Day 361 354 (Oh hell)

David Allen walked 32 miles around Manhattan Island in a single day. He started in the morning and headed clockwise from the Southwest  to keep the sun out of his eyes. That took some knowledge of physics and sun angles, n’est pas? But I don’t need to consider Photo Montage of David's Walk (from the NYT)his superior math or algebra skills to know that he did something I haven’t done (yet): thirty-two miles in a single day replete with blisters, sunburn, and urban adventure.

Writing in the New York Times this Sunday Allen said, “Circumnavigating Manhattan is the ultimate and extreme city walking tour and promises the seemingly impossible: a path less traveled on an overly trodden island. Half sightseeing tour, half endurance test, the journey at Manhattan’s edge takes you into the shadows of 19 bridges, through as many parks and past art installations, city landmarks and 360 degrees of ever-changing views.”

For a year about ten years now I’ve been thinking of walking the entire circumference of the North Jersey town where I live.  Montclair is roughly one mile by six miles. If I had some math skills I might be able to figure out how many miles around that would be. I’m guessing about 14. Which means it would take me a single afternoon.

Since I’m not getting to Rome or Barcelona to mark my 365th day of walking, I’m thinking that might be just the right adventure to culminate my year. Because you know what they say, right?

There’s no place like home.