Social Workout

Workout

wandering & wondering.

another lone wanderer.

In which this week's "Featured Body," msh258, undertakes an epic journey.

After work, leaving the euphemistically named "Lower Level" (aka basement) of the building where my office resides and feeling the light breeze and sunshine on my skin, nothing seemed less appealing than heading to the gym to coop myself up for another couple of hours. So, I did what any other rational young professional NYC lady in heels would do...I decided to walk from Union Square to Jackson Heights, Queens. Uhm....right. Armed with the iPhone GPS and a pair of sneakers that I would avoid wearing for as long as possible, I started heading up 3rd Avenue.

Against the busy hum of the city streets, my mind just wandered from this to that, only occasionally interrupted by the world around me...maybe by the unexpected smell of flowers as I walk by the corner deli, maybe by the passionate embrace of a love-struck couple as they block my path. But, for the most part, I was in my own little world.

It took me a little while to figure out how to get onto the pedestrian path for the bridge, but once I did, I was surprised by the number of bikers making their way back and forth between the boroughs even as the sun set. I only came across the rare other lone soul strolling over the bridge, and when I did, it was almost odd. Usually, we are absorbed into the rhythm of the city and become anonymous. We pass each other by, keep our heads low as we listen to our ipod, check our phones, or make a call. We don't see each other. On the narrow walkway of the bridge, you couldn't not. As you tentatively approach each other, you each know that your anonymity doesn't exist on that path. It's just you and another person. So, as you pass each other, you give a slight smile and a nod, and maybe you even wish each other a pleasant evening. You are forced to make a connection with a complete stranger and while it's unnerving, it's also beautifully simple.

Those little interactions, and especially how uncomfortable they made me at first, reminded me of when I lived in Switzerland. Even though it may be surprising, in Switzerland, in all but the largest cities, it is the norm to greet every single person as you walk by them with a "gruetzi" and probably a smile and nod. It was so standard to daily interactions that I never thought about it twice. That is, until I moved to New York, and became more and more uncomfortable with those interactions. It made me anxious to acknowledge and greet strangers when all I could think was that it was inappropriate and strange to do so. Funny how our environment changes us.

I finished my 8 mile walk in just under three hours. It was a beautiful way to give my body some TLC (and not another beating at the gym) and allow my mind to process all that's happening in my life. I've been feeling very unsettled and I'm not sure how to ground myself...I think I'll need a lot more of this type of contemplation to start making decisions on where I want to be and how I will get there.