Grant Wiley – Noland Trail (student choice)


             I have recently begun walking the Noland Trail every Sunday after some of the discussion in class about walking and wilderness. While I don’t think it is the perfect representation of the wilderness or nature, I believe it is the closest that I can get while in Newport News. One of the new challenges that I have started attempting is walking without any distractions such as listening to music or podcasts. While I make no judgement of those who might walk around with music, it seems to help me take in my surroundings and live in the moment more easily. Additionally, I have tried to frame my walk as times to think rather than some sort of workout. This allows me to have the right mindset when going into the walk that I am there to experience “nature” instead of just trying to improve myself physically or mentally. 

            For my RSTD 236 class called “Sacred Communications, Sacred Journeys” we are reading a book called The Art of Pilgrimage. While I don’t really enjoy the book, there is a cool section that talks about the art of walking. The author brings many quotes from writers such as Nietzsche and Immanuel Kant who highlight the importance of walking in their daily lives. It is said that Immanuel Kant took the same walk to his office every single day at the same time only missing a few days to read Rosseau’s work Emile. It is said that Kant and Nietzsche both walked often and that can probably be said for most of the great thinkers of the past. For this reason and some that I have found from this class, I hope that I can continue this tradition of thoughtful walking throughout my years. 

- January 27, 2021

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