May 17, 2023
I started the day high on caffeine. Having not had a regular coffee since January, the java hit my bloodstream like the cocaine I tried in a NYC nightclub back in the ’90s. I spent the first couple of hours speed walking the bike path and feeling antsy.
Once the caffeine left my system, I greater enjoyed my surroundings. The Northampton section of the New Haven & Northampton Canal Rail Trail seem to now be considered part of the Manhan Rail Trail’s main segment. I walked the entire Manhan Rail Trail, including the Oxbow section. Since I parked in the middle of everything, I had to do three out-and-backs to cover all the territory. Total mileage I walked was between 18-20 miles.
By the end of the day, I felt so, so good. I needed this long walking day. The perfect weather and all the people I met and spoke with and the constant moving of my feet for eight hours set me right as rain. I’ve been working hard on a project which is near completion, and I needed this break. There’s also been too many reminders of past traumas lately, and I can feel those traumas healing with every step I take. During such long walks/hikes in places new to me, I am reminded of who I am, what I believe in, and what I can do. There is no other place I want to be for the rest of my life than on a new-to-me-path in a new-to-me location, be it mountain trail, desert track, or suburban bike path.
