I travel somewhat differently
Jeff enjoys an evening stroll in Charlottesville, Virginia, July 2014
“Some people walk with both eyes focused on their goal: the highest mountain peak in the range, the fifty-mile marker, the finish line. They stay motivated by anticipating the end of the journey. Since I tend to be easily distracted, I travel somewhat differently–one step at a time, with many pauses in between.” — Hannah Nyala
Jeff is definitely in the former group, which explains why he prefers to skip walking altogether if a car is available. In contrast, I am definitely in the latter group, and were I to take a walk with a team of like-minded people, I probably would drive even them crazy with my frequent stops, especially if I had my camera with me.
It doesn’t really matter where I’m walking. I find much to absorb my attention whether I’m in a wooded setting, a country road or a city street. Oddly, listening to book on tape actually helps me keep moving, since it travels with me and gives me mobile competition for attention to keep my eyes from wandering. Otherwise I might never finish the first mile, let alone the 2-4 miles I tend to walk each day.
Which type of walker are you? Do you stay focused on the destination, or is the journey the real objective? If you are a goal-minded traveler, I wish you speedy and uninterrupted progress to your destinations whenever you travel. If you are like me, and find the world full of interesting detours, I wish you abundant colorful discoveries every day, and the time to enjoy them. Have fun — and send photos!
One year ago today:
This post was first published seven years ago today. The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, below. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: distractions, enjoyment, exercise, fitness, goals, good health, happiness, hurry, longevity, strolling, walking, wellness
Defeat Despair 
Good morning, Julia!
What type of walker I am depends on a lot of conditions. If the point of the walk is to get somewhere, I’m more goal-oriented. If the walk is for exercise, it depends if I’m with someone else, in which case I’ll usually adapt to their style, if possible, but if I’m alone, anything goes, and exercise can be abandoned (or postponed) due to some vista or experience or (like you) something that just needs to be photographed!
If I’m walking alone and lost in thought, I’ve noticed I walk more and more slowly, the deeper in thought I am. A couple of times I’ve even found myself standing completely still.
So there you are. I don’t know if I can really say what “type” of walker I am. 😁
Susan, you make a good point here. One great thing about walking is that it’s so adaptable to one’s immediate needs and circumstances (with exceptions, of course) and need never become boring or always the same. But just as you can never step into the same river twice, so no two walks are ever alike, even if they are the same kind of walk!
I love your pictures! You have a skill for words and photography.
Thank you! I appreciate the compliment, and also your visits here.