Vox-employee and student Isabelle Geoffroy is going to walk the Four Days Marches this year. For the first time. During the week, she will keep a diary in which she will reflect on the 160-kilometer journey. Today, her first entry: the final days before the first march, this year slightly delayed because of the upcoming heatwave.

I have always loved walking. In Copenhagen, where I grew up, most people tend to bike. Not me. Whenever possible, I walk. Why? Because, if you really think about it, walking is great. It is an activity during which I can let my thoughts flow, move my body, and feel the weather on my skin. Walking has taken me to many places: forests, beaches, cities, mountains, and (by mistake) even highways. When moving to Nijmegen, I realized just how important walking was to me.

When I arrived to start my studies at Radboud in the summer of 2020, my first year in a foreign country was off to a different start than what I had imagined due to the pandemic. There was a lot of online teaching, closed gyms, and silent evenings.

‘When I heard about the Four Days Marches, I knew I had to join’

Like never before, walking became a necessity that got me through the days. I got to know new friends by walking, and together, we would get to explore the city. But most evenings, I went on solo walks, phoning my friends back home, listening to music, and imagining that everything was “normal” – like no lockdown was happening.

So, when I heard about the Four Day Marches, I knew I had to join. In January, I bought a real pair of walking boots. In February, I signed up for a lottery ticket. In March, I convinced my friend from Denmark to join. In April, I went for my first walk. And the day after tomorrow, with one day of delay, the walking will finally begin.

I have walked a lot since I signed up: in total more than 500 kilometers – and I can’t wait to start on Wednesday. Especially after having to wait another twenty-four hours because of the upcoming heatwave. On the one hand, I have a lot of expectations, on the other, I don’t know what to expect from the days ahead of me. At the start of the Four Day Marches, or should I say Three Day Marches, I’m feeling a lot, but mostly, I’m excited, nervous, and ready for my upcoming adventure.