This Is What Happened (To My Brain) When I Took A Walk
How something so simple can improve your life today
After living and walking in London for three months, I returned to Los Angeles three weeks ago and decided to give driving another go.
My neighborhood (sorry, city) of Santa Monica is walkable and I took advantage of that for years, even when it meant being one of a few local weirdos who did everything on foot. And, probably, the only local mom whose main mode of “transportation” was a stroller.
Yet this summer, I arrived here sick, jet-legged and now a single parent. It was also the first time I decided to spend the summer in the U.S. and not in Europe with my parents or traveling. And summer in LA means it’s hot, there’s no shade, and I’m sweaty and disgusting. Pass the car keys!
I was sure I wouldn’t know how to drive anymore but sure enough, just like riding a bike, it all came flooding back. In no time, I was driving, cursing and sweating for all the new reasons. At four years of age, my daughter learned the words “traffic” and “parking” and started saying things like “I really good at parking!” I figured any new experience was good, as long as it was temporary.
For three weeks, I was blown away by all the things I was accomplishing while driving here and…
