h2>Dating : How walking saved me after a harsh breakup
Standing in a queue to board my flight from Vancouver to Calgary, I sent her my last message — ‘Goodbye’ followed by three broken heart emojis
What hurt was not that it had ended. After a short period of long-distance in the middle that we both took pretty well, I had arrived in Vancouver just three weeks ago to be with her again. Within a matter of weeks, my world came crumbling down. And with it, everything I had hoped to live for. It’s not worth discussing what went wrong. The only reason lovers come together is love, and the only reason they part is its reversal. All the rest is mere speculation.
With my arrival in Calgary, problems surrounded me from all sides. My bank account was nearing zero and I had no job. On emotional level, I was a walking ghost. Coming from a Muslim conservative background, I had kept my relationship hidden in its entirety from my family members. So I couldn’t talk to them about what I was going through. And in the second week of my arrival, I got pneumonia, the like of which, I had never experienced before. It was a near-death experience. Lack of health, money, and love can make life seem pretty empty.
Once my health stabilized a bit, I started taking a 10-minute walk in the evening to a nearby Tim Hortons. Just to get out of the house. During the walk, I would listen to music and even talk to myself as I didn’t have many people around at the time who would listen. On reaching the cafe, I would just grab my cup and sit in the corner. Sipping on coffee and looking around. Wondering, if any of these people around me have also gone through something tragic recently. Before I knew it, a month had passed by. I made this walk a daily routine as it was the only thing keeping me sane.
After another month, I added a little fun detour. I would stop by at a children’s park and do a few chin-ups. And on my way back, I would take a longer route. This would make me feel fresh and active for the rest of the day. My health was improving and I could see positive changes in my body. This energy channeled into other areas of life and I actively started searching for jobs. Within three weeks, I had scored a decent position.
It’s been 7 months since the breakup. Life is better. When I look back, I can say with certainty that my daily walk is what got me through this rough patch. If you’re going through something similar, I would highly recommend a daily walk routine. It gives you time to think and come to terms with what has happened.
