Walking to Work

The comment on my last post made me think of how fortunate I am to walk to work. I’ve been doing so for over the last six years, and couldn’t be happier with it. In fact, this is the strongest reason for us to continue to live in the heart of the district. I’m a big fan of metro as well, but I’m quite delighted that I don’t have to commute daily by anything other than my own two feet.

Over the years, as we’ve moved from place to place, my commute has changed as we go. My longest daily commute was when I first moved to DC, coming in at 1.7 miles to and then from work. Later, while in grad school, my commute on days when I went to class, was more than three miles round trip as well.

In our recent move, I’ve shaved off four blocks from my commute and it makes all the difference. Instead of 1.6 miles to work, it is only 1 mile if I take advantage of the diagonals of DC.

I also take the route of limiting my iPod usage while walking so I can enjoy and be aware of my surroundings. I most often listen on my morning walk when there are fewer folks bustling to work, and in the afternoon I take a break from it and tune into my surroundings instead.There are morning, like these, where I take photos on my walk to work. It makes me appreciate how much better my commute is in the fresh open air, getting my added bonus work out, instead of fighting traffic.In fact, when I’m on the way back from my morning boot camp, I pause at one of the bigger arteries coming into the city and see people in their cars and am glad that I’ve already enjoyed my morning workout while others are already en route to work.There are other mornings, where I decide to take a morning walk before getting ready for work. These pictures I took a few months back when it was still dark in the morning twilight. It was a great way to start my morning.I might live in center of a dense metropolis, but when you can see a view like this in your morning, it makes all the difference.I can appreciate the architecture of the city and enjoy the community of watching others run or walk their dogs.
Then eventually I walk from the residential area of DC, right into the heart of downtown for work. I remember one of the things I love about briefly living in Brisbane, Australia was seeing people walk through the downtown on their way to work. There was something about it that was just so invigorating. It doesn’t get better than this.

Miel

2 Comments

  1. 'Drea on May 10, 2010 at 4:20 am

    I can’t think of anything more brutal than boot camp in the morning. 😉 AND you walk to work? Way to take care of yourself.

    Love the pictures.

    What kind of architecture is that in the first two pictures? D.C. Canal Houses?

  2. Ms. Miel on May 10, 2010 at 2:43 pm

    ‘Drea – Yes, Mondays are hardest, as I end up staying up late to get stuff done. Going to bed at midnight and waking up for boot camp at 6am isn’t the easiest, but it is worthwhile.

    Glad you like the pictures. I figure it is good to share ones from here as well as the rest of the globe.

    The architecture is just standard Washington brownstone townhouses. Still love them so.

    Cheers,

    Miel

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