Something happens around mile three.
Conversations begin to thin out. Footsteps become louder than voices.
Then, for a minute or two, the whole group falls silent, and no one reaches for a phone to fill it.
People describe it the same way every time, a bit confused by how much it got to them:
“It felt like we all finally exhaled.”
There’s a hidden cost to being always-on.
Your body is bracing.
Every notification.
Every glance at a screen.
Every moment you wonder who’s watching.
Eventually, the tension becomes so familiar you stop noticing it’s there.
Then you slide your phone into your pocket, walk five miles beside someone who's actually listening, and the bracing quietly… stops.
Something you forgot you had comes back online.
It's your nervous system, remembering the environment it was built for. 🧡
From our walking villages in 16+ cities around the world:
London Walk #36. 2 regulars, 2 new faces, and Big Ben doing its thing. 🧡
Seven of us in Columbus on a perfect almost-solstice morning. Rich conversations, first-timers, good energy all around. 🌿
Our largest walk to date in Aveiro, Portugal. The word is spreading one conversation at a time. 🇵🇹
In Atlanta, one of our regulars has been handing out inspirational messages to everyone at the end of the walk. The little things. 🧡
(Don’t see your city? We post the photos in each Meetup group after the walk. Otherwise this email would be longer than a CVS receipt.)
🏆 In Austin, one woman admitted she’d planned to come 101 times before finally showing up on attempt 102. The walk didn't go anywhere while she built the nerve. That's the whole design: low barrier, no pressure, door always open.
🏆 In Detroit, one regular had a full-circle moment. 15 years ago, he wrote a letter to a man who was later incarcerated, trying to help him with resources. This year, at a civil rights barbecue, that same man recognized him…. and he'd kept the letter the whole time. "You never know the impact you have on people."
🏆 In Aveiro, Portugal, our host Jenna shared that one regular takes two trains from Braga just to make it. When he turns the corner, the whole group lights up because they know what it takes for him to be there. Intentional doesn't quite cover it. 🧡
We evolved in villages of about 150 people. Close enough that our bodies regulated each other just by being in the same room.
That wiring never left. The village just got swapped for a group chat… and the group chat, however busy, can't do what a room full of real bodies does.
There's science under this: when two people are tuned in to each other, their brain waves start to sync. Heart rate follows. Breath follows.
A screen can't replicate the benefits of co-regulation.
The full piece has the science, the story, and five small things you can try this week to start getting it back.
This week on The Board Walks, people brought these topics:
"What is something you've done recently that made you feel alive?"
"How do you feel social media is affecting real social connection?"
"What is something you are actively unlearning right now?"
"If you were the last person on earth, what would you do?"
"What are your strategies for dealing with challenges around mental health?"
Screenshot these. Steal with pride. Bring one to your next dinner party to shift the conversation from “meh” to marvelous.
Quick hits:
🎉 Boston is back. We’re thrilled to have Boston walks back on the calendar thanks to our amazing host, Hannah Price. Her first walk is tomorrow, June 27th. If you know anyone out there, shoot them an invite! Text this →
🤝 We’re looking for warm intros.
To keep expanding our free walks around the world, we’re looking to partner with values-aligned sponsors. If you know anyone on our list and can introduce us, we’d be very grateful.
This is the #1 way you can help our mission of making real connection a weekly habit again.
🌱 The word is spreading. Two women (who don’t know each other) applied to host a walk in Amsterdam within 48 hours because they saw Elle’s tweets. Every time you engage or share a post, you’re helping curious people find us. Join us on socials →
Saturday morning. Five miles. No phones, no pitching, no pressure to perform.
We're not organizing walks.
We're rebuilding one of humanity's oldest technologies: the village. 🧡
Have a whimsical week,
Founders of The Board Walks
P.s. If you know someone whose nervous system has been holding its breath (the friend who keeps saying they're "too busy" or "too tired") send them this. That's how the villages come back. One conversation at a time.
