photo: Jason Eppink" via flickr
DCL
As I've said before, for me walking is the right speed with which to view the world. While there are pleasures to be had in moving faster, when it comes down to it I don't feel like I really know a place until I amble through it.
Which is why when I found out, quite a bit late in the trip it turns out, that Matt Green is walking across the country—and unlike you might expect, wasn't raising any money by doing so, nor supporting a cause, or frankly doing it for apparently any reason greater than it seemed like an enjoyable thing to do for its own sake—I immediately became intrigued.
Nine Months, On Foot, From New York to Oregon
It turns out Green has allotted nine months to walk the 3,100 miles from Rockaway Beach, New York to Rockaway Beach Oregon. That's 15 miles a day for seven months, plus two solid months worth of rest days along the route. And as you can see in the picture, he's doing it all pushing his belongings in front of him in a what's pretty much a glorified baby stroller, all the easier on your back and knees.
All of that's just logistics though. And plenty of people have walked across the entire US before. What really struck me, and I'm writing about this and not just tweeting it out, is the motivation.
Walking Connects Us To Place Like No Other Form of Transport
From I'm Just Walking:
Moving through the world at three miles an hour, you can fully take in your surroundings. There's nothing separating you from your environment. You notice things that go completely undetected by people zooming by in cars. It's such a rich experience: you can see, hear, and smell everything around you, and even touch and taste things if you feel like it. [...]
I'm very drawn to the simplicity of this whole pursuit. Each day I'll wake up, pack all my possessions back in my cart, and walk a little farther. That's it. That's the extent of my world. I'm just walkin'.
That's probably one of the most eloquent ways of describing the virtues of walking that I've ever read.
Experiencing the world directly, with a few intermediary devices as possible, slowly, deliberately, with no motive beyond the joy inherent in doing so, that's the essence of it.
I wouldn't suggest you need to walk 3,100 miles yourself to experience this. I haven't done so and in all likelihood won't walk that much in a single go, ever—but then again, who knows? But I will suggest that you, especially if you live in a place, rural or urban, where you normally would travel via car or even bike, take some time to really slow and amble. With no particular destination in mind, simply walk and observe.
Lloyd reminded us four years ago of an apt Latin phrase, "Solvitur ambulando"—It's solved by walking.
At least when it comes to knowing yourself and knowing the world around you, truer words were never spoken.
Read more: I'm Just Walking and view photos: Hobo Matt's photostream
