You Just Have to Get Out the Door

What stops you from "crossing?"

A couple of weeks ago, one of my best friends and I opened the front door and started walking.  We had no goal and no car.  I wore combat boots I bought from Goodwill a couple of years ago and had a backpack full of oranges and apples.  My phone was my camera.   

The city I live in was not designed for pedestrian traffic.  In the past, I’ve talked (read: complained) at length about how much better a job Europe and bigger cities in America do of accommodating walkers.  But ultimately that’s an excuse. 

Many adventures happen when city hiking, because you have to find ways around the lack of sidewalks or crosswalks.  It’s an athletic event in and of itself to sprint across 2 lanes of traffic.  Having survived, giddy laughter typically follows such a trek.     

City hiking means viewing a world you’ve lived in but never seen.  Unable to take the quick, easy roads home, one must make loops.  Entering this new path might bring interesting sights one has never seen despite living in a city for years.

We encountered old cemeteries, statues, power lines, interesting graffiti, and puddles.  All of this photography was taken by Logan.  These photos and more can be found here.  

City hiking is not rebelling against the car world, that would entail being angry about not having pedestrian walkways and sitting at home probably watching t.v. or playing a videogame.  Hiking through a city is a way of embracing and accepting it for what it is rather than what it’s not. 

Other than time, apples, oranges, and possible cartilage in our knees, this trip did not cost. Maybe even these resources are not available to everyone.  If they are in any capacity, I would recommend trying this to the degree that works for you.  It was fun, and required one thing:  a willingness to walk out the door.

Do you have a similar adventure or a totally different one to share?  Post it in the comments!