The Physical Journey

I said before that this 1,000 mile journey is more than just those miles. It is a physical, mental, and spiritual journey, but what does that mean? A journey is defined as "an act of traveling from one place to another." For me, those three journeys are all equally important, and I cannot reach the destination I hope to without each of them.

Ironically, it is the physical journey that will travel the least - despite the walking, I have no intention of this journey taking me any distance from my home. I will walk my last mile in the same place I walk my first, so in that respect, the journey goes nowhere. But I hope that no matter where my feet stroll, I physically end up far from where I feel myself to be now.

All my life, I have struggled with my weight. From teasing in school and insults from family to not being able to find clothing that fits my shape to little tricks developed in the hopes that the scale goes down, my weight has haunted me for decades. I'm fortunate in that I have no realistic health complications related to weight, and I know I'm  not considered as severely obese as others, but it's a personal journey to my own better weight, not the weight that society may dictate as ideal or desirable. 

Losing weight is only part of the physical journey I want these 1,000 miles to take me on, however. I want to grow healthier for myself and for my family, to enjoy the life I live with every step. I want to improve my posture and my skin tone, increase my energy, and become more flexible. Walking will do many of those things, and as small steps build into multiple miles, I hope to take additional non-walking steps to accomplish other physical goals.

Physically, there are a great many places this journey can take me - if I have the strength and energy to take those first steps and walk that first mile.