It is no small wonder how so many people want to dedicate their lives to doing good, spreading happiness, and connecting with people from all over. But currently two small wonders, trekking across the country on foot on a tour of goodwill and adventure, are making the intentions of many into the reality of a few. The No Stranger Land Project is an inspiring journey by two recent University of Iowa grads to walk from Maine to the West Coast, performing random acts of kindness in attempt to make the country into a "No Stranger Land." The duo of foot travelers keeps a great travelogue on their blog, and the writing is almost as inspiring as the journey.
Projects like this one renew my faith that if you dream it, you can do it. But seeing two boys set off on such an awesome adventure also reminds me how much easier it is to be an adventuring man than woman. These boys are big and strong; they can carry their large packs and still have energy to perform random acts of kindness (albeit a struggle). But they don't have to worry about rapists or tampons. The pair of them can hitchhike with confidence. They simply have it easier. I envy them.
Showing posts with label walking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label walking. Show all posts
Monday, June 2, 2008
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
What's An Adventurer To Do But Rest My Feet...?
When I think back on my last few weekends, I see a series of rapidly moving, blurry images of DC. It's something like
trafficjammetrohockeyfriescrowdstreetfightfriends
beerrainmetrodancepartyfriendsmetrospanishsweat
parkinglotmetrorainstormfreezingconcertrainfreezing
dancepartyindianfoodskeeballtragedymetropizzabaseball
That being my mental state, I decided to force myself to slow down. After the Pirates/Nationals game on Sunday, which the Pirates lost sadly, I decided to avoid the crowded Green Line Navy Yard stop, even though I needed to get to Greenbelt to pick up my car. I figured I'd walk to the next stop or maybe go to Union Station, get on the Red Line, and then pick the Green back up at Fort Totten. I left the Navy Yard station at 4:30pm, and headed North. I didn't really know which street to walk on, I just new that if I walked towards the Capital, I'd eventually get to where I wanted to be. I found a sweet, empty Wendy's and bought a delicious chocolate Frosty shake (wow, Wendy's has come so far since I was a kid) and started merrily on my journey. I followed some other post-game pedestrians, and eventually found a sweet walking path under 395. I was a little weary, not being familiar with the neighborhood and knowing only that I was certainly not in the best neighborhood in which to lose track of myself. However, there were a lot of other baseball folks walking, so I figured I'd go with the flow.
Eventually, I found myself strolling past the Capital, which I hadn't visited since an ACORN-led protest in 2006. I forgot what a massively beautiful building it is. It seemed even more beautiful when I blocked out my knowledge of what happens inside. So I dawdled a little there, admiring all the foreigners and tourists excitedly taking pictures of the marble dome and view of the Washington Monument from a distance. I sipped some tepid, chlorinated water from a public fountain, and continued on a beeline path for Union Station. Only when I got there, I realized it was entirely too close to the Capital. I wasn't ready to stop walking yet. By this time, it was just past 5:00, and I figured the crowds on the Green Line would have dwindled. So I headed for Chinatown.
Again, let me remind you that I didn't really know where I was going. I just knew that if I got to 7th and G, I'd be near the Metro. I'm not too good at the whole NE, NW, SE thing that is required of navigating in DC. But I do have a pretty good sense of direction, even if I don't know what the streets I am walking on should be named. So I followed my instincts and ended up exactly where I wanted to be -- directly in the middle of an intersection of at least four streets, with no sidewalks in sight. Splendid. As I raced my way across the intersection Frogger-style, I paused for a moment on a median strip. A car approached, and I thought I saw the people inside waving. "What? Friendliness to strangers in DC?" No! Of course not. It was a carload of friends. "What are you doing here?" I screamed. It would have been more appropriate for them to ask me, seeing as they were at least enclosed in a vehicle and I was a flip-flopped pedestrian on a median strip at a massive intersection. "Do you maybe need a ride?" they asked, obviously entertained at my situation. I looked around. "Actually, that building over there is where my friend lives. I'll be fine." And with that, I sprinted across the last stretch of roadway and headed to 301 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, safe haven for the weary flip-flopped urban hiker.
After a half-hour chit-chat/water break, I was revived and resumed my trek, although from there it wasn't much of a journey. Within 10 minutes of leaving my friend's building, I was on a train headed to Greenbelt. But what an adventure it all was. Thanks to the sweet tools at MapMyRun. com I know my walk was just under 3 miles long. I think I passed through 3 different universes along the way. DC is one bizarrely diverse town. Pockets of this kind of people thrive amongst swaths of that kind of people. I was nearly ticketed for jay-walking by one cop and cheered on as I raced across a different street by another cop. What a strange town. It's nice to see it in the daylight at 3 miles an hour, rather than from underground at Metro-speed.
trafficjammetrohockeyfriescrowdstreetfightfriends
beerrainmetrodancepartyfriendsmetrospanishsweat
parkinglotmetrorainstormfreezingconcertrainfreezing
dancepartyindianfoodskeeballtragedymetropizzabaseball
That being my mental state, I decided to force myself to slow down. After the Pirates/Nationals game on Sunday, which the Pirates lost sadly, I decided to avoid the crowded Green Line Navy Yard stop, even though I needed to get to Greenbelt to pick up my car. I figured I'd walk to the next stop or maybe go to Union Station, get on the Red Line, and then pick the Green back up at Fort Totten. I left the Navy Yard station at 4:30pm, and headed North. I didn't really know which street to walk on, I just new that if I walked towards the Capital, I'd eventually get to where I wanted to be. I found a sweet, empty Wendy's and bought a delicious chocolate Frosty shake (wow, Wendy's has come so far since I was a kid) and started merrily on my journey. I followed some other post-game pedestrians, and eventually found a sweet walking path under 395. I was a little weary, not being familiar with the neighborhood and knowing only that I was certainly not in the best neighborhood in which to lose track of myself. However, there were a lot of other baseball folks walking, so I figured I'd go with the flow.
Eventually, I found myself strolling past the Capital, which I hadn't visited since an ACORN-led protest in 2006. I forgot what a massively beautiful building it is. It seemed even more beautiful when I blocked out my knowledge of what happens inside. So I dawdled a little there, admiring all the foreigners and tourists excitedly taking pictures of the marble dome and view of the Washington Monument from a distance. I sipped some tepid, chlorinated water from a public fountain, and continued on a beeline path for Union Station. Only when I got there, I realized it was entirely too close to the Capital. I wasn't ready to stop walking yet. By this time, it was just past 5:00, and I figured the crowds on the Green Line would have dwindled. So I headed for Chinatown.
Again, let me remind you that I didn't really know where I was going. I just knew that if I got to 7th and G, I'd be near the Metro. I'm not too good at the whole NE, NW, SE thing that is required of navigating in DC. But I do have a pretty good sense of direction, even if I don't know what the streets I am walking on should be named. So I followed my instincts and ended up exactly where I wanted to be -- directly in the middle of an intersection of at least four streets, with no sidewalks in sight. Splendid. As I raced my way across the intersection Frogger-style, I paused for a moment on a median strip. A car approached, and I thought I saw the people inside waving. "What? Friendliness to strangers in DC?" No! Of course not. It was a carload of friends. "What are you doing here?" I screamed. It would have been more appropriate for them to ask me, seeing as they were at least enclosed in a vehicle and I was a flip-flopped pedestrian on a median strip at a massive intersection. "Do you maybe need a ride?" they asked, obviously entertained at my situation. I looked around. "Actually, that building over there is where my friend lives. I'll be fine." And with that, I sprinted across the last stretch of roadway and headed to 301 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, safe haven for the weary flip-flopped urban hiker.
After a half-hour chit-chat/water break, I was revived and resumed my trek, although from there it wasn't much of a journey. Within 10 minutes of leaving my friend's building, I was on a train headed to Greenbelt. But what an adventure it all was. Thanks to the sweet tools at MapMyRun. com I know my walk was just under 3 miles long. I think I passed through 3 different universes along the way. DC is one bizarrely diverse town. Pockets of this kind of people thrive amongst swaths of that kind of people. I was nearly ticketed for jay-walking by one cop and cheered on as I raced across a different street by another cop. What a strange town. It's nice to see it in the daylight at 3 miles an hour, rather than from underground at Metro-speed.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
My Other Car Is My Feet
After living the urban lifestyle for five years, one of the things I find most amazing about suburbanites is their assumption that you must get in your car anytime you want to go anywhere. It's as if suburban America has collectively forgotten that their legs, in fact, are a mode of transportation. But not only that, walking doesn't cost a thing and it's a zero-emissions form of transportation!
Since returning to Columbia, I have found that in many ways I can maintain my walking lifestyle. The grocery store is just a mile away from my house, I walk to it once a week. Although most folks get in their cars and drive from one end of shopping centers to the other when running multiple errands, I walk across the parking lots. It's not a beautiful stroll, but it's an environmentally-conscious action. Plus, when I am way out beyond the cars in some of those lots, I feel quite peaceful even in that sea of concrete and steel.
I have actually pledged to myself that anytime I need to go somewhere that is less than a mile and a half away, I will walk. If I can't walk for some reason, I won't go until I can wrap the errand into another excursion or carpool with a family member who also needs to go there. Even when it's cold, walking isn't hard. A mile and a half is only a 20 minute walk. That's the daily minimum recommended by doctors for aerobic exercise. Make it round trip, and I'm well on my way to achieving a real work-out.
Cars pollute most in the first 5 miles of driving. Therefore, reducing the number of short trips I take is one of the most important goals I have. I feel, overall, that I have been quite successful so far. However, there is one area in Columbia where walking is quite impossible. Read on for the account I have sent to my local government officials...
For the past two weeks, I have been working in the Lee DeForest Drive commercial development in the Columbia Gateway Corporate park. Everyday I try to take a walk at lunch, and sometimes after work I like to go to the nearby Snowden Square shopping center to take care of a couple errands. However, after a rain this walk is nearly impossible. Why? No, not because of floods.
Because of mud.
The development is quite new and, reasonably so, the ground is soft. Therefore, everything is squishy after a rain. In most new developments, this isn't a problem because people walk on the sidewalk. However, there are no sidewalks on the main road in the corporate park, Robert Fulton Drive. Nor is there a sidewalk leading from Robert Fulton up to Commerce Center Drive in the Snowden Square shopping center.
I find this reality astounding for a few of reasons. First, there is a very high concentration of professionals in the Snowden Square area during the day. Wouldn't it make sense to entice those professionals to take a walk to the shopping center and enjoy a meal at one of the several restaurants there?
Second, there is a large housing development on a street called Solar Walk across the road from Snowden Square. People in the town-homes there are mere steps from the shopping center and movie theater. There is a sidewalk that leads from their homes to Robert Fulton Drive. But once they arrive at that intersection, the pavement stops. Why not encourage these people to walk to the movie theater by installing a sidewalk on Commerce Center Drive?
Finally, Lifetime Fitness, which is located in the same development where I work, is the gym of choice for many of the people working in the Lee DeForest development and other parts of Columbia Gateway. However, the parking lot is a nightmare after 5:00pm. I see many people pull out of their parking spots at their office building only to drive across the Lee DeForest development and re-park at the gym. The parking lot fills up quickly, and then folks park along the sides of curvy Lee DeForest Drive, limiting visibility for drivers. Wouldn't Lifetime Fitness, its members, and the folks in that development all benefit from a sidewalk which encourages people to walk to their fitness center? Wouldn't walking make logical sense for people who want to, I don't know, increase their fitness?
It is Columbia's moral responsibility to encourage environmentally-conscious behavior in its residents, professionals, and guests. One of the pillars upon which this town was built was the idea of a walkable community -- a place in which you could walk from your home to the store, from work to the park. If I (a dedicated walker and friend of the environment) can't even comfortably walk the mile from my office to a nearby restaurant, how can anyone expect less pro-active Columbians to take a "step" toward environmentally sustainable action?
I implore you to install a sidewalk or walking path along Lee DeForest Drive, Commerce Center Drive, and especially along Robert Fulton Drive. Encourage walking. Encourage safety. Encourage environmental protection.
Since returning to Columbia, I have found that in many ways I can maintain my walking lifestyle. The grocery store is just a mile away from my house, I walk to it once a week. Although most folks get in their cars and drive from one end of shopping centers to the other when running multiple errands, I walk across the parking lots. It's not a beautiful stroll, but it's an environmentally-conscious action. Plus, when I am way out beyond the cars in some of those lots, I feel quite peaceful even in that sea of concrete and steel.
I have actually pledged to myself that anytime I need to go somewhere that is less than a mile and a half away, I will walk. If I can't walk for some reason, I won't go until I can wrap the errand into another excursion or carpool with a family member who also needs to go there. Even when it's cold, walking isn't hard. A mile and a half is only a 20 minute walk. That's the daily minimum recommended by doctors for aerobic exercise. Make it round trip, and I'm well on my way to achieving a real work-out.
Cars pollute most in the first 5 miles of driving. Therefore, reducing the number of short trips I take is one of the most important goals I have. I feel, overall, that I have been quite successful so far. However, there is one area in Columbia where walking is quite impossible. Read on for the account I have sent to my local government officials...
For the past two weeks, I have been working in the Lee DeForest Drive commercial development in the Columbia Gateway Corporate park. Everyday I try to take a walk at lunch, and sometimes after work I like to go to the nearby Snowden Square shopping center to take care of a couple errands. However, after a rain this walk is nearly impossible. Why? No, not because of floods.
Because of mud.
The development is quite new and, reasonably so, the ground is soft. Therefore, everything is squishy after a rain. In most new developments, this isn't a problem because people walk on the sidewalk. However, there are no sidewalks on the main road in the corporate park, Robert Fulton Drive. Nor is there a sidewalk leading from Robert Fulton up to Commerce Center Drive in the Snowden Square shopping center.
I find this reality astounding for a few of reasons. First, there is a very high concentration of professionals in the Snowden Square area during the day. Wouldn't it make sense to entice those professionals to take a walk to the shopping center and enjoy a meal at one of the several restaurants there?
Second, there is a large housing development on a street called Solar Walk across the road from Snowden Square. People in the town-homes there are mere steps from the shopping center and movie theater. There is a sidewalk that leads from their homes to Robert Fulton Drive. But once they arrive at that intersection, the pavement stops. Why not encourage these people to walk to the movie theater by installing a sidewalk on Commerce Center Drive?
Finally, Lifetime Fitness, which is located in the same development where I work, is the gym of choice for many of the people working in the Lee DeForest development and other parts of Columbia Gateway. However, the parking lot is a nightmare after 5:00pm. I see many people pull out of their parking spots at their office building only to drive across the Lee DeForest development and re-park at the gym. The parking lot fills up quickly, and then folks park along the sides of curvy Lee DeForest Drive, limiting visibility for drivers. Wouldn't Lifetime Fitness, its members, and the folks in that development all benefit from a sidewalk which encourages people to walk to their fitness center? Wouldn't walking make logical sense for people who want to, I don't know, increase their fitness?
It is Columbia's moral responsibility to encourage environmentally-conscious behavior in its residents, professionals, and guests. One of the pillars upon which this town was built was the idea of a walkable community -- a place in which you could walk from your home to the store, from work to the park. If I (a dedicated walker and friend of the environment) can't even comfortably walk the mile from my office to a nearby restaurant, how can anyone expect less pro-active Columbians to take a "step" toward environmentally sustainable action?
I implore you to install a sidewalk or walking path along Lee DeForest Drive, Commerce Center Drive, and especially along Robert Fulton Drive. Encourage walking. Encourage safety. Encourage environmental protection.
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