Daily Podcast #36

Source 🎧

How to take a long walk (w/ Craig Mod) - How to be a better human (TED Audio Collective)

Sentences ✍️

1. I walk 20, 30, sometimes 40 or more kilometers until my feet feel wonky, hot in spots, minced until I’m sure I can’t take another step.
   • wonky: unstable, shaky, or not functioning correctly
   • New sentence: The ride looks a bit wonky, so I don’t really want to get on it.
2. Each night I spend three or four or five hours collating the photographs, compiling my notes, doing laundry, chatting with in owners, creating an archive.
   • collating: collecting and arranging information or items (like documents or data) in a proper order
   • New sentence: I spend a lot of time collating research papers for my project.
3. Huge traveler and everything, and we’ve tried many, many times to set up walk and talks in America and they just, there doesn’t exist roots that you could walk with with sufficient lodging along the way in the, in the way like these old pilgrimage roots have.
   • lodging: a place to sleep or stay temporarily, like a hotel, inn, or guesthouse
   • New sentence: I’m not picky about where I sleep, so I can stay at any kind of lodging.
4. That’s the only time I can do my quote unquote real work.
   • quote unquote: used to indicate that the words being said are a direct quote or that the speaker is using the phrase sarcastically or critically
   • New sentence: It’s just my quote unquote “responsibility,” even though I didn’t really agree to it.
5. And I think doing things like this help codify, you know, like what a good religious practice or healthy, you know, contemporary, modern religious practice feels like.
   • codify: to arrange or systematize something in a clear and organized way, often turning ideas into structured rules or practices
   • New sentence: I need to codify my life goals so I can live with more clarity and purpose.
     
     

Summarization 👀

Host Chris Duffy speaks with writer and photographer Craig Mod about the transformative power of long walks. Growing up in a family of walkers, Duffy notes how walking became second nature but often went unexamined, whereas Craig has built his life and creative work around it. Craig shares how walking—especially multi-day solo walks—forces him into presence and attention. He avoids phones, podcasts, and music to cultivate boredom and mental clarity, which in turn fuels his writing and photography. He emphasizes the spiritual and creative benefits of walking continuously for days. The repetition helps him tune into the world around him and engage deeply with everyday moments and strangers. Craig describes the discipline behind his walking practice. He plans routes, books lodging in advance, and maintains a strict rule set to eliminate distractions and optimize his creative output. In contrast to solo walks, Craig also organizes small group “walk and talks” with people like Kevin Kelly. These walks prioritize deep conversation and connection, including structured dinners with intentional, single-topic discussions. The walks, Craig argues, are a form of modern-day theology or spiritual ritual. Whether done alone or in groups, they allow people to reflect deeply and reconnect with the human scale of experience. Craig also discusses the Japanese concept of “yoyuu,” a sense of abundant emotional or psychological space. He believes Japan’s social safety net helps foster this feeling, allowing people to live with less fear and more presence. He contrasts this with life in the U.S., where the lack of social support often creates anxiety and isolation. Craig feels that fullness and creativity thrive when people don’t have to live in survival mode. Creating books from his walks is Craig’s way of respecting and preserving those deeply lived days. He believes that physical books, like physical walks, give form and permanence to meaningful experiences. Ultimately, Craig encourages others to walk more intentionally, even if just for short distances. The rewards, he says, are available to anyone willing to slow down and be present.