This afternoon, I'm circling Old City with my neighbor and friend, Wendi.
That's 2 Wendy(i)s in two days - if you're counting.
We're squeezing in a quick mile before the five (yes 5!!) Zoom meetings Wendi has lined up for this evening.
If that sounds insurmountable, you don't know Wendi...
And in that dorm, there were two rooms across the hall from each other.
And in those rooms, there lived two just-turned-18-year-olds who (on paper at least) didn't have much in common...
where a car horn on the streets of Philly scares two puppies in the woods of Vermont!
Crazy how we connect these days.
It's National Siblings Day. And while I'm pretty sure that's a made-up holiday, it's a perfect excuse to walk with my sister Sam...
Hi from Mile Marker 9,432...
where it's always sunny in Philadelphia!
Well, today it's overcast.
But no worries...
Good morning from Mile Marker 9,427...
...and my favorite walk of the day!
Most mornings I head out alone. But for this challenge, I need a traveling companion.
Luckily, I know exactly who to text.
"Are you out running?"
There aren't many people who are available at sunrise, but Donna is definitely one of them.
In fact, she's just finished her morning run. Coincidentally, right outside my building!
Ok. It's not quite a coincidence.
...at Merion Botanical Park!
I'm here with mon amie Cécile - and we have nothing planned except to walk the garden.
(And maybe find a bench long enough to share a snack from 6 feet apart.)
I cancelled our walk last week. I was exhausted and overwhelmed. Maybe it was raining too. Honestly, I don't remember.
Hello from Mile 9,422...
... on Kelly Drive!
It's the most crowded place I've been in a year. But with Rocco and Susan, I feel safe.
That's why we call them my Secret Service :)
Long before the accident, we skated and biked together -- many times on this exact path. We always watched out for each other. Made sure none of us got hurt or left behind.
After my accident, they watched out for me even more...
...What's a "ch-alk?" you say?
So glad you asked!
A "ch-alk" is a video chat + walk. I made it up.
It's when you bounce along cobblestones trying to hold your phone steady in order to give a 300-mile-away-friend a tour of your neighborhood.
(Prosthetic leg optional.)
...Be like Toby the Beagle.
Tradition says we rest on the 7th day, but already, on Day 4, I need a breather.
Did you know an above-knee amputee uses 60% more energy to walk than a person with two legs?
Yep. It's like driving a car with a half-size gas tank...
Where were you in 1998?
I was in a classroom stocked with Mr. Sketch "smelly" markers, an overhead projector, and an endless supply of transparencies...
Mônica and I always walk the same route.
Fewer decisions about streets and sidewalks leaves space for other things - like talking about her children's books or my November novel, or even this next step on the blog...
