Boots on the Ground

Not related, but my bangs have grown too long; they measure the passing of time better than I can.

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Today, after I got home from my walk in the pouring rain, I drank water straight from the tap because I couldn’t be bothered to get a cup. I should have just opened my mouth to the sky and stood there until my thirst was quenched.

I am patient, but not that patient.

I walked with blinders on, my raincoat cinched tight around my face, protecting me. We are supposed to get over a foot of rain this week. Apparently, that is a lot; reason for concern, even, but somehow I can’t see how that is more rain than we normally get. My pants were getting soaked because I chose jeans as my bottom of choice for walking in this weather. Maybe it was on purpose, and I actually soaked up at least 6 inches of that rain that the entirety of Portland is so scared of. You’re welcome! I did it for all of you. Now you won’t comically sink into the ground when you step into a puddle that was, unbeknownst to you, multiple feet deep. I am the people’s princess. The people’s soaking wet princess.

I have started this new winter routine of going on multiple hour-long walks where I have no destination and no time limit. It is very freeing to just wind up and go. I know that going on walks has been the cure-all for ages, but I have never taken it very seriously. I have gone on walks here and there, swiftly realized it didn’t fix everything in my life, and then immediately threw in the towel. This time it’s different, this time it’s going to stick.

I don’t set resolutions or goals for myself in the normal way because they are never satisfactory. I mostly just start doing something new, in a very chill way, and if I like it, I end up doing it consistently. This is what happened with the walk situation. I have also started a morning and evening stretching routine because apparently it makes you feel awesome and relaxed? I am discovering these things. It’s like I accidentally time-traveled from the 1700s and tasted something with high fructose corn syrup, or MSG, or something else that isn’t great for you, but makes things taste awesome. Like, what are you guys putting in this stuff? Endorphins or something?? (This is in reference to the walking and stretching. I don’t think that they are putting endorphins in high fructose corn syrup or MSG.) Needless to say, I’m hooked, and I will go out for my walk even in the pouring rain.

I like to call my new habits something fun, which makes me want to do it more, and this new walking era is being titled “boots on the ground”. It makes it sound more official and important, which it is…but u know, sometimes you need a title to prove it. “Boots on the ground” has so far brought me to these discoveries about my neighborhood:

• Most people do not smile back when I smile at them.

• Nobody has their blinds drawn, so I get to see what show they are watching

• It should be mandatory to put up lights during the holidays because the houses without them are depressing and scary

• Some of these people take really great care of their lawns

• Some of these people take really terrible care of their lawns

• There is one area that feels like a movie set, and I love walking through there because I pretend that I am an extra

• A lot of people do indeed look like their dogs

• There are never good books in the tiny libraries

• One tiny library has a tiny chandelier in it, but the books inside are still bad

So far, that’s my list, but I will continue to update it as I continue with “boots on the ground”, which may, in fact, be forever.

Here is my stretching song for this evening:

Goodnight!

-Ayden