One of the best things about walking to Waltham yesterday was refiguring my sense of local space. I find that local-type distances seem farther in cars, though I can't quite put my finger on why. Maybe because I'm removed from the space, or maybe there's a mental shift of, "Oh, this is so far, I have to drive to get there," or who knows what. And, of course, when you're driving, everything zooms by much more quickly.
I don't necessarily ALWAYS have time to walk four hours to visit a friend, but it's a shift in my geographical/spacial thinking to know that it's walking distance. This won't work for all y'all who live way out in the 'burbs, though, so maybe you should move closer in. I'm not sure I'd be inclined to walk much farther than 128, really.
Also, notes for next time:
* Pick a nicer day. Yesterday was lovely, but quite hot. A bit of a breeze would have been nice.
* Bring a change of clothes. Really, this one should have been obvious.
* Sunscreen. Again with the obvious.
I've occasionally entertained the idea of walking across the US, or hiking the AT. Days like yesterday bring those ideas to the fore.