Cities · by Irene López · 2026-10-09
Notes from a very normal first week with Cities for absolute beginners
I had a disappointing first try, a surprisingly good second try, and then a third attempt that taught me humility. So, naturally, I now have opinions.
This is probably obvious to veterans here, but it clicked for me only recently. walking got easier when I stopped treating every attempt like a final exam.
Part of me wanted the fancy version with all the tools. The better version was boring: one notebook, one reminder, and a willingness to be clumsy with the setup for a while.
108 sparks · 44 comments
Comments
Rizky Pratama · 62 likes
The kindness in this post is lovely. I learned that one the expensive way.
Sleepy Runner · 13 likes
Big fan of this approach. I learned that one the expensive way.
Nusrat Akter · 10 likes
I am saving this for the next time I overthink beginners. It sounds small, but the route matters.
Urban Otter · 9 likes
I am saving this for the next time I overthink normal. The Buenos Aires example makes it feel concrete.
Rohan Mehta · 8 likes
Love the tiny experiment energy. The 9-minute rule is underrated. Public transit stories are secretly sociology stories.
Tomás Gómez · 3 likes
Same here. It took me too long to learn.
Isha Menon · 0 likes
You just saved me a bad purchase.
Arif Hasan · 1 likes
Exactly; the hidden cost is energy.
Noah Johansson · 7 likes
This is adorable and oddly motivating. Public transit stories are secretly sociology stories.
Elif Yılmaz · 0 likes
Small caveat: context changes the answer a lot.
Bilal Raza · 3 likes
This is the kind of disagreement I like.
Lotte Jansen · 1 likes
Short answer: yes. Long answer: also yes.
Irene López · 1 likes
Kind of wild how often caveat is the whole issue.
Mateo Cruz · 0 likes
This is the kind of disagreement I like.
Cedar Otter · 6 likes
I wonder how much of this depends on timing.
Finn Brown · 5 likes
I would push back gently on the absolute part. It sounds small, but the route matters.
Maya Williams · 7 likes
I like this more than the top-level advice.
Mango Otter · 4 likes
Glad you shared it; small wins count. The 4-minute rule is underrated.
Ethan Brooks · 4 likes
I am saving this for the next time I overthink normal. The 10-minute rule is underrated.
Ananya Rao · 4 likes
I think the bad version of this advice causes a lot of frustration. I would test it for 10 days before deciding.
Isha Menon · 3 likes
The boring logistics are always the hidden part. I would love to see a follow-up after 10 weeks. Public transit stories are secretly sociology stories.
Sanne de Vries · 3 likes
I do not have a strong take, but the cities detail is useful. The social part surprised me too.
Piotr Zieliński · 3 likes
Can you share what you tried before this? I am curious whether design still feels good next month.
Achieng Njeri · 1 likes
Amazing how much difference one small change can make. That is the kind of detail beginners miss.
Siti Lestari · 1 likes
I love this. It feels practical without pretending life is neat. My only addition is to make the first step visible.
Midnight Runner · 1 likes
I think the bad version of this advice causes a lot of frustration.
Midnight Panda · 0 likes
This sounds sensible, though I would need to test it myself. I would love to see a follow-up after 2 weeks.
Pixel Coder · 38 likes
This comment has main-character footnote energy.
Irene López · 5 likes
This comment has main-character footnote energy.
Pixel Coder · 1 likes
@curious_irene That is a much better way to say it.
Pixel Coder · 0 likes
Good clarification — I read it differently at first.
Pixel Rider · 1 likes
Thanks for making it less intimidating.
Minh Nguyen · 0 likes
I think the bad version of this advice causes a lot of frustration. For me it came down to the playlist.
Sebastián Rojas · 0 likes
I like the idea, but the setup probably matters a lot. This pairs weirdly well with mango sticky rice.