We'd rather you ask than wonder.
So here's the practical stuff, the personal stuff, and the questions most people are too polite to ask.
Before you walk
Is the walk really free?
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Yes. Every walk, in every city, every Saturday. No ticket, no fee, nothing to buy to show up. Always has been, since our first walk in July 2022.
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When and where do you walk?
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Saturday mornings. Each city has its own meeting spot and start time — find your city here and you'll know exactly where to be.
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How long is it, really?
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Five miles, about two hours, at a conversational pace. It's a walk, not a workout. If you can comfortably stroll for a couple of hours, you're more than ready.
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Can I get a feel for it before I show up?
Totally. The easiest way to sample the vibe without leaving your couch is The Friday Debrief, our weekly newsletter. Every Friday we send real stories from the trail. Read a couple of editions and you'll know exactly what you're walking into.​
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Do I need to be fit?
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No. We're not here to break a sweat, we're here to break the small talk. If you can walk 5 miles over 2 hours (that's about 20 min/mile), you're good.
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What do I bring?
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Water, comfortable shoes, something for the weather... and one real question or topic you'd actually want to talk about. That last one matters more than the rest.
What if I'm running late?
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We open with a group circle and head out together, so do your best to arrive on time. If you'll arrive more than 15 minutes late, we recommend that you skip that day and try again next time. It's hard to find the group once we start walking, and your host won't be on their phone to answer messages.
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Can I come alone if I don't know anyone?
Most people do. Nearly everyone's first walk is solo, and twenty minutes in, that stops mattering. There's always a new person. Usually several.
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What if I'm shy, or not great at small talk?
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Perfect. Neither are we, which is sort of the point. There's no small talk here to be bad at. And you're allowed to just listen until you're ready. Nobody's forcing a turn.
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Can I bring my kids?
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Kids are very welcome here. Babies in strollers have an easy time, and often fall asleep, but ages 3-10 often struggle to walk comfortably for the full five miles, especially since deeper conversations are the reason we gather and that's not really their jam. We recommend bringing them once, seeing how it goes, and adapting from there.
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Can I bring my dog?
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Yes, as long as your dog is people-friendly and doesn't have a history of being aggressive in group settings. Please gauge whether your dog can comfortably walk five miles, especially in current weather. Corgis and their little legs need to be carried for the last two miles.
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What if there's no walk in my city yet?
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Then maybe it's yours to start. Head to Host a Walk and we'll show you how. Cities all over the world began with one person deciding not to wait.​
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I have more questions. Help!
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Totally normal. Showing up to walk five miles with strangers takes a little nerve, and we'd rather over-prepare you than leave you guessing. That's exactly why we built the Orientation Guide: a friendly, no-stress walkthrough of how it all works, what to bring, and how to make the most of your first walk. Think of it as us walking beside you before you've even arrived.
How to ace the walk
What if I don't prepare a topic?
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Your topic is your ticket to the event. Please bring one. Because "what's been on your mind lately?" goes a lot further than "what do you do?" If you blank, borrow someone else's or ask Claude in your car before you join.
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To keep it real: if you're resistant to bringing a topic, you will not enjoy this event.
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What makes a good topic?​
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Something you actually want to talk about, not something that sounds impressive. The best ones are a little open, a little personal, and have no clean answer — the kind of thing you'd turn over on a long drive.​
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What if the conversation isn't clicking?​
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Float. Our walks run on what we call float culture: you're free to drift to another conversation anytime, no apology, no awkwardness. A pairing that isn't landing isn't a failure. It's a cue to wander.​
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Can I stay with one person the whole walk?​
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You can, but try not to. Some of the best connections come from the third or fourth person you drift toward. Give the float a chance before you anchor.​
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What about people who are quiet?​
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Quiet isn't a problem to fix. Some of our most beloved regulars barely spoke for their first few walks. Ask a gentle question, leave room, and let people arrive at their own pace.
Bathroom or water breaks?​
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Of course. The route accounts for it, so ask the host when you need to go. You can always step aside and rejoin. Nobody's keeping tabs.​​
The deeper questions
Why do you do this for free?​
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Because a hyper-effective solution to modern loneliness shouldn't sit behind a paywall.
The walk is the front door to everything we're building, and we want zero friction between a curious person on a Saturday morning and a room that could change their week. We're not trying to monetize the walk... we're trying to put one in every city. (More on that on our Mission page.)
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So how do you actually make money?​
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The walks do not generate revenue directly and were never meant to. The world around them does — The Board, our private membership for people who want a curated room, plus our media and partnerships. That mix allows us to offer this for free. We keep the front door free on purpose, because we care about restoring real human connection and want every city to have a third space where curious people can find each other.​
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Is there a catch?​
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No catch. Come walk. If you love it, there are deeper rooms when you're ready. And if you only ever want the free Saturday walk, that's perfect too.​
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Is this a cult?​
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Fair to ask of any group that gathers weekly and loves its rituals. But here's the tell: a cult wants you closer and smaller. We want you more yourself, with a fuller life outside of us.
No leader to worship, no beliefs to sign, no one keeping you from leaving. Skip a few Saturdays and the only thing that happens is we're glad when you're back. Come and go as you please. (Most people just… keep coming back. That part's voluntary.)​
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Is this a business or a nonprofit?​
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We're a business built around keeping its most important thing free. Being sustainable is what lets us keep showing up every Saturday for years, instead of burning out and disappearing like so many good things do. (We believe this is the new paradigm of business: doing a lot of good for others and being resourced for it.)
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What is The Board?​
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The private room. The walk is open to everyone; The Board is a smaller, application-only layer for people who want to go deeper with a curated group. If that's you, there's a door for it here.
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Who's actually behind this?​
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Two humans — Elle Beecher Hogan and Cameron Hogan (yes, we're married) — and a global crew of hosts who hold the room in each city. You can learn more about us here. We share our thoughts every week on Whimsy World.
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Why no phones?​
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Because presence is the point. The phone in your pocket is always quietly spending the thing real conversation runs on. Two hours without it and something you forgot you had comes back online.
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Is this a networking event? A dating thing? A support group?
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None of the above, and a little of the best part of each. No pitching, no swiping, no fixing. Just real conversation among curious people... and whatever grows from that is up to you.
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How can I support this?​
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The single highest-impact thing you can do is spread it: share a testimonial, or send an invite to a friend in one of our cities. Beyond that: sign up for our weekly newsletter to stay close, or join our curated room if you feel called. Anytime you share something from our world, you help us more than you realize. This whole thing has only ever grown one way: one person telling another.
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I want to collaborate with you.​
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We'd love to hear from you. We're most interested in talking with potential sponsors and legacy partners — the people and organizations who help make this work possible and keep the walks free. If that's you, reach out and let's talk.
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Austin Walk #1
San Francisco, CA
Austin Walk #100
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Detroit, Michigan
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Aveiro, Portugal
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London, UK
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Atlanta, Georgia
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Miami, Florida
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Columbus, Ohio
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Sacramento, CA
The world, in one glance:
​The Board Walks are where it happens.
The Friday Debrief is where we tell you what happened.
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Whimsy World is our media home for great conversations.
The Board is the private room.
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Our founder Elle shares her inner world, and Cam contemplates.
And underneath all of it is one idea:
The right environment changes who you get to be.
