Hello October and I’ve been waiting for you all year. You could surmise that this year, I flipped the script on how I want to live my life, even though I felt it shift last year. I was outdoors minimally this summer with just three plants in pots that required watering. Last summer showed me there was nothing enjoyable about being outside in Texas from June through August, so I stayed indoors.

Now, in the early morning hours the temperatures are in the 60°F range and I’ve already located my hoodies. Two years ago I began walking the neighborhood through winter, but it didn’t become a faithful practice until last year. It wasn’t normal to see someone walking in cold weather, especially someone almost 60 years old, but it was beautiful. While most dread winter and think of it as the time of year to stay indoors it’s really the most magical time to be outside.

Over the weekend, I went for my first morning stroll during these fall temps and with it being early morning, plus a weekend, most of the houses still had their curtains drawn shut. I was the only human outdoors for what felt like miles, but I’ve been doing this long enough now that every resident has seen me walking at some point and are familiar enough with me to wave, or say hello. Sometimes they’ll step outside to engage in conversation which is a reward of the walk.

I ventured a few streets away from my home when I realized the only noticeable sound was my sneakers grabbing the pavement. It was that quiet and still as if the summer vibe had left when the kids went back to school. Making my way from one street to the next is when her voice broke though the silence and I stopped walking to turn toward her quiet shout of, “Good Morning!”

It was 8:00 am, on a Saturday morning that she stood in her doorway still wearing her pajamas, waving and smiling. That part of the street came to life as we shouted back and forth to one another in greeting, disrupting the stillness of the new day.

The smile remained on my face as I turned to continue down the street, knowing full well it’s moments like these that make the walk worth it and they can only be found while walking the hood.