spazieren

not german for spazing out.

is german for taking a stroll.

germans generally walk faster than americans. well, like any stereotype that will depend on who you're walking with. i worked at peir1 in manhattan, ks, for a month or two when the were moving. the managers there (except for the brown haired girl) walked really fast. brent and andrea. fast walkers.

anyways, i was thinking sometime around november that i wanted to adapt this trait to myself, to become a fast walker. i saw all the drawbacks immediately. for the very reasons i have chosen to walk at a slower or at least moderate pace all these years i was hesitant to begin the process. but i through my caution to my new self made wind and began stepping to my new beat.

it was actually nice. at first, my legs were kind of sore. i walk a couple of miles every day here anyways, so doing it extra fast was a bit of task. nothing too serious, i'll admit, but it was something. i got places faster; that was neat.

for a long time, however, i've been thinking it over, but for some reason i was waiting to turn back the dial. and then came tonight.

maybe it was the coffee wearing off (i found a pretty boss coffee shop downtown today. i'll probably go there more often now), mabye it was the music i was listening to, maybe it was the time, i dunno, but tonight after stammtisch i broke my stride.

and it was beautiful.

maybe it's one of those "you don't know what you have til it's gone" type of things. i started walking slowly and everything, seriously everything was better. smells, sights, sounds, feeling the air and the fence posts, everything. it was so beautiful.

i must say, if you want to have a beautiful evening, walk fast for a couple months and then take a nice slow stroll.

spazieren gehen - german word of the day (well, night technically)

.jrs.

i actually have a couple other thoughts on taking walks, but sadly there are no bonus features on this dvd. maybe if you try inserting disc 2. . .