traveling by foot

one thing i've been enjoying about my time here is the walking. it's common to walk relatively long distances, like 30 or 45 minutes to get somewhere. you can take public transportation, but sometimes with the wait (and in busy times of the day, the number of people), it is easier to just walk. so probably at least half of the days that i've been here so far, i've walked more than 2 miles a day. and it's not that unusual. it's nice to have some exercise included in regular days. which means -- it's important to have comfortable shoes!

as it gets colder, i will need to stay resolute in my desire to be walk and be outside, but that seems possible at the moment. the temperatures have been fluctuating the last few days -- rainy and cool one day, than hot and sunny the next. but it is fall here! the leaves are turning beautiful colors and falling off trees. reminds me of the four or five friends i've had who are leaf-kleptomaniacs! not that you can really steal leaves, but they pick them up all fall. and i've started doing the same, so there are a couple marking pages in my journal. i'm glad God made color! and that sometimes He reminds me to see the beauty around me, especially colors. when the day is challenging -- just to accomplish simple tasks, i forget to see what is around me and to look at what God is doing and where He is present.