Walking weather is back

I love that the daytime temperature has dropped enough in the last week that I have been able to go for a walk outdoors daily. After almost three months of limited outdoor walking due to the excessive heat, it's such a relief to be able to comfortably enjoy moving in the great outdoors again.

Most summers I go home to Ireland for at least a couple of weeks, where - if you don't mind the rain - its walking weather all year round. But this year because I went home in May, I spent the whole summer in Japan. Something I also had to do the first two years of the pandemic. Thankfully during that time, I found other ways to enjoy walking during the hottest months. Essentially - walking around large malls! But while it offers physical exercise, it doesn't offer the therapeutic value of nature.

It has been hard and taxing to spend three months avoiding the outdoors. My body had been feeling the effects of a more indoor lifestyle, from depleted vitamin D levels to stiff joints. Just a few days of daily walks have already alleviated some of those effects, helping me feel more energized, mobile, and connected to the world outside again.

Photo: Cherry blossom trees in autumn (September 17th 2026)