Winter Walking: It's About Time; My Niece Inspires Me; Lighthouse Hill, Here I Come!

The Staten Island Lighthouse, Lighthouse  Hill

I didn't make any New Year resolutions this year with good reason: I rarely keep them.

Recently I learned that my niece started a blog. It's a personal, daily journal as she makes some career and life changes. But what impressed me tremendously is her commitment to walking during these cold winter days.

I live in a lovely area of Staten Island called Lighthouse Hill. It's a haven for walkers young and old yet I've never joined their ranks. My niece who lives on Long Island, is walking on a boardwalk alongside the Atlantic Ocean...it's got to be cold! Kudos to her but why am I such a walking wimp?

I've always loved the expression (of Chinese origin I believe) that the longest journey begins with one step. I've used that thought over and over again in my life and it's always been a motivator but using it to make a commitment to exercise has always been elusive. I do love to walk but excuses usually trump the best of intentions. I'm vowing to do something about it.

I decided to call my pedestrian pilgrimage 'winter walks' and as usual when I'm doing something new I google it. There are 17,000 plus entries called 'winter walks'. Apparently it's not a very unique idea! But in all cases, walkers engaging in cold weather outings find that the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages.

So here I go, starting tomorrow morning, armed with my trusty Canon and a lots of layered clothing (did the weatherman really say a 10 degree wind chill?).  I'm going to engage my legs in a journey of my own, photographing my beautiful snow-filled neighborhood along the way. This won't be a modern day Walden's Pond but if I lose a few inches I'll consider it a success.

Thanks Miss J.