The Canadian Chronicles: A Walk Through January

Sunday, January 31, 2021

A Walk Through January

I accepted a challenge at the beginning of January to walk at least 20 minutes each day for the month. My cousin has started a monthly Facebook "challenge" group for the last 3 months to help motivate herself...and others. The first month was the month of daily planks. The second month was a month of random acts of kindness and January was a month of walking at least 20 minutes each day. I did the planks and I did the walking. I skipped out on the random acts of kindness, but just knowing there was a group doing this made me do a few of my own random acts of kindness. So it still worked! I guess I am a sucker for a challenge!

When I joined the group I thought to myself , "no problem, I walk all the time anyway, this will be easy.". I admit, it was easy...most days. But committing to do something EVERY day is a lot, unless it is wake up, brush your teeth, eat, drink, and sleep. There were days I was busy. There were days it rained. There were cold days. There were travel days. (yes, I traveled in Covid) There was the day my newborn grandson came home from the hospital. There were days I just didn't feel like it. But...for 31 days, I walked every day...and I loved it!

I eventually walked down...and up this hill!

I walked in California, Texas and Louisiana. I walked with each of my three sisters during the month. I walked with one of my daughters. I walked with my husband and one of my sons-in-law. I walked with my 84 year old Mother. I listened to music, I listened to podcasts, I listened to The Thirteenth Tale, I listened to Wait Wait Don't Tell Me or The Moth and on Sundays I listened to Mass. I even just listened to the world around me. I would like to say I thought great thoughts during my walks...and maybe I did. They say walking is a moving meditation and I can absolutely agree with that. It has been a large part of my sanity over the last 10 months. Even though the challenge is over, I will continue to walk.

California

Texas

Louisiana

I did take a lot of pictures during my walks. I loved trying to find something photo worthy on each walk. I had always wanted to do a personal challenge to find something beautiful or interesting to photograph every day and during the walking challenge I did. My cousin welcomed photo sharing during the walking challenge and I embraced the invitation. February is sit-up month and I am afraid the photos will not be nearly as interesting!

I will have many fond memories of my January walks. Spending the first half of the month in California and committing to walking was a double blessing. I did my best to vary my route around my daughter's house in order to see as much of the area as possible. I loved the different houses and gardens along every path and definitely had my favorite streets...which were not necessarily the flattest streets. I sure hope all that hill training pays off somehow! I was very lucky to be able to include exploration into my daily walks instead of following the same path I have walked hundreds of times before back home.

My favorite garden on my favorite street

Best stairway!

Most colorful house!

best little surprise

Back home I tried to see things differently on my "regular" walk. I've tried this before...sometimes it even works. There were definitely days I just walked...but occasionally I would open my eyes and try harder to see with new eyes. Sometimes it even worked. Sometimes I just wished I was still in California on one of my favorite streets with all of the colorful houses and pretty gardens. Then I would just tell myself to snap out of it! One thing I have learned in Covid is to just be where you are.

Texas winter landscaping

"Self portrait in puddle"
Thanks shoes!

For the last week of the challenge I was in Louisiana with my family. I walked several days with my Mother and those were some very special walks. Major props to my Mom for walking 2.5 miles several days! We shared some very nice moments during those walks. I also got to see some places in Baton Rouge I have not seen before. Believe it or not, I had never walked all the way around the LSU lakes. What a beautiful walk! Finally, the walk through the Burden Gardens was educational and beautiful. It was the perfect way to end the month of walking. I think my month of walking and accountability was a great way to start a new year. I may not have made any resolutions but for one month I had one element of discipline in my life. Small goals people! Thanks Lenore! I loved walking through January!