Those walks.

Klara and I went on "our walk" today. It made me sentimental and melancholy--remembering the journey of my pregnancy and new mom days and exploring the world with Klara--all while walking.

For five years, my next door neighbor and I walked several times a week.

Some days we were bundled up and almost unrecognizable. Other days, we wore as little clothes as possible because it was so scorching hot. We knew our route so well that we never talked about which turn to take; we just walked on auto pilot. That routine of lacing up the shoes, knocking on her door, and walking and talking had a perfect rhythm to it.

She knew my stories, and I knew hers. We almost never spent time together outside of our walks, but we talked from start to finish of that hour-long walk. We joked over and over about our free therapy sessions.

When I got pregnant, I remember wondering if I could make it without throwing up in the bushes (and often having to stop to pee at Las Positas). I remember trying to decide when to tell her. I remember talking  through my pregnancy--and dreaming and freaking out. She listened.

Then Klara came. A few weeks after she came, I told that neighbor that I was ready to start walking again. I timed feedings perfectly to fit those walks in. I fought the new mama blues with walking and talking. We found a new rhythm with a stroller in the mix.

Then she got pregnant, and we talked through her pregnancy. We oohed and awed over her new baby. We dreamed about our daughters' friendship. We talked about those new mom blunders and the beauty of motherhood. We learned to walk single file with two strollers, now.

At the time, I had no idea how much our walks meant to me.

Now I know:
They made me feel less alone.
They helped connect me to my neighborhood.
They forced me to breathe fresh air.

I miss my neighbors, and I miss those walks. I wonder if I can convince her to move back. I need those walks and someone to talk to.

(Also, this is my 700th post. I'm kind of waiting for the confetti to explode around me.)