Can I Walk With You, Darla? (Episode 12)
Podcast: Can I Walk With You?
Host: Thoraya
Guest: Darla
Date: September 18, 2025
Overview
In the first episode of season one, host Thoraya sets off through the streets of New York City and strikes up a candid, spontaneous conversation with Darla, a 21-year-old student originally from Louisiana. As they walk, the two navigate topics like making friends in a new city, love, heartbreak, dating culture, and the value of genuine connection. The conversation is warm, vulnerable, and funny, capturing the magic of getting to know a stranger during a simple city walk.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Meeting on the Street & Podcast Concept
- Thoraya approaches Darla outside a golf store, asking if she would walk and talk for the podcast. Darla agrees, joking about “kidnapping” and quickly breaking the ice.
- Memorable Quote:
- “This is not like a kidnapping.” – Darla (00:29)
- Thoraya explains her love for walking and talking as a means of connecting more deeply, aiming for a relaxed, friend-like conversation.
- Quote:
- “One of my favorite things to do with people I love is walk with them. And actually, it's one of my favorite ways to get to know someone, too.” – Thoraya (00:49)
- Memorable Quote:
Backgrounds & Adjusting to New York (01:55–02:52)
- Both Darla and Thoraya are transplants: Thoraya from San Diego, Darla from Louisiana.
- Darla moved for school (Fashion Institute of Technology) and work in fashion manufacturing.
- Both describe the isolating aspects of living in a new city and their efforts to make new friends.
- Darla opens up about her shyness and how forming genuine friendships has made her happier.
- Quote:
- “I was always so shy when I was younger, and now I'm, like, here for some reason. So it's, like, very weird.” – Darla (02:09)
Friendship & Loneliness in a Big City (02:52–03:37)
- Darla shares feelings of isolation through her first two years in NYC—blaming her introversion for a lack of friends—then finding happiness as she expands her circle.
- She says she has “like five friends or so. But that's all you need, really.”
- Thoraya affirms, “That's a good amount of friends, I think.” (03:34)
- Darla is honest about not having a love life, which leads to the next major conversation.
Choosing Between Passion and Security in Love (03:49–06:19)
- Thoraya poses a thought-provoking relationship scenario:
- Would you choose a “crazy in love” but unstable relationship, or a safe, deeply loving relationship that “fits” better into your life?
- Darla chooses safety, explaining,
- “Safety is, like, I don't know, human instinct... having an additional person that you're, like, deeply in love with and can provide safety. I think that's more worth it.” (04:38)
- Thoraya admits she'd go with the “crazy in love” option, hoping for that “best love story of all time.” (06:00)
- Quote:
- “You can't always be safe in this life. It's kind of boring.” – Darla (06:08)
Heartbreak, Lessons Learned & Zodiac Signs (07:00–08:20)
- Thoraya asks if Darla has had her heart broken. Darla describes a difficult past relationship with a “male Libra,” saying it affected her deeply and now makes her cautious.
- Memorable Moment:
- Darla openly navigates why she's avoided crazy-in-love situations, alluding to heartache and personal growth.
- Darla talks astrology, swearing off “male Libras” and lamenting her pattern of attracting “Sagittarius” partners (“one of the worst signs I’ve ever fucking met in my life”).
- The friends laugh about the quirks and grievances of dating by zodiac.
- Memorable Moment:
Hookup Culture, Dating Challenges, and Stepping Out of Comfort Zones (08:32–09:49)
- Darla shares her frustrations with dating, particularly with hookup culture, and her desire for something more secure. She expresses wishing she were less shy and more adventurous.
- Thoraya reassures her, pointing out:
- “You're being out. You're going outside your comfort zone today.” (09:26)
- Both reflect on the value of saying yes to new experiences.
Wrapping Up: The Joy of Spontaneous Connection (09:49–10:17)
- As they approach Darla’s destination, both women express how natural and easy the conversation felt—like "talking to a best friend."
- Quote:
- “A nice conversation. I felt like I was just talking to like a best friend and it was totally normal.” – Darla (09:37)
- Quote:
- Thoraya thanks Darla for the genuine conversation as they part ways, both upbeat and grateful for the walk.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On why walking brings people together:
- “I thought it would be cool to try to get to know a stranger on a walk.” – Thoraya (01:01)
-
On the importance of friendship:
- “Now I'm, like, trying to be, like, louder. You know what I mean? Get out there. Enslave.” – Darla (02:22)
-
On choosing safe love over wild passion:
- “The reason we're alive today, we use our safety switch in our brain. And having an additional person that you're, like, deeply in love with and can provide safety. I think that's more worth it.” – Darla (04:38)
-
On past heartbreak:
- “Like I went insane and I'm like, I don't feel like going insane anymore.” – Darla (07:39)
-
On trying new things:
- “You're going outside your comfort zone today.” – Thoraya (09:26)
- “A nice conversation. I felt like I was just talking to like a best friend and it was totally normal.” – Darla (09:37)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 00:49 – Thoraya explains the walk-and-talk podcast concept
- 02:09 – Darla on moving to New York and adjusting
- 03:26 – Darla reflects on building a new friend group
- 04:38 – Darla chooses safety and security in relationships
- 06:00 – Thoraya defends the allure of crazy, passionate love
- 07:39 – Darla shares the heartbreak that changed her perspective
- 08:06 – Funny, honest takes on dating, signs, and “male Libras”
- 09:26 – Thoraya encourages Darla for stepping out of her comfort zone
- 09:37 – Both express how natural and easy the connection felt
Tone and Style
The conversation is unscripted, light-hearted yet vulnerable, filled with moments of laughter, curiosity, and relatability. Thoraya and Darla speak candidly, often joking (“Do I seem like the type [to kidnap]?”) while also tackling heartfelt topics such as loneliness, love, and personal growth.
Summary:
This debut New York episode of “Can I Walk With You?” is a testament to the bonds that can form in moments of openness and shared vulnerability. By the end of the walk, Darla and Thoraya’s conversation feels effortless and intimate, offering listeners a window into the beauty of authentic, in-the-moment connection—even (or perhaps especially) between strangers.