An excellent read that is part memoir, part research into the history of walking from a Norwegian author, whose epilepsy diagnosis led to this journey. When his driver’s license got taken away, he decided that rather than rely on others for transport, he was going to take up walking. Yes, Norway has better infrastructure for that, but he still makes choices to walk places (such as some twenty miles from a train station to a family cabin in the woods) that many in our time would not. It changes the way he thinks, what he believes, and what he does when he is not walking (such as researching and writing about walking).
Ekelund dives into the history of Norwegian folk tales, which were collected by Asbjornsen and Moe by walking on foot from town to town, getting to know villagers and hearing their tales as they walked. He talks about the trails left by the Vikings, coastal trails taken by backpackers, and even the hunter-gatherer constant movement of our ancient ancestors. He delves into literature, the Romantic movement’s reclaiming of the natural over industry, the walking Saint Teresa of Avila, and the work of many Norwegian authors I’m adding to my TBR list! He discusses the science of what happens in our brain when we walk, what processes are awakened and what chemical reactions occur (and how these same things do not occur when we are running). And Ekelund makes some very interesting arguments about what our car-centric city planning has done to us. And that maybe it’s not what we were created for.
As someone who used to walk to work, to church, to running trails, and to the grocery store when we lived in Denver, I could not agree more with the assessment of walking and it’s transformative impact on so many parts of life. However, living where I live now, I am still convinced that walking is one of the best things I can do spiritually and physically. And after reading this book, I no longer feel that I am missing something by not being able to run anymore. If anything, I’ve gained a few things. One being, a stronger bond to my Norwegian heritage and a desire to walk all the trails Ekelund mentions. Anyone want to traverse some Norwegian paths with me?