![]() |
w o r l d a w a i t s . c o m |
![]() ![]()
|
![]() There's no better way to locomote a sensing mind...
Two things tend to put travelers into bus and train seats and take them off of their feet. The first is the need to cover significant distance, the other is the need to get somewhere in a hurry. But behind both of these needs is motivation. Travelers feel those needs -- they set themselves up by planning in a way that compels them to travel fast and far, thus frequently putting them in a transport frame of mind. It need not be that way! For many segments of a journey, you can plan it so there's no need to move too quickly or move many miles, thus enabling you to walk. Where might you walk? We all have our walking habits at home, but should we take those habits across borders and over seas? In "The World Awaits", I take a hard look at the where's and why's of the walking traveler. Here are some excerpts from a section detailing where you might choose to walk to extend and improve your travel experience.
Through the CityWalk from the outside of a city into its heart or vice versa. Its a great way to feel that even the most huge metropolis has limits and historyan edge and a present... Back RoadsCountless miles of lightly trafficked minor roads link similarly countless departure points and destinations. Back roads take you from ports, depots, and stations to villages, trailheads, castles, templesto anywhere and everywhere. Tolkiens Bilbo said it best:
Ancient Ways With a bit of research, you can find the byways of antiquity and prehistory...
But perhaps you wonder why I place such emphasis on walking. There are the obvious reasons -- like that there are places you can only reach or explore if you walk, and that walking is good for your health and fitness -- but there's more to it than that. Walking is a natural and deeply rooted mode of moving a mind across the land. The rhythm and pace of walking matches the mind's natural way of getting a feel for a place -- of perceiving and learning that place. "The effort you exert walking drives a place into memory. When youve walked it, its yours. Youve been there. The walk is a story punctuated with smaller stories like a beaded thread. The walk-story is a journey unto itself that you recall forever after with gladness, longing, and a humble pride. You own a piece of the world, and ownership gives strength."
Walk. |