In May of 2020, I reflected on how my childhood conditioned me for walking but that somewhere along the way, I lost the joy for it.

 

In December of 2021, I joined Alex Elle and Libby De Lana in committing to a daily walk. The initial goal of ‘This Morning Walk‘ was to walk into 2022, to transition deliberately, step by step, from one year into the next.

 

Monday 27 June 2022 was my 200th daily walk.

 

I’m learning what it looks like to make a commitment to myself and honour it daily.

 

I’m learning how to be in a present state of mind on my walks, to give space for my feelings and to tune into what they have to tell me.

 

I’ve learned that this daily commitment can be a quiet whisper and it doesn’t make it less of an achievement.

 

I’m learning that showing up for myself doesn’t always look as perfect as I’d like it to. It isn’t about the outfit, the distance, the time or the location. My steps won’t always be filled with joy and elation. The weather won’t always be bright and my mind won’t always feel light.

 

But each day I’ll go, whether a stride, a skip or a plod and I’ll trust that the world will be there, spinning on its axis as a steady, grounding presence, whatever the rest of my day looks like.

 

Walking, to me, has always been a discovery of treasure and my 200th walk was no exception. I came across a Lego block, and then another. “Look at what you’re building, within yourself, through your trust and patience”, they said. “Imagine what you might build from this practice in time”, they said.

 

Thank you to Alex and Libby for being the best walking guides anyone could wish for. The community you’ve created and the wisdom shared on your podcast fills me with a sense of belonging and connection in this walking practice.