The Square Life

Recently I took a five-day trip to New York City. And while I did take in the usual sights like architecture, celebrities and hot dog vendors during my stay, I was most pleased about one detail in particular: I lost weight. The cause of this miracle, it turns out, is movement.

The friends I stayed with live in Hoboken, NJ, the unofficial sixth borough of New York City. Every morning we walked about 15 minutes to a train that took us under the Hudson River and into Manhattan. Eventually we surfaced on 34th Street squinting our eyes, like moles that had rarely seen sunlight, for another day of sightseeing, shopping and photo opps. Because none of us really wanted to pay for taxis, these escapades always required a lot of subway use and hours of walking. In fact, the only time we took a break was when we stopped for lunch or dinner (or ice cream). After days of this routine, I felt really good. Inside and out. Sure, I was tired but I felt healthy. Even food tasted better because it seemed like I had earned it.

Normally after being engulfed by droves of people and forced to walk for hours I am ready to find the nearest purveyor of sturdy rope and end it all. (I’m looking in your direction, Christmas Shopping.) But I never had the urge to complain or tie a noose. I truly believe that tramping around that massive city for days made me happier. We even traversed the Brooklyn Bridge at dusk, for fun. It was beautiful. The necessity of walking made my vacation an adventure full of sights, sounds, smells, and, yes, weight loss. For people like me who hate the confines of the gym and cannot jog because of bad knees, a little walking is a perfect way to get that needed exercise without thinking about it too much. It is really unfortunate that the only walking many of us do is to our car and into our destination from the nearest parking spot we can find.

My point is that I’ve been inspired to treat Utah more like New York City. No, I don’t mean pushing people out of the way, urinating in alleys or whispering “tourist” sarcastically at strangers. No. My goal is to get out and take my time. To allow myself the extra minutes it may take to look at things closely and enjoy the red, yellow and orange on tall trees and skyscraper mountains. It may take a little planning, but I’m going to experience this state like I haven’t in a long, long time. Like I did with New York, I’m going to walk.