I grew up in Parkway West, an idyllic little enclave nestled between Don Mills and Scarborough in the northeast corner of Toronto. Walking to Don Mills Collegiate meant a very pleasant two kilometre hike skirting the Donalda Golf course, across a little wooden bridge over the Don River and up a few residential streets to the school. I loved the walk through the trees and watching the seasons change. By the time I was ready to teach, Toronto had grown too big for my liking, so I took a job in St. Thomas, in part because I could walk to work.

We always seemed to live two or three kilometres from where I worked. When we lived on Hammond, I taught at Scott Street School. When we lived on Metcalf, I taught at Elgin Court. When we moved to Myrtle and later on Trevithick, I taught at Locke’s. Given that it was St. Thomas there were always railway tracks to hike along or over. I used to love the smell of honeysuckle that would often grow wild besides the abandoned rail lines.

I continued to walk to work until we moved to London in 2001, and then I traded in my walk for a very pleasant country drive. In Malaysia I would hike up Wangsa Baiduri the two kilometres or so to Taylor’s College.  Once again I appreciated the opportunity to wake up and get a little exercise before I had to start my day, though you had to watch for the cavernous and uncovered storm drains. And walking home in KL’s blistering heat was no fun at all.

The Cayman Islands is much better. There is a pretty steady breeze most months of the year and you are never far from the sea no matter which side of the island you are on. I hike to the end of the street and past the ruins of what used to be the Hilton, damaged beyond repair by Hurricane Ivan. Then I skirt the Britannia Golf Course, closed now for rezoning, and up a new sidewalk to Camana Bay on the North Sound, taking in the sunrise in the winter. From there it is just a few steps to the school. It takes me about half an hour without breaking a sweat.

My body is slowing down considerably as I approach 70. If I don’t keep walking, I soon won’t be able to stand in front of a class all day. My mind is still sharp, and I am still learning, so to quit before I am ready would be a disappointment hard to bear. So I walk to work. It will be my great loss when I no longer have to. Or can.