During the pandemic in 2020, Lisa Liu Grady picked up a new hobby: walking outdoors and exploring new neighborhoods.
When the world shut down in March 2020, I, like many others, took to the sidewalks for socially distanced exercise. Cabin fever met county guidelines, and I set a daily goal: 10,000 steps. What began as a coping strategy quickly became something more. Day after day, I walked — and I haven’t stopped since. Each morning, I pick a direction — left, right or wherever the breeze of fragrant jasmine blossoms leads me. I’ve wandered through unfamiliar streets and sun-dappled cul-de-sacs, soaking in the kind of California sunshine that’s easy to take for granted.
I smile and wave to everyone (really!) — neighbors I know and those I don’t. And if there are cute dogs leashed to those people, even better. Painted pandemic-era rocks still dot the landscape with faded affirmations: breathe, be strong, find the good. Messages relevant today even as the paint wears off.
I’ve rediscovered Little Free Libraries tucked under loquat trees, offering thrillers, cookbooks and children’s stories. Handwritten signs invite neighbors to “Please take one” from driveway buckets brimming with Meyer lemons. Once, I even passed an open sack of home-harvested potatoes as a curbside invitation. Although I didn’t partake, I still grinned the rest of the way home. Recently, I’ve started rucking —walking with a weighted backpack.
Nothing high-tech: just my college-aged daughter’s old high school backpack filled with a few of my heaviest books plus a five-pound hand weight. Plus, my doctor is pleased by the results of this easy weight-bearing exercise.