I've walked in the pink of dawn as the world is waking up, and in the blazing noonday sun to nap under redwood trees.

I've strolled bewitched by red-stained sunsets and shivered in the eerie blue glow of twilight.

I've walked in the dark under a black velvet sky sprinkled with stars, on a path bedecked with twinkling holiday lights.

In a few short days I've seen hopping bunny rabbits, heard hoots of owls and followed a witchy black cat to a stream. Lulled by the steady rhythm of footsteps, I've dreamed of paintings to come, books to write and places to live in. I feel more awake and alive and a little less restless. Yet the journey is only beginning.

When I first envisioned #32WonderWalks, I felt a need to deepen my journey with reads from those who've walked before me. I was curious to know what Walking meant to them, what they noticed and how it made them feel. And so a list of walking and wandering books was born. It was comforting to know that there are others who have discovered the healing powers of walking.

Through these books I felt like a companion on their adventures, and them with me as their beautiful words would come alive on my own walks. I've not read them all, but hope to by the new year.

A Walk Through the Woods : Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail, by Bill Bryson. DH is reading this and finds it most amusing and entertaining, especially poignant for a boy who grew up in the South, and has himself walked part of the  Appalachian Trail.

The Old Ways : A Journey on Foot, by Robert MacFarlane. I'm part way through this one and finding so much to contemplate on. MacFarlane is passionate about the nostalgia of landscape and nature and peppers his writings with old words slipping away from our dictionaries.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M Montgomery - Audible Version read by Rachel McAdams. I re-read Anne of Green Gables every few years and every re-read feels at a reunion with imagination. This audio version read by Rachel McAdams was breathtaking and is the first time I've actually listened to an Anne book. Her walks and musings truly come alive!

In Praise of Walking by Thomas A. Clarke. A beautiful poem about walking, I've read it through once and re-reading little snippets bit by bit.

Abundance of Less : Lessons in Simple Living by Andy Couturier. This is less about walking and more about slowing down- it's a true account by a traveler who stumbles upon a rare group of urban Japanese who've chosen to move back into the country and re-embrace a life of tradition, culture, art and craft. The glimpse I had of the first chapters are beautiful, I cannot wait to dig in.

The Mystic Spiral : Journey of the Soul. Oh a book for my soul. This book answers my primordial yearnings to understand the symbolism of Walking to our humanity. An entire book about spirals, labyrinths and the archetypal journey to the center of our being. 

Contemplative Hiking Along the Colorado Range by Margaret Emerson. I've carried this along some of my hikes and find the tips on observing nature wonderful! I hope to experiment more with some of her prompts.

Wanderlust : A History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit  I love Rebecca's books, they're full of lyrical ponderings on the nature of life-she writes often about recapturing an aliveness that is slipping away. This one is a future read, and is also available as an Audible audiobook.

Do you have a book on wandering and walking you enjoy? Do share below, I'd love to hear from you.

Join me for #32WonderWalks here. If it's calling to you, the limited first edition of A Deck for Wonder-Walking is currently available at the Curio Shop, while stocks last.