A woman with a canvas bag and a camera walking a sunlit cobbled lane under bougainvillea, the sea at the end

Travel · 30 min

Walk to the market for one thing

Go to a local market or a small shop on foot, buy one thing you would usually get at the big store, and look around while you are there.

30 minutesFrom the library, free to readFour steps

Markets and small local shops are often within walking distance and rarely visited. A trip for one thing, on foot, turns an errand into an outing: a little walking, a few words with someone, and something good to take home.

The steps

Four small steps,in your own time.

  1. Find a market, a farm stand, a bakery or a small local shop within walking distance, and check when it is open; many markets are at their best in the morning.

  2. Choose one thing to buy there this week: fruit, bread, cheese, flowers, something you would usually get at the supermarket.

  3. Walk there, take your time, and look at what else is on offer, even if you buy only the one thing.

  4. Say a few words to the person who serves you: about the food, the weather, what is good this week.

The reason

Why it helps

The walk gets you moving and outside, and the small exchange with a seller is a moment of everyday connection. Going back each week can make a place, and the people in it, start to feel familiar.

A gentle variation

If walking far is hard, go by bus or car and walk around the market itself. If money is tight, go just to look, and enjoy the smells and the colour.

Two friends on a stone wall after a walk

WE · TRIBE

Try itwith someone.

Take a child or someone you look after, and let them choose the one thing. Ask the seller how to cook or eat it, and try it together when you get home.

Try it today

This week, find one market or small shop near you and walk there to buy one thing.

Add it to your day

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