walking

We all have things about us that make us a little odd ... or I do anyway. One is that I'd much rather go for a walk in a neighborhood, where you can see people, garden, houses and activity than go for a hike in the great outdoors. That's not to say that I don't enjoy nature, I do, but there is something grounding and relaxing for me in walking in a city neighborhood. Not so much with the suburbs, where I don't have the amenities of sidewalks, street lamps and a grid layout to guide my way.

After living the better part of 3 years in the suburbs (with 3 month stints in London and Jersey City thrown into the middle of those 3 years) I am back in a City neighborhood. Grace House, the CSJP local community that I've just moved into, is located in the Ravenna District, north of the University of Washington. This morning as I wound my way down the hill one and a half miles to work, I relished in the sidewalk-gridness of my new surroundings. Of course this being Seattle, you can't really rely on the grid. Streets end for absolutely no reason. But still, there's a general pattern to sooth me, even if the hills appear at inopportune times!

An added bonus is that now that I'm in an environment more conducive to my love of walking, I should be getting some regular exercise now. At least until the rains come back!