Day 26: Thursday, August 26
Walk to/around downtown Northampton, MA RT
Every day can’t be a big, exciting adventure, there’s just not the time and creativity to churn out that level of activity. So today’s adventure was one of those low-key ones, an aimless, unplanned walk. I like these adventures for the uncertainty, you never know what you will see just walking out your front door and leaving two or more hours open for wandering. There’s an accentuated freedom that comes with this exercise, the lack of commitment and the openness to possibilities. I walked, and continued walking. That’s all, simple and beautiful as that. Onto the Manhan Rail Trail going north, to Northampton, past the Oxbow Marina and through the meadows around the Oxbow, into and around downtown Northampton, and back. This walk included some of everything: seclusion, woods, trails, gravel roads, paved paths, rural homes, city streets, water, shops, jazz, people. These unplanned excursions are necessary from time to time.
Adventure: Walk out the door without a plan (to downtown Northampton, as it turned out).
Distance traveled: About 8.5 miles RT walking.
Challenges: Allowing the absence of structure and plan; accepting to go where my feet take me; walking nonstop for 2.5 hours; slightly sore feet.
Risks: Boredom (though that didn’t occur); slight traffic risk.
Difficulty scale 1-10: 4
Highlights: Walking around the Oxbow, viewing the water, enjoying the solitude of the woods; catching live jazz downtown; watching people go about their lives.