Day One

It's Richmond. Spring and summer don't quite distinguish themselves.

My intent to walk is distinguished primarily by its failure. Work is busy, and there are multiple errands to run before I get home. Miles walked: 0.

Measurable room for improvement.

Day Two

Since it was a Saturday, I headed for a park. One of the beautiful things about a park is the paths that wind about mysteriously. Who knows what's beyond the next turn? The mystery is part of the joy. It reminds me that I don't have to control everything. Sometimes not controlling it leads to a more beautiful, more creative outcome than anything I could have envisioned myself. This is something to be thankful for.

Miles walked: 1.81. Almost made up for yesterday.

Tomorrow, I'll make it two miles.

Day 3

Since it's still the weekend, I headed out to a nearby lake. It's a beautiful day to enjoy the small things. The light has already changed. It's brighter, creating soft, hazy shadows. Ducks glide along the banks. A light breeze ripples the water. People are cheerfully fishing with their kids. I pass a box full of rubbery fishing worms that brings back childhood memories. It's a day to be grateful for.

Miles walked: 2.04.

Day Four

Today, I walked by a hospital. At first, I heard nothing but the  hum of the generator and the faint breek of a small flock of cicadas. Hospitals are a place where the tension of opposites naturally exists. It reminds me that surgery is intended to heal, that seasons of fasting are followed by seasons of feasting, and that times of scarcity give depth and meaning to the feast.

I checked my watch: 1.09 miles.

Day 5

Today was a day of heavy pollen. I rolled down my windows on the way to work and wished  I could separate all the different flower scents. Other than that, my day consisted of work and a very dark room where I could be miserable in peace. I'll make up for the time tomorrow.

Miles walked: 0

Day Six

Some days are easier to focus than others. I walked a route that should have taken me 1.5-2.0 miles, looked down at my watch--and realized I'd plugged it in that morning and forgot to put it back on. So--my measurement is a complete guess. Zen works. Sometimes it's the best place to be.

Miles walked: 1.5-2.0

Day 7

Today the rain was calm and soothing. There's nothing like being indoors with tea when it's raining outside. And afterwards, the birds start to chirp tentatively in the newly washed trees. For simplicity, I walked the same route I did yesterday--this time with my fitness watch.

Miles walked: 1.44.

Day 8

It was a lovely day. This evening, I walked to a local park. It was late and the birds were chirping quietly. Flowers still crowned the occasional tree and everything was peaceful.

Miles walked: 1.21 miles

Day 9

Today I walked to the park to play on the jungle gym. If challenged, I'll say it's important to retain a sense of wonder, joy and childlikeness. Playing on the jungle gym is an experience to be remembered. Truth be told, it's just fun. Nothing like an upside down pull up to brighten your day.

Miles walked: 1.19.

Day 10

I love May. It's one of the months when the weather is generally neither too hot nor too cold. I visited a familiar park, but took an unfamiliar route, winding around the park rather than getting lost inside it. Time slid by without any deep, profound thoughts occurring. I simply enjoyed the wind, the trees, and the flowers.

Miles walked: 1.05

Day 11

Today I walked near the hospital. The trees were green and peaceful. I was tired. It was a good day to be outdoors.

Miles walked: 1.38

Day 12

Tuesdays are not days I can generally manage an evening walk, unless wandering around MCV's parking deck counts. I've always felt it did, but my fitness watch disagrees. So...technically, I volunteered, but did not walk. Tomorrow, I will try to walk twice. If nothing else, it will help me walk off the stress!

Miles walked: 0

Day 13

I managed a lunch walk. My fitness watch had been left at home, so it went unrecorded. This season is beautiful weather to be outdoors. Tomorrow, I'll try to walk the same route again. 

Miles walked: TBD

Day 14

Today, I was able to combine scores from both lunch and after dinner walks and finally made up for Tuesday's low score. My ability to see my surroundings well still needs serious work, but without walking, the observation can't happen. I'm walking imperfectly--but I am walking.

Miles walked: 2.09

Day 15

It's late enough in the season for the air to be thick with the scent of flowers. Birds warbled quietly. The world is serene, but the weight of summer's humidity is beginning to be felt.

Miles walked: 1.25

Day 16

One of the most lovely characteristics of the season is the wide array of greens--dark, light, medium--a thousand leaves that vary in color, texture and shape. Just seeing the greenery is an experience.

Miles walked: 1.26

Day 17

It's the first day that I've genuinely felt the heat of summer. One trip to the grocery store and I admit, I caved. No, I was not walking in that heat! Tomorrow. 

Miles walked: 0

Day 18

It's still hot, but I'm rapidly remembering the familiar tricks and tips for surviving a Richmond summer. Find your water bottle. Make sure there's a case of water in the car. Walk in the morning or the evening. Learn to enjoy being in a humid cocoon every time you step out of doors. Learn to appreciate the relief of air conditioning indoors. It's cyclical. Without one, you can't adequately appreciate the other.

Miles walked: 1.48

Day 19

Still adjusting to the humidity, but it didn't stop me from spending time outdoors. I'll get there.

Miles walked: 1.28

Day 25

In typical Virginia fashion, the weather is kinder today than it has been. I hope the trend will continue, but who knows? I certainly don't. I will simply walk when I can, where I can, as the weather allows for it.

Miles walked: 1.31

June 1

A beautiful evening. I walked late, and the world was hushed and still.

Miles walked: approx. 0.7

June 2

Again, I have forgotten my fitness watch, but  the route is familiar. I'm skirting the hospital. It's quiet and still. The weather is warm but not too humid. I'm enjoying it while it lasts!

Miles walked: approx. 1.3

June 3

Early summer can be beautiful: not too hot, not too humid, with a light breeze dancing across the pavement. Clear, indirect light glanced off the trees and streamed softly across the grass. Again, it was quiet. The birds and insects were too drowsy and comfortable to be active, I guess--or maybe it was too early in the evening. It's hard to slow down long enough to actually live inside my life, but I'm trying.   

Miles walked: 1.44 miles

June 4

My car has decided to have a prima donna moment and it's been left for the weekend in the car spa (aka auto shop). I'm sure it will be returned to me shortly, rested, refreshed, and with an invoice that will duly reinforce its already high opinion of itself. As a result, I had time for a nice, long walk. Birds were contentedly buzzing and the weather was beautiful. Go figure. Even the weather is happy for my car.

Miles walked: approx. 2

June 5

It's lighter than I remember in the evenings. And warmer. The clover is in flower and I found a row of daffodils lurking behind an office building. The same steps, the same routes, and yet there's something new to see, experience and observe each day. How I missed this, I don't know. My head was too full of the next thing, the next item on my checklists, the next day and the next goal. The true goal is to live a full life: full of memories, full of connection and full of presence in the world. And the art of being human is taking those materials and creating something beautiful from them--positive or negative. This is the joy of living. Not happiness, but meaning. 

Miles walked: 1.5 miles