Do Walks Make a Difference in Your Life? #IWSG

Walks. They’ve been a huge part of my life in the past few years since covid. Not that I didn’t go for walks before, but walks kept me sane during covid lockdowns.My writing career was on a roll, so hours spent in front of the laptop left me dizzy and walks in nature proved the right antidote. (The Singapore government allowed people to walk on the streets and in parks as long as it wasn’t in large groups.)

That was when I got addicted to walking: phone in hand and bluetooth pods firmly in place. I discovered Libby at the same time as my passion for walks, and each week I finished an audiobook or two while I walked. This appealed to my multi-task-loving heart. I ate up podcasts, listened to music, and even had long calls with friends and relatives while I completed activity circles on my smart watch. Win win win.

Transformation in my walks

That changed when I started walking in the hills around my new place in India. For one thing, these aren’t walks in parks, with others walking by, dogs on leash. These are walks through jungles–not deep virgin forests, but definitely tree-filled areas near human habitation. Foxes walk in packs here. They don’t look much different from their cousins, the wolves. Leopards are not unknown. I walk alone, with occasionally a semi-domesticated dog for company (villagers let their dogs roam free all day).

So, I don’t wear the pods anymore. No music or books. I need to remain aware of my surroundings. And awareness has led to appreciation. The concerts put up by all kinds of birds from thrushes to tits to warblers to broadbills and yes, peacocks. The pine-scented air. The clash of emerald and sapphire in the sky (green treetops against stunning blue horizons). The ruby-red cactus fruits. Black Khaleej pheasants darting across roads. The colorfully clad local women, strolling up hillsides with massive conical baskets filled with leaves or fruit. Berries amid thorny trees. I could go on, but you get the drift.

What you Notice during your walks

The more I notice, the more I realize how much I’m defined by where I choose to place my attention. That it’s a kind of meditation to make your way down a thin road carved into grassy hillsides. That the the breeze has things to tell you if you choose silence, and listen.

I went on one such walk today, and came back refreshed in body and mind–back to the grind on my next novel. The walk was its own reward, not the steps I walked, not the calories burned, not the activity circles completed. 

It helped me realize that one of my characters isn’t actually who my outline says she is, and while the book will follow the outline in general, it will do better with this chapter in particular, thanks to the long, steep walk.

Writers and readers, do walks play a big role in your life? When was the last time you went for a long walk and where?

This post is part of an event held each first Wednesday of the month: Insecure Writer’s Support Group. Founded by the Ninja Cap’n Alex J. Cavanaugh, the purpose of the group is to offer a safe space where writers can share their fears and insecurities without being judged.

The awesome co-hosts for the Jan 7 posting of the IWSG are J Lenni Dorner, Victoria Marie Lees, and Sandra Cox! Please go and visit them if you like.

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