Today’s photo was taken this week a year ago in the midst of Melinda and me taking a long walk in Nantes. It’s one of the things I most miss about our year in France, going for walks. It’s not that I can’t do it in Seattle, of course. It’s just I have less time for walking.
Each weekday morning Melinda and I would ride the tram with Ella to her school and then the two of us would walk home. A couple of times a week I’d walk with Chloe to her main babysitting job, and then walk home again. I’d walk to the library, walk to the grocery store, walk to the bakery.
And beginning in January last year, when I wasn’t walking I’d go for a run.
Today’s Prompt: Do you walk? If so, where?
Andy Smallman 
I walk all the time, almost everywhere I go. I don’t have a car and I don’t drive. If I have a long way to go then I will walk to some public transport and then walk some more at the other end. I walk almost everyday with our dogs…dogs are great for getting you out for a walk and it doesn’t matter where you go. You just go.
One of the things that is a prerequisite when we leave Texas for the winter is that I be somewhere where I can walk to activities, such as swimming at a public pool, going to the library, coffee shops, restaurants, to a masseuse, and some minimal shopping, like book stores. I love being in places where walking to and fro can be a part of my regular life, even though I use the car for grocery shopping. This time almost all my walking is a minimum of a mile away, so I get in some walking plus swimming on average three days a week and then skiing besides. Now if I could just make the same thing happen in rural Texas where we live — I can swim right outside our door and walk in the neighborhood, but town and other attractions are a minimum of twenty minutes driving! Blah!
That twenty minutes to town is by car!
I earn part of my living walking, in the company of canines, every day. I also walk when I can with friends; yesterday, after walking two small poodles by their owner’s winery and then two giant Leonberger dogs down a quiet road, I walked in the woods and along Lake Washington with a close friend. I still want to walk more. My sweetheart has promised that we will walk together so he can get some much-needed exercise, and time together that isn’t focused on some task or errand. I find that when I walk, thoughts and troubles seem to untangle and resolve effortlessly, and I love that I notice things around me that I would otherwise miss in my busy-ness!
Yes, Andy, especially here in LA, walking seems to be a lost art. I got into the habit of a morning walk before going to work, decades ago, and when I stopped working in 2009, I kept walking. And so now, I walk each morning, and then try to create or plan activities or errands which require walking. It’s satisfying to see the neighborhood and the changes from day to day, month to month, season to season, and to feel my body being happy with the activity and fresh air.
At least 2 times a week we walk a loop at Magnuson park ‘we’ meaning at least 2 members of the family. It has a whole new wetlands area that is maturing, with paths that has been open a little while. There is the regular lake promenade that is nice and open to the sun (when there is sun!), and there is another new wetlands area under development. (also a off leash beach for dogs). this is my favorite place to walk. Otherwise, for convenience reasons, I walk around Greenlake twice a week. Not as enjoyable, but a ‘people scene’ and the lake and sunsets are pretty. Vs Magnuson is much more peaceful and nature-filled experience. We also frequently walk to neighbors or the store. There are a lot of great parks to go on walks in Seattle (Seward park, Alki, Magnolia bluff) but unfortunately you usually need to get there in a vehicle. But it does mean that we enjoy less density in Seattle, so I’m grateful for that!