Everyone has hobbies, or they should, at least. If you don’t have a hobby, get one. Hobbies are a great way to take your mind off all your issues, relax, or pursue other passions. My favorite hobbies are reading, watching YouTube, watching live sports, and going on walks. My absolute favorite varies from time to time, but chief among these right now is going on walks. And it sometimes doesn’t matter the weather. A couple weeks ago on a sunday night, I was absolutely dying to go on a walk, but it was 15 degrees outside. I played mental ping-pong for a while about it, then finally I went outside to go for a walk. When I returned home, I had zero regrets. It was a nice getaway. 

When I say walks are my getaways, I mean it physically and mentally. I get away from wherever I am physically and get into a different place mentally as well. I am a high performance person. High schoolers are always being asked to perform: turn in this assignment, study for this test, don’t forget about that project, good luck on your game tonight. These are phrases I hear daily. During my walks, none of that matters. It is just me and my thoughts. No one has ever come up to me while I was on a walk and handed me a math worksheet or given me a literary analysis essay to write. I’ve gone on walks before with both of those things hanging over my head, but new assignments or problems ever arise on a walk. It is just me in my own little world. 

Now about walking while I have homework or other activities to do. If it sounds like I am avoiding my problems, it is because at the root of it I am. I know the saying “avoiding your problems will only make them worse.” That is not true academically speaking. When I go on a walk, when I come back the due date has never changed. The only thing that has changed is the amount of time I have to get it done, which is never an issue. I know what you’re thinking: “that is an issue, you moron! You still have the homework, but now you have less time.” Here’s my counterargument: I always come back from my walks with a clear mind. That is a valuable thing in today’s world. 

Like anything else, my walks have evolved over the years. They used to be short: maybe half a mile. Now, my shortest walk is at least a mile. Who I walk with has changed. I used to walk with my family. Now I just walk alone. It’s nothing against them, I just like doing it more than they do. Everyone has their ways of relaxing and walking is my favorite. Also, a couple years ago I discovered something: earbuds. They go really well with my playlists. I just plug them in and hit shuffle. It is a life changing phenomenon, I’m telling you. That has since made my walks way more enjoyable. That is part of the reason why my walks have evolved so much over the years. When something is enjoyable, that makes me want to do it more. That isn’t even a me thing. It’s a human nature thing. I don’t know if I have convinced you to go on a walk right now or not, but it doesn’t matter to me. All I know is that today is escaping me and I am feeling a walk right now.