Dear Diary: How strolls helped me

My relationship with the outdoors has always been complicated. 

I have always been a girl who happens to have indoor hobbies. I like reading, writing and drawing, things that are great to do on a computer or in a notebook while you’re comfortable inside. I wasn’t a fan of either the unbearable heat or the chilling cold, and I certainly didn’t want to be anywhere near insects. 

But when I was younger, I loved going to the playground, riding a scooter or swimming in the pool. It wasn’t like I was afraid of going outside, it just didn’t suit my hobbies most of the time. 

There was only one small problem with that. I definitely still needed exercise. I would often be encouraged to go outside when I was young to get sunshine. I never stayed out for long though, since I would get tired of it rather quickly. But even I knew that sitting around in a house all day wasn’t exactly good for my health. 

So, I would try lots of different things to enjoy the outdoors. I’d play outside games with friends and go mess around on a playground. It was absolutely just to satisfy my boredom when I was young, but as I got older, it was a good way to get my thoughts out. My brain has a tendency to run around in circles when it comes to a train of thought, and exercise was an oddly great way to satisfy it. 

But then I entered teenagehood. A lot of things I enjoyed when I was younger gradually became less interesting to me. I didn’t ride my scooter, and my friends became interested in other things. It was just a part of growing up, so that wasn’t unusual. 

However, most would say 2020 was a very unusual time. My free time outside was all but murdered by quarantine. If I did anything fun outside at all, it would be on my own or with my siblings. 

2020 passed, and eventually the pandemic did too, but now I had no idea what to do. It felt like I had been shoved from one stage of life to the other, and I wasn’t sure what I should be doing. 

With the lack of things to do, I stuck inside for a while. But of course, that wasn’t healthy. As a part of my schoolwork, my mom assigned me to walk outside for a half hour each school day. Nowadays, that sounds easy, and it still was easy when I started doing it, but it didn’t stop me from feeling like it was taking forever. Back then, it felt pointless. I would just be walking around a neighborhood I’m already familiar with.  

At some point, things changed. I realized how fast I was experiencing life, and how much stress that was putting me through. There are so many things that convince you to rush through it all, but it wasn’t healthy for me. 

When I started growing a deeper connection to God, I oddly began to appreciate walking more. I started taking strolls on the weekends when I wasn’t required to at all. It wasn’t long before I realized walks were a good outlet for stress and the thoughts that keep wheeling around. 

My walking time actually doubled from a half-hour to an hour, and sometimes I would want to go for longer than that! These strolls were so peaceful that I started enjoying the simple fact of being outside and experiencing life. 

Now that I work at an office, I appreciate walking so much more. I’ve done a complete 180 on my opinion of the subject. 

I’ve got to tell you, the simple act of walking around for a short bit of time a day has done me wonders. I feel so much more relaxed. It feels like a time when I don’t get caught up in distractions that pull me away from life. I’ve made prayers during my walks, which always feel beautiful. I got earbuds so I could listen to fun music tracks that add to my experience. The simple act of seeing people I know makes me feel so much better. It has absolutely helped me with my exercise and stamina too.  

I know I’m just telling you a story about strolls, and it all seems so simple, but oddly enough, the things I remember most about life are often the simplest. 

I think everyone should take the time to do a little something outside. That’s a statement I never thought I would say as a young teenager, but here I am. It doesn’t even have to be a walk. It can be a bicycle ride, planting flowers, or relaxing on a porch. 

Taking time to be present is so important nowadays in a world that is always vying for your attention. I think it’s good to give these little stories as reminders to appreciate God’s beauty around us.