Jan 21 2008
One Foot in Front of the Other
On December 30th, the last Sunday of 2007, we went on a walk. It was not an extraordinary walk – aside from being in the glorious surroundings, of course, not to be underestimated – but a simple walk of about two miles in a nearby area with a forest and a nice creek. We had done this stretch of walk dozens of times before, but we marveled at all of the new things that we saw on this particular walk. We decided in no certain terms to make the “weekend walk” a ritual. One we could look forward to throughout the week.
A time to connect with each other, and to connect with nature.
A time to quietly observe the world around us and the changing of the seasons.
A time to just be.
As the calendar ticks by, I find that my desire for the walk changes from week by week: Sometimes, I want a breath of fresh air. I want to get some exercise and burn some calories. I want to improve my mood. I want to wear one of my handknits. I want to meditate and quietly think about things. I want to simply put one foot in front of the other and truly live in the moment. I want to reach a spot that I have never been. Sometimes I have all of these expectations in one single walk.
Kris brings the camera and documents the beautiful natural world. He particularly enjoys capturing the changes of the trees, plants, and bodies of water as the seasons change. Sometimes I take the camera and try to capture the beauty I am seeing.
Each weekend of this month has provided the opportunity for a meaningful walk. We walked through local parks, hiked to a nearby hilltop, and finally, this weekend, we went on a weekend walk a little further from home… well, three actually, one for each day we were there. And the novelty of it was that one walk was deep underground while the other two were a little closer to the clouds!
We spent the long holiday weekend in the Shenandoah mountains of Virginia – about two hours south of our home. We drove down on Friday mid-day and stopped over at a local attraction: Luray Caverns in Luray, Virginia.
Our timing was perfect: the snow was fresh and beautiful, and the sun was bright. While the temperatures were cold – below freezing on both days – that did not stop us from getting out and exploring. We found two hiking trails up into the mountains and reserved one for each day, Saturday and Sunday.
These walks may have been my favorite yet. They were a true sensory experience: the smell of pine trees and fresh winds, the aural crunch of the snow and ice under foot, and the monochromatic landscape of white snow blanketing the mountain, and the chilly winds felt against our faces.
The weekend walk ritual has been the highlight of my new year, and we are only three weeks in! I am very excited to discover more places – both near and far – during the weekend walks.
It is amazing how something as simple as a walk can be the best part of the week.
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Do you have a special ritual that brings you joy?
I would love to start a ritual like this…what an inspiring post!
My husband and I don’t have any rituals to speak of, but I really like the idea of walking…
You certainly inspired me! I am thinking that a walk would do me wonders. I’ll know for sure how far I can go once I visit my doctor on Friday…and then I am going to go for it!!!
great photos!!!!!
Beautiful pictures, as always! =) So funny, though, because I just came in from a walk and was thinking, “If I could just do this every day…”
My husband and I have a couple of rituals. One is a walk, in either the Naples area of Long Beach or on the Seal Beach pier.
The other is a soak in our hot tub. We have some of our best talks there.
PS, great idea for a blog!
Your pictures are beautiful, as usual.
I loved Luray Caverns when we visited. I didn’t have a digital camera back then.
Your walks are quite beautiful.
Our ritual is a simple phone call at night when the Mr. is working or a quiet bit of tv together after Girly goes to sleep. Simple and we can do it even when it’s too cold to be outside.
I love your nature walks… one of the few benefits to having a car
Maybe I just need to start doing some of my walks in the City… though it wont be exactly easy for meditation
What beautiful and inspirational pictures and spirits. Thank you Lolly!
I love the pictures from this walk – especially the one of you two!
I’m a walk person as well. My favorite ritual involves waking up very, very early and making hot coffee. I enjoy the entire process of it all–measuring it out, scooping it, filling the water & listening to it percolate away. I love the smell that fills the kitchen and the first few sips are pure pleasure. It makes me incredibly happy.
you know, i’ve lived in virginia my whole life, and yet, i can’t recall ever visiting luray caverns! this is something i’ve got to remedy! your photos look great!
Arrrgh, I grew up in the Shennandoah Valley, your pix make me SO homesick!!I love those mountains in winter…
Having dogs makes me a walk person by default, though sometimes it’s a chore I just do because I have to. It always improves my mood, though.
A ritual I’m building these days is the post-yoga class bath, each Tuesday night. I am taking a rather challenging Ashtanga class, and I find a hot fragrant bath is just the thing to extend the relaxation and alleviate the soreness that those endless vinyasas can bring.
Stunning photos, Lolly!
One of my favorite rituals is wake up early on a weekend morning and have a cup of hot tea with my breakfast. I savor the tea along with a good book. I love enjoying the stillness of the morning instead of rushing around like I normally do on workdays.
What a wonderful tradition – you will have some great photos if you keep this up all year round!
how lovely! we just returned home from a long weekend in tahoe — the kids’ first ski trip. although i’m glad we did it, it was a lot of work (including kid and grown-up tantrums, etc.) and the normal 4-hour drive home took more than 7 hours today. i wouldn’t trade my family for the world but i think it’s so special that you and kris have such meaningful couple time — including mindful rituals — and that you share so many of the same interests. it’s inspiring.
Lovely! Most noteworthy to me is the solid effort at ritual and communication. Enjoying nature is a lovely offshoot!
I love this post Lolly! That last photo of you is beautiful.
Your story reminds me so much of all the Sunday walks I took with my father after the traditional Sunday big lunch. Those are my best memories.
Walking on Sundays is a ritual for many German couples and families. Not so much anymore but still is. I also have girl-friend dates for a walk, which includes all kind of talking.
When I lived in Michigan many many years ago everybody thought of me being crazy. The only other person that took walks besides me was the Finnish exchange student. *lol*.
I like your second picture very much.
Happy walking!
When we lived in the states we would go to a coffee shop and sit together and read (does that count)? Here in Germany no one really seems to do that, so we’re looking for a new ritual. Maybe we will help revive the one Tally mentioned and start walking on Sundays. There is a great path near us called Philosophers Way. Thanks for the idea, Tally and Lolly!
Oh, thanks so much for sharing. That was beautiful. You’re making me want to go walk somewhere. I love to walk, it’s my favorite form of exercise, but I have a 1 year old and a 4 year old and taking them out in the stroller when the high temp is a single digit just isn’t feasible. Thanks again for that post and letting me live vicariously through you.
Beautiful photos, Lolly! I’ve been wanting to get out more, since it’s so easy to start feeling cooped up in the wintertime. Maybe I can get my husband to go along with a weekend walk routine.
The closest thing we have to a ritual is watching Countdown with Keith Olbermann together in the evenings! But I think hearing about the news of the day is more likely to bring us frustration than joy.
that is so cool…..i love the crunch of fresh snow. it looks like a wonderful time!
We have a weekend walk ritual as well. We go every Sunday to Balboa Park here in San Diego. Depending on the weather, sometimes we do a little more hanging out than walking, but we enjoy our weekly trips regardless. We’ve even found that the worst weather days can turn into the best park days, even if our dog is soaking wet at the end of it! Thank you for sharing your lovely photos.
On the weekend, Senor brings me coffee in bed in the morning, and we sit and listen to a new cd (or rediscover an old one) and talk about our plans for the day. It’s a relatively new ritual, but it’s one that I hope continues as we build our life and our family in the future.
These are beautiful photographs—you’re a real talent!
My rituals have always revolved around keeping sketchbooks. For the last decade or so, I’ve had a sketchbook with me absolutely everywhere I go. This year, though, I’m adding a little excitement to the ritual: keeping a dated visual diary. I was inspired by a photographer friend of mine who’s documenting her family’s 5-generation farm in North Dakota. She has 30 years of her great-grandmother’s diaries in her possession; little 5-year diaries, complete with locks, that leave a space for just a few lines for each entry. The neat thing about them is how they’re arranged: each page has the date at the top, and then 5 compartments for entries, one for each year. So you can go through and compare the same date from one year to the next. I found out that style of diary is still in production in Canada, so I bought one and started making images in it on Jan. 1. (I’m hoping to blog about it soon, as soon as I get my ducks in a row.) I think this ritual will not only improve my drawing skills and my memory, but also give me a tangible record of my progress from year to year.
Your pictures are gorgeous! They are actually so pretty, they make me forget the cold.
Every Friday night, after lighting the Shabbat candles, my husband and I have the longest, tightest, re-focusing hug as we wish each other Shabbat Shalom. The kids get their squeeze and kiss, but he and I need that long, lingering hug after a long week. I swear it renews our marriage weekly.
You have some incredible scenery near you – that’s excellent that you are getting out and seeing more of it.
I love the idea of what you are doing.
The picture of the ice is fantastic.
That part of the Shenadoahs is really lovely. If you go back there, you should go to a place called Woodstock. There’s a big tower of top of the mountain, you can climb it and see some great views. I always wanted to go to those caverns, but thought the admission price was a little spendy.
It sounds like your walking ritual is a great habit for your mental, physical and relational wellness. I don’t have a ritual like this but my parents started taking evening walks when my dad was sick. It’s something they still continue to do and I think it’s strengthen their bond to each other. Amazing that that can still happen after almost 40 years of marriage!
Gorgeous pictures Lolly! I have to say that I have the same ritual and I love it! My husband and I always have to go for a walk together on the weekend. It’s our special time together.
The pictures are gorgeous. And man, this walking has made you all poetic and overwrought
It’s cute.
Beautiful pictures, Lolly! Your walk looks and sounds so inspirational!
Majestic views you’re discovering. What amazing memories you’re creating with your walks! And the photos are spectacular!
Wonderful post full of the most spectacular photos! I love being in the woods. Smelling burning firewood has to be one of our favorite smells and I agree, pine tress too.
Aren’t the caverns positively breath taking??? They are only about an hour from my house, and my boys just love when we take trips to the caverns.
Gorgeous photos!
What a lovely ritual for you both – I’m sure the year will hold many exciting paths & discoveries along the way!
most of my rituals revolve around morning and nighttime … which helps me cope with daytime …….
but, what i love most is “getting out” …. walking. i think most clearly when on trail. no music, no ipod, no company, just my thoughts …….
[...] that were easier to anticipate were the tangibles: I traveled to some wonderful spots – the Shenandoah mountains of Virginia, south-central Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New York City, Nova Scotia, the beach, [...]