This man is driving across US to meet his Facebook friends

Washington: Somewhere between the forgotten acquaintances from high school and that guy from work you only know by reputation, Facebook friend lists have swollen to unwieldy lengths.

Where most would simply delete a few friends from the list, Mikel McLaughlin has a different idea.

He wants to remain friends with all of them. The 35-year-old army veteran is on a mission to catch up or meet for the first time (in some cases) with each of his 377 Facebook friends.

In an interview to a local media, McLaughlin said there was no clear moment that prompted the trip. But the idea is culmination of some thoughts and ideas he has had for a while now.

"I had noticed people doing what's referred to as a ‘spring cleaning' on their Facebook accounts," McLaughlin said, describing a process of deleting friends you haven't spoken to recently.

"One of my thoughts was, ‘Is there an alternative to that?' Instead of deleting Facebook friends I haven't spoken to recently, maybe I could speak to them."

He started his journey on April 1 after renting a red Beetle and then venturing to St Cloud in Minnesota, where he met up with ‘J'.

He's chronicling the rest of the adventure on his blog, "We're Friends, Right?" which includes a short blurb on each of his encounters.