Before the City Wakes
Some forms of travel begin before the city wakes.
I would start early.
When the air was still undecided.
When the lake had not yet chosen its color.
Walking alone has a different rhythm.
There is no conversation to fill the silence.
Only footsteps.
And light slowly changing.
The Rhythm of Walking Alone
The path around the lake felt longer each time.
Not because of distance.
But because of attention.
Wooden platforms.
Fallen leaves.
Water holding the reflection of trees that were already turning.
I kept walking.
And photographing.
Without counting the hours.
What Water Teaches
There is something about circling water that alters perception.
A lake does not rush.
It waits.
Travel becomes quieter in those moments.
Less about movement.
More about presence.
If you have read Where Water Meets Memory, you know that water has a way of returning you to yourself.
From Light to Fatigue
By late afternoon, fatigue appeared gently.
By evening, the light softened into something almost weightless.
The full circle around the lake was not dramatic.
No summit.
No arrival.
A Different Kind of Return
Just a complete return to where I had started.
Some days of travel do not change your location.
They change your tempo.
And sometimes, that is enough.
