Of all the things I've enjoyed about living in Arlington, VA, this is the one I believe I'll miss the most. It's such a simple thing, but something that - as a family - we'd not done much before we moved here.
What is it?
Walking.
Living here, we walk everywhere - because everything we need is in within walking distance. In an average week, I drive our car once. We walk to the grocery, to the library, to the park. We walk to restaurants, shops, Starbucks. We walk to the train and then to all the museums and monuments available to us in DC.
We map out our walks sometimes - we may cover close to 6 miles in a sight-seeing day, easily.
There's something about walking to get where you need to go. There's time to talk and time to notice and time to enjoy the change of seasons and the differences in the light. There's time to hold hands and laugh and hug. There's opportunity to stop and marvel at the high-rise building that, only months before, was a huge hole in the ground. There's time to walk off the burger and beer from the Talky Beer Place.
I'm not sure how we'll handle the lack of walking when we get back to Knoxville. We can't walk TO anywhere there. We live in a neighborhood full of houses, instead of a neighborhood full of everything. Our sidewalks lead to highways instead of grocery stores. It's a big difference to walk for the purpose of walking, rather than for the purpose of going somewhere...
...and I'll miss it.
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Hey! Go check out quirk! It's completely quirkalicious this month...
I really agree with you - passionately. We raised our 3 children in San Antonio TX and drove the car two blocks to the strip mall where the dry cleaners etc were located. No sidewalks and huge pick-up trucks threatened our lives if we walked. My grandchildren are growing up in New York City, close to us, and in Capitol Hill DC - and can easily walk long distances, even the 2 year old in DC walks everywhere. I think they are learning so much more about the diversity in our lives and culture, the languages being spoken around them on buses and subways. Just interacting with their fellow human beings in such an amazing way has to seep into their little heads. I hope that you find a substitute in Knoxville. After almost 18 years in New York City, I couldn't go back to the suburbs.
ReplyDeleteThere is something to be said about being able to walk almost anywhere you need to go. One of the beauties of living near the city. If I ever win the lottery, I'll keep the house I have in the sticks and buy a condo in the city.
ReplyDeleteGreat photo
i miss that about bham - hope the move goes well
ReplyDeleteUnlike Char, I live in an area of B'ham where you take your life into your hands if you try to walk anywhere, thanks to no sidewalks and crazy drivers.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, the neighborhood I grew up in had sidewalks. I walked to my friend's houses. We walked to school and back everyday. I got to walk to the library by myself beginning when I was 10. I walked to my first job. We walked in the neighborhood in the evening when the day had cooled down some. I miss being able to do that.
I understand how you will miss the ease of walking out your door and going wherever you want. I would mourn the loss of that too.