Walking

One of the things that always makes me happy is walking. I love walking. I love the way walking makes me appreciate nature. Through walking, I appreciate the trees and flowers around me, the stray cats and the neighbor’s dogs (as long as they do not go near me), and the sounds of the birds chirping. 

I spend an hour each day walking outdoors. I take 10,000 steps a day. I try to be as mindful as I can while I am walking. I tune in to my thoughts while walking. I listen to my emotions while walking. I become a metacognitive person while walking. What I’m trying to say is that walking gives me the clarity of mind that I need to help me be as calm and peaceful as possible. 

My daily morning routine starts the moment Tala is in school. Once Tala is deposited in her classroom, I put on my walking shoes, take my phone, keycard, and wallet with me, put on my shades and cap, and head outside to walk. 

And the minute I lock the door, my walking mood is turned on. And in this story, I will tell you the thoughts I had while walking… today. 

The first step I took marked the start of an hour of pondering. I pondered my life, the circumstances I am in, and how blessed I felt being in this part of the universe. And then, I pondered stuff about my day, such as how exciting it is to eat muesli and soy milk for breakfast after I walk, and I ponder if I will be in the mood to write an essay or design a Canva template during the day. 

And then I thought about petty things like do stray cats and pet cats both have nine chances of living? Or do stray cats have less than nine lives because they live more dangerously than pampered pet cats? 

And then I started seeing workers going to their offices riding their bicycles. And I started to think of Tala’s 2-wheeled bicycle, the one with no training wheels, and I thought of how dusty it might be already on our balcony. How long has it been since she last used it? The excitement of riding a 2-wheeled bike died out so easily. And then I thought about the time when I rode a bike at school and I felt both proud and embarrassed because I wobbled a lot from years of no practice. 

And then, I started checking my pedometer. 3,255 steps. Still a long way to go. I saw a village guard standing in the corner. I thought about how many steps he would make during his shift if he walked in place, or maybe made a few steps forward, and then backward, while guarding the village. Maybe 12,000 steps. Or 20,000 steps.

Speaking of 20,000 steps, I remembered how my pedometer recorded 26,000 steps during our day at Disneyland. 26,000 steps! Woah! Record-breaking! And I remember how my friend told me that adults never really like going to Disneyland because of too much walking. Well, not me, Tommy! I loved being in Disneyland because I loved walking in the grounds! I am a walker! I love walking!

And then as I walked on the unshaded part of our village, I felt the breeze that is getting cooler and cooler now that December is approaching. It feels even better to walk with this breeze. The only downside of this weather is sweating less. And I love sweating during walking. It makes me feel healthier. Each bead of sweat is a metaphor for a toxin removed from my body, and detoxification is the way to more years of walking! Walk, sweat, detoxify, walk, sweat. You know what I mean! 

6,485 steps! Yeba! I kept walking.I kept looking around. I kept thinking. I kept walking. I kept…

 “Hey, you look skinny now!” -That’s my goal!- I replied. 

The person who interrupted me from my thoughts was my Cambodian friend, Somang. We have been neighbors for years and our kids used to hang out at the playground before they had a falling out (do kids have this?)... or just did not play together because of… I don't know, maybe a change in priorities? Or met new friends? Or changed hobbies? Whatever. They just don’t play anymore. 

Anyway, she wanted to chat with me, but I wanted to continue walking. So… 

Me: wanna walk with me while chatting?

Definitely a win-win for me! 

Her: uhmmm…. Ooookaaaaay… 

She said it so lazily so it might not actually be a win for her, after all. 

Anyway, she just shared with me that her family is transferring condo units and that she is excited about the change. I congratulated her now that her Irish husband is back in Ireland to work, the reasons for which are 1 - they have more money, and 2 - peace reigns at home once again. 

Anyway, after a delightful talk, and after mentally ticking “talk to a friend” from my to-do list, I looked at my pedometer and I already had 9,845 steps! A few more steps to go and my goal is achieved! 

So, to culminate my walking journey for the day, I decided to go inside the convenience store at the ground floor of our building.There, on the SALE shelf, are KitKat green tea bars that are being sold for half the price! This was a no-brainer for me. So, I got 2 bars. 

Pedometer check! 9,992. Calories burned: 302. 

Kitkat calorie check: 180 calories for 1 bar. 

Ok, let’s eat a Kitkat bar for dessert later. 

And that is just another reason why I love walking! 

If you are still not into the habit of walking, I encourage you to start walking! It is fun and it is a healthy habit. And you get to ponder, and appreciate the little things in life. And, of course, you get to eat some dessert as a treat!