By Gail M. Wlliams
Muleshoe Journal Correspondent

After longboarding 2,000 miles from Miami, Florida, Daniel Herman made a stop in Muleshoe. His destination is San Francisco, and his mission is to spread the love of Jesus Christ.
“Traveling is one of the best ways to educate yourself,” Herman said.
In Muleshoe, Herman accepted the hospitality of Gil and Magann Rennels.
“Gil showed me around, and we talked a lot, getting to know each other,” he said.
While others have traveled further by longboard, Herman believes he is the first to travel from Miami to San Francisco. His route from Muleshoe will take him to Gallop, New Mexico; Flagstaff and Phoenix, Arizona; Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Herman, 24, is traveling without a support vehicle.
“It’s me, my board and the Lord,” he said.
Before he left Miami, Herman prayed that God would provide for his needs.
“While I was still in Florida, a raven dropped a piece of bread right in front of me,” he said. “I picked it up and ate it.”
Herman’s sister Audrey introduced him to skateboarding when he was 17. He began traveling long distances on the board when he was 19. After graduating from Lancaster Bible College in Pennsylvania with a B.S. in intercultural studies, Herman works as a contractor doing home renovation and new construction.
Herman began the journey carrying a tent, but after 1,000 miles, he mailed the tent home.
“I’ve never had to sleep outside,” he said. “I’ve stayed with a whole lot of different people, and a lot of times people have given their lives to Christ.”
So far, Herman has never had to travel in the rain.
“Every time it rains, I’m with somebody, in their house. While I’m on my longboard, I’ve never had bad weather. It never just pours down on me.”
With the help of the website Couch Surfing, Herman has stayed with people of different religions, sexual orientations, backgrounds and ethnicities, with single people and families.
“I stayed with a group of Satanists,” he said.
“They asked me to pray for them, and during the time I was there, all their prayer requests were answered.”
While most people Herman has encountered are friendly and hospitable, others are not. “I’ve seen people that are not very hospitable and kind of discouraging. They’ll honk at me or flip me off for longboarding on the road,” he said.
Herman, whose father is a minister, lived in several different cities growing up, mostly in the Midwest. He has traveled to 47 states, lacking only Utah, Nevada and Oregon. He lives in Greenville, S.C.
Those who would like to follow Herman on his journey can find him on Instagram @everyday.dan or Facebook by searching Daniel Ray Herman Jr.