I am the Wanderer
Over the last couple weeks I have greatly enjoyed going on walks around my neighborhood. I am very lucky to live in a newer and very safe neighborhood which is crisscrossed with many bike/walking paths.
Part of the reason I am doing it is to help me become healthier and lose some weight. Another reason is that I enjoy the peace and quiet and alone time. I can get really frustrated watching my husband just sit on the couch day after day so instead of getting upset or annoyed I just head out for a walk. I can’t control his actions (or lack thereof..) but I can control what I do with my own time and my own health.
I started a little Keep note about how many steps the small circle is, and the next circle, and the next. My iPhone helps me track my steps. I have been progressively extending my walks to new trails and staying out for longer each time. Sometimes I do get too hot and feel like the sun is starting to burn me so I’ll come home and take a break and head out later for more.
Yesterday I hit my new high of over 16,000 steps! It helped that I had all day and the kids were out of town. I also had time to watch a couple episodes of The Man in the High Castle and play a game of cribbage with Jan while we grilled burgers. Oh and I also went out on a one hour solo motorcycle ride!
I have noticed a few things on my walks… One is that I do not see any squirrels.. This seems really odd to me since everywhere I’ve ever lived in WI has had lots of squirrels. We had one around our back yard last year, but I don’t recall seeing any this year, even on my nature walks. In their place though I have seen tons of bunnies/rabbits!! I have never seen such a huge population of rabbits before! Every few feet down the trails I’ll see one or two, often scurrying into the high grasses. I know I’ve heard the expression fucking like bunnies, and boy these do seem to be some prolific ones!
I also enjoy admiring all the nice newly constructed houses on my walks. I live in a fairly young neighborhood that is continually expanding. Many of these houses are pretty big, but even the smaller ones are way out of my price range probably beginning around $300K. It’s fun to admire them and pick out parts that I really like about this one, or perhaps would want to stay away from in my own future home, should I ever get to buy/build one..
One other thing I noticed is that our buildings, which were built about 13 years ago, all have shutters, but NONE of the new constructions just down the street have shutters. Must be a thing of the past now??
I try to walk mainly during day light hours but it can get pretty hot and I don’t always have time. But I have also gone out for some walks at night. Overall I feel pretty safe in my neighborhood, but even still I get really nervous being out alone in the dark.. Checking over my shoulder, and planning where I would run if someone tried to nefariously approach me.. Usually if I go out after dark I will stick to the sidewalks lined with street lights, and avoid the dark paths going through the prairies and peoples back yards.. The mosquitos are a lot worse on the paths too, but usually only around sunset and after dark. But even still I can just hear the condemnation I would receive if something happened to me. “You should have known better than to go out alone at night!” I know that is fucked up, blame the victim right? But that’s just the way it is. We do have to have some accountability for our own actions and safety.. But still it shouldn’t be my fault if I get attacked or assaulted. But so far so good (::knock on wood::).
I’ve also tried to get back into yoga again too. Sometimes after my last walk I’ll do a YouTube episode of yoga. I’m so out of shape! Haha. It’s hard for me to do some of the things that were easy for me before.. But if I just keep practicing again I’ll get stronger and it should get easier!!
I just want to be healthier and thinner. I want to feel good about myself and about how I treat my body. This is also bringing me a new sense of confidence as well.
Oh and as for knowing how I am feeling in the moment and setting boundaries for myself I think I am getting a little better at that. One day Jan decided to go on a walk with me. He didn’t want to go the ways I usually go and instead we went on new paths and then through areas currently under construction.. I felt a little weird about being in the construction areas but they were not partitioned off and no one was working (was neat to see some of the big equipment up close!).
But then he wanted to continue going and walk through a farmer’s field and into the industrial area. I was not comfortable with that, I did not want to go that way. So I said I didn’t want to do that and despite his prodding I turned around and headed back towards home on my familiar trails. He continued to plod ahead through the soybean field. I made it all the way home and then back out around another big circle before he got back. He ended up wandering through the industrial area and the woods before reaching Highway 19 and then walking home down Lake Rd.
I am glad I turned around. For one I would not have been very comfortable walking along those busy roads. And two, I was not comfortable with his choice and so I chose to do my own thing. Even though I knew he would probably be pissy with me later I didn’t want to do it so I didn’t do it! I set that boundary for myself and I didn’t let him pressure me into going anyway. This may seems small, but it was a victory for me and my autonomy!
Part of the reason I am doing it is to help me become healthier and lose some weight. Another reason is that I enjoy the peace and quiet and alone time. I can get really frustrated watching my husband just sit on the couch day after day so instead of getting upset or annoyed I just head out for a walk. I can’t control his actions (or lack thereof..) but I can control what I do with my own time and my own health.
I started a little Keep note about how many steps the small circle is, and the next circle, and the next. My iPhone helps me track my steps. I have been progressively extending my walks to new trails and staying out for longer each time. Sometimes I do get too hot and feel like the sun is starting to burn me so I’ll come home and take a break and head out later for more.
Yesterday I hit my new high of over 16,000 steps! It helped that I had all day and the kids were out of town. I also had time to watch a couple episodes of The Man in the High Castle and play a game of cribbage with Jan while we grilled burgers. Oh and I also went out on a one hour solo motorcycle ride!
I have noticed a few things on my walks… One is that I do not see any squirrels.. This seems really odd to me since everywhere I’ve ever lived in WI has had lots of squirrels. We had one around our back yard last year, but I don’t recall seeing any this year, even on my nature walks. In their place though I have seen tons of bunnies/rabbits!! I have never seen such a huge population of rabbits before! Every few feet down the trails I’ll see one or two, often scurrying into the high grasses. I know I’ve heard the expression fucking like bunnies, and boy these do seem to be some prolific ones!
I also enjoy admiring all the nice newly constructed houses on my walks. I live in a fairly young neighborhood that is continually expanding. Many of these houses are pretty big, but even the smaller ones are way out of my price range probably beginning around $300K. It’s fun to admire them and pick out parts that I really like about this one, or perhaps would want to stay away from in my own future home, should I ever get to buy/build one..
One other thing I noticed is that our buildings, which were built about 13 years ago, all have shutters, but NONE of the new constructions just down the street have shutters. Must be a thing of the past now??
I try to walk mainly during day light hours but it can get pretty hot and I don’t always have time. But I have also gone out for some walks at night. Overall I feel pretty safe in my neighborhood, but even still I get really nervous being out alone in the dark.. Checking over my shoulder, and planning where I would run if someone tried to nefariously approach me.. Usually if I go out after dark I will stick to the sidewalks lined with street lights, and avoid the dark paths going through the prairies and peoples back yards.. The mosquitos are a lot worse on the paths too, but usually only around sunset and after dark. But even still I can just hear the condemnation I would receive if something happened to me. “You should have known better than to go out alone at night!” I know that is fucked up, blame the victim right? But that’s just the way it is. We do have to have some accountability for our own actions and safety.. But still it shouldn’t be my fault if I get attacked or assaulted. But so far so good (::knock on wood::).
I’ve also tried to get back into yoga again too. Sometimes after my last walk I’ll do a YouTube episode of yoga. I’m so out of shape! Haha. It’s hard for me to do some of the things that were easy for me before.. But if I just keep practicing again I’ll get stronger and it should get easier!!
I just want to be healthier and thinner. I want to feel good about myself and about how I treat my body. This is also bringing me a new sense of confidence as well.
Oh and as for knowing how I am feeling in the moment and setting boundaries for myself I think I am getting a little better at that. One day Jan decided to go on a walk with me. He didn’t want to go the ways I usually go and instead we went on new paths and then through areas currently under construction.. I felt a little weird about being in the construction areas but they were not partitioned off and no one was working (was neat to see some of the big equipment up close!).
But then he wanted to continue going and walk through a farmer’s field and into the industrial area. I was not comfortable with that, I did not want to go that way. So I said I didn’t want to do that and despite his prodding I turned around and headed back towards home on my familiar trails. He continued to plod ahead through the soybean field. I made it all the way home and then back out around another big circle before he got back. He ended up wandering through the industrial area and the woods before reaching Highway 19 and then walking home down Lake Rd.
I am glad I turned around. For one I would not have been very comfortable walking along those busy roads. And two, I was not comfortable with his choice and so I chose to do my own thing. Even though I knew he would probably be pissy with me later I didn’t want to do it so I didn’t do it! I set that boundary for myself and I didn’t let him pressure me into going anyway. This may seems small, but it was a victory for me and my autonomy!