By Avinth Reddy (G2)
Reading this article, one might think that what I do all day is walking and/or running. This is in part true, because I try to walk ~30,000 steps a day. To do this, my day starts very early. I get up at 4:30 am and try to be outside around 4:45 am, and then based on my mood I walk or run (very slowly!). I love walking early in the morning when everybody is still asleep, the street are a desert, and what you can hear and/or see are birds, turkeys, deer, or some mysterious creatures that run trying to get out of your way and hide.
Walking is my way to cope with stress and being in contact with nature, listening to an audio-book, music (of course it has to be the music of the eighties!), or simply thinking, helps me to relax and be ready for the work that awaits for me. When COVID forced us into isolation, my husband and I started to walk together. After a full day spent in front of a computer (this is when Zoom became very famous and popular) we realized that walking outside helped us to feel alive. We liked it so much that we kept this daily tradition alive. Finally, another and probably the main reason why I walk/run is that I love cookies, chocolate, I love baking cakes and eating them too! So I created a situation of Catch-22 where I can walk to indulge in sweets, and vice versa.
Finally, as most of the MSTP students know, I love to ‘walk and talk’ with them. Instead of meeting in my office, we usually go around campus at least once and we try to solve problems, and/or grant submissions and applications, and/or simply to catch up and have a nice ‘healthy’ time!
I would like to leave you with this picture of me that probably summarizes it all: my love for being outside in contact with Mother nature, and my love for hockey. Yes, as always, ‘Let’s go Preds’.