Why I walk

My first outdoor experiences were ‘tramps’ with my family when I was a kid. The reason I walked was because my mum said I had to. 

I now get the privilege of exploring my ‘whys’, my intrinsic motivations, independently.

I recently wrote a post about why reflecting on my motivations is so important to me. You can find the re-posted version here.

Everyone has different ‘whys’. Talking to others about their motivations has helped me better understand my own.

My ‘whys’ are constantly in flux. They can vary day to day, month to month, hour to hour. More on why this is something to be aware of here.

I like doing hard things, but not just because I want to be faster or walk further, although that can be an added bonus. I walk because I want to improve my resilience, prove to myself I am capable. I want the good brain chemicals that come from exercise. I walk, because being active makes my body and brain feel good. I walk, and I don’t want to always do hard things. 

I walk for the connection to people. There is nothing like beautiful days, cold swims and time away from civilization to connect with people. Most of my closest friends are ones I have spent extensive time with in the outdoors. 

I walk for the connection to place. The slow nature of walking allows me to fully sink into my environment. Connecting to the land, the trees, the water. To me, this is quite a spiritual experience. 

I feel more connected to the land I live on having an intimate knowledge of its bumps and curves. I love looking at a geographical feature from the road or my topo map, knowing what it feels like to stand up there, wind stinging my skin and feet sore from a few days of walking. 

I walk for the connection to self. Long quiet days give me the space to breathe. I use it as a tool to create time and space to decompress and reflect. When things feel hard, the boredom of walking for days on end helps me find the energy to face things I have been avoiding. It can motivate me, get me excited to do things that aren’t staring at my feet for 8 hours a day. 

Walking makes me feel good. Makes me feel strong. It lets me connect to myself, others, and to papatūānuku herself.