Escapees September-October 2023

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Morning Walks “Gotta get my steps in!” Whether you’ve said it, learned it from family member, a friend, a coworker or apple health, it’s safe to say we’ve all heard the phrase. There are countless resources available online that explain the bene fi ts of walking: it burns calories, improves your mood, improves cardiovascular health, helps with sleep, lowers blood pressure and reduces stress and diseases. The list goes on, but many people don’t talk enough about the bene fi ts of taking a walk fi rst thing in the morning. I’ve been full-time RVing for over two years and have taken a three to fi ve-mile walk every morning since day one. However, they didn’t become the best part of my day until I put my phone away. L et me explain. I used to wake up around sunrise, make some tea, check my texts, emails and social media, mind is most impressionable. Most people wake up and immediately check their phone. They check the news, their Instagram and

at it. When it continued we would put her back in her cage, and she would sulk. A number of years ago, our daughter was living in Los Angeles, California. We wanted to visit her and felt it was a good time to tour the country. Woody was happy to go with us. We traveled all over the US and she enjoyed every mile. By the end of our trip we had stayed in every state in the lower 48 except North Dakota and Nebraska. Woody wanted to go to Canada on both the west and east coast and she had all the paperwork needed. However, she could not get in if we had to cross water on entry. In the west it was a ferry ride. In the east, it was only a bridge over a river, but Woody was denied entry. Woody rode many miles in her cage on the back seat (usually facing backward). Occasionally, she was let out of her cage to explore. She liked the fl oor on the passenger side. Most stays were only overnight, but on the Maine coast she enjoyed extended stays with us and seemed to enjoy the Eagles, Ospray and Seagulls. The crows that called often, not so much; she would try to hide from them. She loved extended stays at Escapees, North Ranch, Congress, Arizona, where we owned a lot. She watched, with curiosity, the rabbits, quail and roadrunners and soaked up sunny days. After 33 years she passed away a few years ago. We miss Woody and our fun travels together. Now, we must be content with watching the many birds we see at North Ranch as well as those we see traveling across the country every year. Robert ‘‘Bob” Heath #108238

then set out into the morning sun. My husband and I move every two weeks, sometimes every few days, and the amount of country I’ve seen just from changing up my walks is something I cherish. I walked the beach of Monterey and was greeted by a sea lion. Last week, I saw an owl in the woods of Seattle, Wash ington. I’ve crossed snakes, been brushed by cacti and have scared, what seems like, a million deer. These walks are when I feel most grounded, present and connected with nature. They create the “Wow, is this life real?” moments for me while cultivating gratitude. I think everyone in this lifestyle can relate to those moments. Every time I pass another RVer on their morning walk I just want to say, “Isn’t this wonder ful?,” and sometimes I do! The brain wakes up in a theta state. This means that within the fi rst 5-15 minutes upon waking, our mind and body are still in a medita tive space, making it a perfect time to create new thought patterns and habits. This is also when the

Facebook accounts, and fl ood their brains with negativity or thoughts from their past or future. It sends us right out of the present moment and into chaos without even being aware of it. I may have been waking up and taking a walk, but I was bringing all that outside noise with me. So I pushed it a step further. Pun intended. Now, I wake up, drink a full glass of water, stretch, lace up my shoes and start walking. I keep my phone on do not disturb. The fi rst few minutes of my mornings are spent walking in nature and listening to the birds. For the fi rst hour or two of the day I have no idea what’s going on in the world, and it is pure bliss. Of course, when I come back from my walk, I turn my phone on and doom-scroll, but it hits me differently. I don’t carry all that with me through my day. I carry that birdsong, and the rest of the day fl ows better. I think the world would be a better place if we all just turned our phones off and took a walk. Kelley Welch #173565

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September/October 2023 ESCAPEES Magazine