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Since I’ve been anchored to my home for a few months now, I had to find another way to express my need for travel. Here’s the solution I found: take several long walks within the week. By doing this, homebound vagabonds don’t have to feel trapped or confined when they are between trips. You just step outside your front door and keep walking – no plans necessary. Alternatively, you can ride public transportation, get dropped off at a random spot, and walk from there.
Is a long walk considered as a manifestation of vagabonding, even if you’re just in your hometown? I certainly think so. Taking a long walk in your area will allow you to see mundane sights in a different way. If you usually drive past the houses, shops, or even empty lots, you miss details that you can explore better if you only went by on a slower pace. A good example of this experience can be found in a piece by Frank Bures entitled “The Long Walk”, where he walked for four hours from Verona to Madison in Wisconsin.
Another reason to take long walks is to stretch your legs. “Walking is the best possible exercise,” said Thomas Jefferson – and I agree. As a writer I spend most of the day cooped up in my home office, and my long walk is the only thing that keeps me from having a completely sedentary lifestyle. But Jefferson wasn’t just referring to physical exercise. Taking long walks also allows us to clear our minds and make space for new ideas and experiences.
In Rolf’s first book, “Vagabonding” he wrote that long term travel ” [...] requires only that we walk through the world in a more deliberate way.” What better way to start than to go beyond one’s doorstep and take that long walk one step at a time?
Do you also take long walks when you’re not traveling?
July 16th, 2009 at 8:28 am
I’ve never walked in my city for years now. The thought does occur sometimes but when I get out there isn’t much space to walk without bumping into people, cars, cycles, dogs and more things… I live in an Indian city. City people don’t walk, sadly.
Which is why I try to get away every month to somewhere where I can stretch my legs.
July 16th, 2009 at 11:53 am
I bike. Everywhere. It has many of the same benefits, except your feet aren’t sore at the end of the day.
July 16th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
I don’t walk nearly as much as I probably could, but every time I have followed your advice, I’ve found it incredibly rewarding. When you drive a car through a neighborhood, you really don’t see much at all. But taking a long walk through the same neighborhood you notice so many interesting (and bizzarre!) things. Having a dog helps – they tend to push you out the door. But its so easy to get into a habit walking the dog and just circle the same route every time. I guess its about living life with intentionality and always looking for an adventure wherever you may be.
July 17th, 2009 at 1:21 am
I love walking in the morning. I take delight in savouring the tranquil state of the streets and park.
July 17th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
[...] in doubt, take a long walk to clear your head and get some fresh air. It’s a great mini-travel activity you can do wherever [...]
July 28th, 2009 at 11:21 am
I really like this theory.
To that end I decided to “walk home for Christmas” last year. I saw a lot!
http://www.alastairhumphreys.com/adventures/walking-home-for-christmas/
Rolf – I noticed in the shop window in Paris that you were due to speak there. Cool! Unfortunately I’m now back in London.
Al