Home is Behind, The World Ahead

Discovery Park in Seattle

"Home is behind, the world ahead,
And there are many paths to tread
Through shadows to the edge of night,
Until the stars are all alight.
Then world behind and home ahead,
We'll wander back to home and bed."
- J.R.R. Tolkien, "A Walking Song" from The Lord of the Rings

This month has not gone as planned thus far. I knew that July was the month where I would have to push the hardest to make progress and I have discovered one truth that I wasn't quite planning for: walking takes a lot of time.


In order to make around 8 miles a day, I would have to give up the typical routine of my life and use much of each day walking... and with classes to take, commitments to keep, and friends to visit, I'm just not willing to make that sacrifice. However, I still wanted to be in shape and make this journey, so I've been trying to fit biking in when I can; five miles goes much faster on a bike, after all, than on foot.

I also came down with a pretty gross cold during these past two week, so for two days I essentially only walked to and from the bedroom, the couch, and the bathroom. That put a huge snag in my plan!

However, when I wasn't bedridden, I did have fun walking on forest trails, to events that otherwise I might have tried to drive to, and to areas of town I don't normally visit.

Interlaken Park  in Seattle

The Hobbit-spirit is still with me, but I am mildly disheartened. I walked 60 miles these two weeks, but that still means I have 260 left to go. That number feels insane, and I worry that I should be much further than I am... but I won't give up yet! I am still going to try and make my goal. Time to step it up!

"But I expect they had lots of chances, like us, of turning back, only they didn’t. 

And if they had, we shouldn’t know, because they’d have been forgotten." 

- J.R.R. Tolkien, Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings

Miles walked so far: 137 total, about 4 miles a day averaged these two weeks 

Music to set the mood: "Misty Mountains and the Song of the Lonely Mountain" both from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey soundtrack and (even better, in my view) by David Arkenstone. Also, "Long Time Traveller" by The Wallin' Jennys

Favorite moment of this chapter of the journey: Discovery Park is my favorite walking spot in the city of Seattle. I made about a five mile hike there this past week and it was so calming, lovely, and fun. However, I think my favorite moment was actually discovering a new park that I didn't know existed in my neighborhood: Interlaken Park. Tucked next to a busy road and a neighborhood, you have to be looking for these forest-y trails and paths to find them. Now that I know it's there, I definitely plan on visiting more!

Current mood in this chapter of the journey: A bit more frustrated than last month, but still determined