The Art of the Walk

One of the cheapest and most worthwhile things I’ve done while traveling is simply taking a walk. No tickets, no reservations, no schedule—just stepping outside and letting the streets unfold in front of me. Walking in a foreign country feels different than walking at home. The everyday becomes extraordinary. A corner bakery displays pastries I’ve never seen before. A group of kids runs past speaking a language I barely understand. Even the street signs, the trees, the way people wait for the bus—all of it reminds me that I am far from home.

When I walk, I notice details that I would miss from a car or train window. I can pause to admire the colors of laundry strung across a balcony or follow the smell of fresh bread until I find the bakery it belongs to. Sometimes I stop to sit on a park bench and just watch life moving around me. These quiet moments root me in a place more than any guidebook stop ever could.

Walking leads you to unexpected activities. I discovered my favorite garden in Japan while walking from point A to B. My starting point was the Hiroshima Train Station and my destination was the Hiroshima Peace Museum. It was a 40 minute walk in August heat, but I was curious to see the city scape and whatever else I would encounter. And lo and behold I passed Shukkeine Gardens. I saw a queue and followed suit. It was only 300 yen (2 USD) to see a perfectly manicured tableau.

Travel can be expensive, but walking is free. And often, the memories I carry home are not from tours or tickets, but from these unplanned walks where a city revealed itself one step at a time.