40-Mile Walk to School

We live about a half mile from the elementary school my daughters attend. This year, we made an agreement before school started that we would walk to and from school whenever possible. I realized it only takes an extra 10 minutes when compared with driving, and I avoid having to sit in that horrible car loop line.

Not counting the days that their dad drops them off or picks them up, and subtracting the two days I drove instead of walked (the first time was when they were bringing in all their school supplies on the first day and it was too much to walk with, and the second time was when I was running late from "work" [read: lunch with my sisters] and had to go straight to the school), we have walked to or from school 40 times.

This means the girls have walked 20 miles (1/2 mile each time because they are only going one way), but I have walked 40 miles (because I have to make the round trip each time). Isn't this amazing?  In the 6 weeks since school has started, I have added 40 miles to my exercise just by strolling up to the school (which takes me 9 minutes) to pick up my beautiful children.

I have been so surprised by the additional benefits of this time with my kids. It is such a wonderful experience to walk calmly home while listening to them chatter on about what happened at school. They actually fight over who gets to walk next to me. It is such a glorious, calm, loving time that we get to enjoy before and after school almost every day.

Since we've started walking almost exclusively, I realize how many other people could be walking, but don't. I see families that live literally a block from the school get into their cars and go sit in that horrible line and come right back home and park in their driveways. It amazes me...especially since the weather has been almost perfect for walking every day since school started.

I am also amazed at how much attention we get and how much more involved in the community we feel since walking. We see so many people driving by, and many honk and wave. When I run into them later, they say, "We see you walking every day! We are going to get out there and join you one of these days!"  We pass people on the sidewalk and everyone is so nice and friendly. I am so thrilled that my kids get to grow up in this place with all this positive energy.

So, walk to school if and when you can. I don't think it's an overstatement to say that it has literally changed our lives.

(P.S. By the end of the school year, making adjustments for sick days or bad weather or whatever, we will have walked at least 200 more times. That means 200 more miles for me, and 100 for the kids.)