“To walk it is to see it.” That’s what a French hiker tells Fayston author Kathy Elkind and her husband Jim when their paths cross on the couple’s trek across the 2,289-kilometer Grand Randonnée Cinque (GR5) spanning from Hoek van Holland, Netherlands, to Nice, France. Elkind’s new memoir titled after that hiker’s advice will be published by She Writes Press on August 15.
“To Walk It Is To See It: 1 couple, 98 days, 1,400 miles on Europe’s GR5,” follows the Elkinds’ journey through Europe the slow route: by foot. The couple is in their late 50s when they decide to undertake the adventure, and Elkind writes about her aging body and the changes she notices while walking mindfully and focusing on her breath. Changes occur internally too, with lots of time for observation and reflection. The book is part travel guide, part introspection on a journey both physical and psychological.
Elkind writes about her lifelong battle with her body and disordered eating. “Body image acceptance continues to be a long road,” she writes. But, on the trip, walking upwards of 25 kilometers most days, she learns to appreciate her body’s strength, good food and the need to fuel herself for her journey. The couple typically starts their day with pastries and breaks to share bread and cheese on the trail. Meals at the refuges and restaurants they stop at along the way include fondue and tarte flambée. They watch French cheese being made and pick cherries in an orchard. The trek is an exercise in mindfulness and self-awareness and that extends to enjoying good food.
“Mindfulness, self-compassion and contentment,” Elkind writes on pieces of paper and takes pictures of them before venturing from Vermont across the pond. It becomes a mantra. She focuses on being present as she walks. She has to learn to listen to her body and its needs, particularly when she gets sick at the beginning of the journey and has to seek alternate transportation until she recovers. Blisters and aches from carrying their gear don’t slow them down, but she is forced to learn her body’s limits and listen to them in order to complete the journey. “There are unlimited ways to climb a mountain,” she writes.
The Elkinds hike from May to August, when they can finally enjoy a swim in the Mediterranean. They start out with no exact end date, venturing into the unknown, together. When they see a cuckoo, they joke that is their mascot on this crazy adventure. Friends join them for the trek through the Alps and they make many new friends of all ages along the way, on the trail and in the refuges where they rest their tired bodies after long days of hiking.
In addition to body image and eating issues, Elkind writes transparently about her dyslexia and the challenges it presented to her education and confidence growing up. On the trail, there’s little time to focus on one’s perceived faults with the focus instead on the beauty all around and the satisfaction of completing another day’s work. “Americans are focused on conquering, Europeans on experiencing,” she writes.
Along with Kathy’s personal reflections, she also muses on her and Jim’s 27-year marriage, how far they’ve come, and how the trip brings them even closer together, solving challenges and experiencing the breathtaking sights together. Kathy posts videos of their trip to YouTube along the way.
“To Walk It Is to See It” examines what we notice when we take the time to slow down. “Every day I put on my walking shoes and take it one step at a time,” Elkind writes. “Always keep moving forward.”
The book launch will take place August 20 at Knoll Farm at 3 p.m. RSVP by July 31. RSVP at https://www.paperlesspost.com/go/2BXBpn6tw4pj7vFvBq2nd. The book is available for preorder now and copies will be available to purchase and have signed at the launch.
