Walking

I love to walk. Certainly as a health researcher I am well aware of the physical and psychological benefits of walking and think long walks are essential. One of my favorite places to walk, because of its convenience and paucity of visitors, is a county park near my home. I very rarely encounter another walker there. I have a regular route I walk, consisting of a couple of big loops, one through the forest, one through an open field. I like the contrast between the two. The wooded trail is much hillier, but the trees, leaves, and stream are pretty. The field is more flat but you can see far into the distance, the view of the surrounding hills is interesting regardless of the season. I usually do the woods loop first, then the field, get the hard part out of the way early. But sometimes in the summer it is fun to go the other way, from the heat of the field to the cool of the woods. Either way, the transition is noticeable in terms of terrain, view, and temperature.

Transitions are part of our lives. Moving from hills to flat fields, from hot sun to cool shade. I've been trying to look at those changes like the changes on my walk, differences to be enjoyed for their stark contrasts, not new encounters to fear.