Family Hobbies

Almost every evening over the summer, as long as the weather pertains, I go on a walk.

This began during the pandemic, when my mother was annoyed about the amount of time I had to spend in my room without fresh air, and would force me out of the house to walk with her around the trail in our neighborhood. I would always resist these walks, where the hot midwestern beat down on me as I slowly trudged alongside my mother, begging her not to force me into another round. 

Despite the fact that we had been quarantined together for the past few months, we were both mainly in our own realms–her in her office, and me in my room–and many of our conversations would end in arguments. However, our walks took us to a different place, as we talked about everything from philosophy to family. I learned about her experience growing up, her highs and lows at work, and the new hobbies she was taking up. She learned about me–my dislike of online learning, the class drama going down in the group chat, and my theories about Taylor Swift’s “easter eggs.” Some days, we would just listen to a podcast together over headphones, finding comfort simply in having someone beside us. Soon, these walks became less of a chore, and instead something I would look forward to each day. 

In the summers after the pandemic, despite new activities and practices taking up my life, going on walks remains a constant. I still walk with my mother, but this experience has grown beyond something that only the two of us share into a hobby shared by everyone in my family. 

I like walking around the neighborhood with my father, who will take every opportunity to teach me new things about the world around me. Walking with my teenage sister is always fun, as we speed-walk the mile to the park so that we can sit on the bench and gossip until it gets dark. Walking with my youngest sister brings an hour of giggles as we play games and share our latest embarrassing stories. As my high school years draw to a close, so too does my time remaining in my household, so I have increasingly appreciated these moments with my family, taking the time to learn and listen and savoring every moment.

While most of my walks are with people, I also appreciate going on walks by myself. After a busy day physically, academically, or socially, taking the time for myself to wander aimlessly through the flowered walking trails is the perfect end to my day. On days like those, with nothing to distract me besides my own thoughts (and, of course, my artfully curated walking playlist), I really do “take time for the little things,” stopping to enjoy a sunset or watch a family of geese cross the street. Everything looks so much more beautiful when you give yourself a second to stop to take it all in. 

This pastime is one I am incredibly glad that my mother shared with me. Going on walks is an opportunity to de-stress and reconnect with myself and my family, and has become a lovely constant in my life over the summer. I know this is incredibly cheesy and sentimental, but going on walks is a reminder of the beautiful little things in life, and is something I really appreciate.