Walk for Hunger

            On Sunday, I got up at 5:30 in the morning (after about 4 hours of sleep at Klaudia’s house) to take a bus to Boston to participate in the Walk for Hunger. The Walk is sponsored by Project Bread, and is a 20 mile loop that goes through Brookline, Newton, and Cambridge, raising money and awareness for the homeless people of Massachusetts. I walked last year, too, and had a great time; not only is it for a great cause, but I got to spend the day with my friends, outside in beautiful weather. The weather was better this year than last year, and I only got one sunburn (on the back of my legs, the one place I forgot to put sun block).            

           

          Both times I signed up, I told myself and retold myself that it was just a walk—how hard can it be? I think a lot of people would be surprised at how tiring and difficult it is, because the 20 miles feels a lot longer, but time goes by pretty fast if you have friends to walk with. It’s also a really fantastic walking tour of Boston; we walked by several colleges, past rows of beautiful townhouses, through the Commons, and around the reservoir.

            I think the best part about the Walk is that it’s not a competition; we weren’t running a marathon, trying to come in first place. Instead, we were all simply walking for the same reason, with the common goal of eliminating hunger in Massachusetts. My friends and I were able to take our time, stopping at our leisure to take pictures or grab a snack. It took about 6 hours to walk the 20 miles, and everyone was exhausted on the bus ride home. Unfortunately, I had saved all my homework for that night, so unlike many of my walking companions, I wasn’t able to pass out on my couch.

           

When the first Sunday in May comes around next year, I know I won’t remember the sunburns or the soreness, but I will remember having a great time. Any day spent with friends and not doing homework is heavenly, and I can’t wait to walk another 20 miles next year.