Walking The Streets of New Orleans

It seems that I've been walking quite a bit lately and I'm feeling more energetic than ever. Walking for me has been such a blessing. I've found a type of exercise that gets my circulation flowing and warms my muscles for more flexibility. Keeping our bodies moving helps keep our joints flexible and prevents getting stiff in our later years. I don't necessarily walk at a record pace but I do try to do a mile in about 20 minutes, which is enough to break a sweat. Of course sweating is a great way to purge the body of toxins.

Now I'm the type of person who is very happy at home either puttering in the garden or cooking something but my daily walks get me out of my comfort zone and on to the streets, never knowing what I'll see around the next corner.

I find it's the best way to connect with people too. Just this morning I saw three young women coming out of a hostel in my neighborhood holding a map and looking confused. I chatted with them to see if they wanted any help and they ended up accompanying me on my walk as far as Jackson Square. We talked about a lot of things as we moved along Magazine St. They were from England and Australia and had been working at a camp for underserved youth for the summer in Upstate New York. We exchanged numbers and I encouraged them to come by for coffee.

I continued down Chartres to the far end of the Quarter and over through the Marigny.

I enjoy taking pictures on my walks of things I find interesting. The weather has been providing us with some amazing skies. The clouds have been amazing spectacles of light especially in early morning just as the sun begins to rise. That's the best time to walk in my opinion. You don't have to contend with the heat and you begin to see the city waking up for the day.

I love my city, even with all of it's shortcomings. Walking the streets of New Orleans is a direct reminder to me of why I choose to live here.