Amanda Crouse
Arts and Entertainment Editor
October and November comprise what is known in the Amanda Crouse community as “Prime Walking Season.” It’s during this season that the weather has calmed down from its late-July temperature highs, but isn’t yet so wintry as to prevent the frost on one’s car windows from melting before noon. Sidewalks all over town are decorated with leaves. Black squirrels peruse red-and-yellow lawns in search of storage space for their emergency victuals. In the morning, streets and buildings glisten beneath thin coats of frozen nighttime dew. Fickle November winds dry up the walkways by mid-afternoon (provided there is no rain, which is always a possibility), and the rustling tree branches seem to whisper, “Go for a walk…the essay can wait…”
The irresistible allure of the afternoon stroll is at its strongest in autumn. To my fellow promenade-enjoyers, I tip my hat courteously. To those who have not yet experienced the eighth wonder of the world that is “A Walk Through Wooster in October or November:” I urge you to indulge.
Take a walk down Quinby Avenue at three or four pm and you may find that every leaf-crunching step you take draws you closer to inner peace. Stroll through the tree-lined neighborhoods abutting East University Street and try to keep a running count of how many stray cats you encounter along the way. Or take just a block’s worth of a journey off campus and find yourself standing on the legendary Burger Drive. In a city with depressingly few entertaining street names, I was excited to come across Burger Drive for the first time during one of my walks. What’s next –– Milkshake Avenue? Quarter-pounder Lane? There are so many beautiful pearls of wisdom to be uncovered on an autumn stroll.
Maybe I’m streets behind and everyone is already going for frequent walks. Maybe I’ve just not been out during peak hours –– but somehow I doubt that this is the case. My weekdays are jam-packed with classes, extracurriculars and shifts at work, but I’m still probably one of the least busy people in my friend group. Compared to many other students at the College, it’s not usually too difficult for me to carve some time out of my day for a lap around one of the nearby neighborhoods. What I’m saying is that I understand the instinctual eye-roll in response to a chipper article encouraging you to make better use of free time that you might not even have. At the same time, I am too passionate of an autumn-lover to give up on expanding the walking fandom. At busier points in the semester, I schedule semi-daily walks in my calendar because they are sometimes the only time of the day during which I can have a moment to myself and listen to my sick-ass smooth jazz playlist.
While a relaxing mosey across town might not sound like the type of thing that would warrant its own schedule block, I know that I’d never get off campus if my Outlook calendar didn’t remind me to do so every few days. It also lightens up the schedule a bit; three back-to-back classes don’t feel quite so soul-crushing when they’re punctuated by a quaint skip and/or hop around the block.
This is my call to action for readers. Walk, don’t run, to your nearest scenic trail! Please, for goodness’ sake, take a midday autumn stroll –– but I warn you, side effects include chilling the hell out and having an awesome time.