Seven years ago today..........

Seven years ago today, I began my daily walk through Picnic Point and Panania.

Since then, I’ve walked close to 30,000 kilometres — two hours every morning, another hour most evenings. I’ve missed barely a month in all that time, mostly thanks to the rain insisting on its say.

But the real story isn’t the distance.

It’s everything I’ve witnessed along the way.

I’ve watched old houses come down and new ones rise. I’ve seen families move on and new people arrive. I’ve seen the neighbourhood change shape, season by season, year by year.

And I’ve felt the sadness of friends passing — none more deeply than Kate. Walking lets you notice these changes gently, step by step, even when the heart feels heavy.

And then there were the dogs — the true highlights of the journey. Their wagging tails, their bright eyes, their unfiltered joy. They greeted me like an old friend, even on the days when I didn’t feel like one. They made the road lighter.

Most days, after the walking is done, I sit at my special spot for half an hour. Just to muse.

To let the mind settle. To think about the people I’ve met, the ones I’ve lost, the world shifting around me, and the simple gift of still being here to notice it all.

These walks have been therapeutic in every sense — grounding, steadying, and quietly transformative.

Seven years on, I’m grateful for every step, every change, every memory, every dog, and every moment of stillness along the way