I'll take small stops when I feel like it."