u s e y o u r h a n d s

So, for the past six or so months, I’ve been taking these very long walks around the city. It started with an eight-nine mile walk home from my office downtown. It’s actually fairly easy to do with good shoes, an iPod and a camera.

I do it to feel independent. To keep off the 75 lbs I lost last year. To find interesting parts of the city. I’ve taken ridiculous amounts of streetart photos this way. I’ve come to rely on Starbucks for clean potties and hot coffee during the walks. I’ve started noticing and researching landmark districts around the city. I’ve walked Milwaukee Ave from the Loop to Devon, from my house to Evanston, and home from downtown numerous times. And it’s something I highly recommend, if you’re looking to fall in love with your city and engender respect for the power of your own feet.

But mainly, I’ve learned that you don’t have to walk the whole way home, as long as you’re headed in the right direction.

My whole body feels like houligans took bats to it. My shoulder is twitching. My calves are screaming. My jaw is clenched shut because I lost my $400 bite block. My hands constantly ache. I need a massage and a vacation.

I rode home yesterday. it was hot and I was exremely thirsty. But I kept hopping on and off my bike to take photos of street art. I’ll post those later. But I got more and more thirsty. At some point, I tried to spit, which instead of landing with a plop on the street, landed in a sticky string on my thigh. Someone should make it their business to teach girls how to spit.

And scene.

So, I’ve started riding my bike a lot. Like eight miles to work and back on an upright seven-speed cruiser. I love, love, love riding my bike in the fresh morning air. On my way to work, I pass the Vienna Beef, Gonella Bread, and Blommer Chocolate factories. And when I turn the corner from Milwaukee to Kinzie, and smell that Blommer air, it’s like heaven. if anything beats that smell of chocolate-warmed air, I have had a good day indeed.