Last summer, I made it my goal to walk from class to work and back to my apartment every day, despite the scorching weather. It was brutal at first, but I sucked it up and managed to do it. That’s when my love for walking far distances bloomed. Since then, the second the weather reached 40 degrees or above, I made it my goal to stop using my Ventra and try to walk to as many places as I could. The thing I truly love about walking is that I’m able to completely embrace my state of solitude by appreciating the beauty of being with myself and my raw thoughts.

Days have been getting rougher. Weeks have been getting longer. And the stresses of life just keep getting tougher and tougher. Walking has become one of my favorite outlets to de-stress. Every day, I leave my apartment, stick in my earphones, blast my music, and just walk. I try to take a different route everyday so that I’m able to discover places I haven’t been before and soak in the beauty of nature.

I think a lot of us completely underestimate how amazing it is just to chill and be by ourselves. When walking outside, we have the freedom to go wherever. In the same sense, our mind has the freedom to think about whatever. The wind clears our path of any leaves or rocks, while every step we take clears the congestion in our minds. Anytime you feel stressed, just go outside and walk. Clear your mind. It changes lives, yo.