Generally when people talk about walking it’s either as a form of exercise or as a leisure pursuit but it’s important to remember that it is also a form of transport. This is something I often forget as of course it is a slow way of travelling and so it is easy to get into the habit of relying on faster methods but when you have the time, the slow way is far more pleasant.

I have mentioned before that while it isn’t my favourite walk the one I do most frequently is part of my commute. On office days I will get the train most of the way but alight a stop earlier than necessary so that I can enjoy a walk before logging on for the day. This walk is part of my weekly routine so I don’t really need to think about it but there are other times when I could use walking as my mode of transport but sometimes I need to remind myself of this.

This weekend I was visiting my mum who lives in the same town as me but at the other end of it – about 3 and a half miles away. I’ve gotten into the habit of getting the train as it’s quick & easy. However this time I realised I had plenty of time, so why was I going for the faster option, why not take the slow way? The train is quick with some nice views out of the window but it still has its drawbacks, for one I’m beholden to the rail operators timetable – which is often a theoretical one – secondly other people use the train. I realise I am increasingly sounding like the curmudgenly Badger from Wind in the Willows and while on an individual basis people can be lovely, sometimes even charming & delightful but en masse they are an irksome bunch. While train travellers are usually less peculiar than bus people they still have their foibles. There’ll be the one with the noisy keypad tones, the other one chewing loudly and another scrolling through TikTok with the volume on so we all have to endure a bizarre mix of robotic voices and trending tracks. The split second before boarding someone will have doused the carriage with perfume or aftershave but worse still is the ragamuffin next to you who has yet to learn what soap is.

I guess this is my issue with public transport, that while it is a great idea in theory, the problem with it is you cannot choose which members of the public you share the transport with. Meaning it is a frequently irksome experience. And this is why I must remind myself to see if I have time to take the slow way, to walk instead of train.

Which finally brings me back to my experiences this weekend, I had already decided that as I was going to Mum’s in the afternoon and had no plans for the morning then there was no reason why I couldn’t be ready in time to walk there. And that’s exactly what I did, although I must confess that when I first set out I was questioning my decision as it was windier than I’d expected and there were some sinister looking clouds on the horizon. However I am stubborn and I decided I was walking, turning back was not an option (I mean, it was, but I was telling myself it wasn’t) so I scurried along at a hearty pace. The route took me through our local park and then as the ground was dry I decided to cut across a field rather than staying on the pavement by the road. At some point I realised that the wind was calmer and so was I. Walking on grass & surrounded by trees I noticed that I was no longer dashing along, I was strolling and enjoying it.

Of course the train is faster but I think that is the only advantage it offers over walking. By walking I was getting my daily exercise without even having to think about it, I was getting fresh air, connecting with nature and most importanlty I was happy. While other passengers can make me irritated with the general populace, any people I see when I’m walking I either quickly pass before they can be annoying or I find myself endeared by them and thinking that perhaps people aren’t so bad after all. For example there was an older lady who was steaming along who I felt was giving me a glimpse into my future, similarly I spotted a mature couple aimly ambling along, comfortable in each other’s company and I hoped that was an example of how my partner & I will look to others further down the line.

My original plan had been to walk to mum’s but to get the train back so I’d have time to have dinner and chill before our main plans for the evening. However as mentioned earlier when it comes to trains, the timetables are more of a guide than an absolute. When I arrived at the station I noticed one train was about 30 minutes, how unfortunate, I thought as I merrily marched along to what I thought was my platform. Then I looked properly at the notice boards and saw that all of them were ‘delayed’ with no departures. Oh no. There were no trains running for the foreseeable future, they estimated the problem would be solved within the hour but this was not my first rodeo, I have seen those estimates get extended and then extended again.

I had a few options, although knowing the theme of this post you can probably guess the one I went with but I’m still going to go ahead and run through the others anyway. I could have gone back to Mum’s to wait for the disruption to settle but this would have been at least another hour. I could have got a bus but having lived here 15 years I have still never used a local bus so it would have been a kerfuffle working out which stop, which route and the fare. Also I’d have to sit with bus people, yikes. I could have got a in taxi but I begrudge the money and also when travelling on my own the thought of being a solo woman getting into a stranger’s car gives me the heebee jeebies. I’ve never had a bad experience but why tempt fate? So I prefer to keep taxis as a last resort and while I didn’t have bags of time, I did still have enough to be able to opt for my favourite form of transport – yes once again it was time to put my best foot forward.

The incident with the trains neatly proved my point that walking is a great way to travel as in addition to the benefits mentioned earlier you are also in control of your timetable. Yes walking back meant that it took me 50 minutes to get home but I was moving the whole time rather than waiting for updates from the train company or wondering if I was on the right bus or if the driver was going the correct way. If that wasn’t enough it had also turned into a lovely evening, the clouds had blown away, the winds had calmed down and also by the time I got back to the park it was just me and the birds.

I guess all of this is a long-winded way of reminding myself, and perhaps some other strollers, that walking isn’t just for fun, relaxation or exercise, it is also an enjoyable – and reliable – way of getting from A to B.

That’s how I stroll.