In this lovely essay from the December 2025 issue of The Sun, Ira Sukrungruang reflects on the transformative act of walking. Recounting different experiences abroad, from barefoot walks in Thailand to treks to and from his son’s school in Exeter, England, Sukrungruang writes how he learned to move about his world more mindfully.
I was also the type of person who would park at Best Buy and then drive sixty feet to park in front of PetSmart.
Walking barefoot as a monk was a constant reminder of how we humans are always connected to the earth, bound by gravity, ever aware of the heft we carry—some of us more than others. It made me feel the mechanics of movement: muscles and tendons stretching and contracting, propelling the leg forward. It made me aware of the ground we walked on, the dirt and tar and tufts of grass in cracks, the unevenness of the pavement, the changes in terrain. This was spiritual walking, a bringing of awareness to our breath and our steps.
It sucked.
More picks on walking
What I Found When I Tried to Walk Across Dallas in a Day
“Determined to find adventure in my own backyard, I tramped across my famously pedestrian-averse hometown. The most memorable part turned out to be the serendipitous encounters with neighbors I met along the way.”
What I Found on the 365-Mile Trail of a Lost Folk Hero
“The Old Leatherman, a sort of real-life Northeastern Sasquatch, g​ave me an excuse to step outside my own life.”
Object Relations
“In Vermont, a person is not beholden to the restrictions of private property: anyone may walk anywhere, pass through anyone’s land.”
