After a few weeks in 80 and 90 degrees
weather, my body is trying to adjust to the cold temperatures and I am already
fighting a nagging cold. Notwithstanding how I feel, yesterday I went out for a
run around City Park. It was around 27 degrees but it felt more like in the
teens and I had to wiggle my toes at every stride to shake off some of the
numbness; please take me back to the Caribbean Sea…
Aside from the cold, I am happy to be
home with my cat and my dog. I missed them so much and how quickly they have
both already adjusted to being back home. My cat is full of life and I love how
she fills up all the empty spaces with her playfulness and feline energy and sounds.
My dog is getting old but she ran circles around me like a young pup when I
picked her up. I know she missed me and I can see some sadness in her eyes. Her
caretaker told me she stood and looked out the window often as if waiting for
my return (i hurt).
I returned home to a busy work schedule
already, meetings and class preps, all within a few hours of my arrival and am
not ready for any of that. Besides all the responsibilities of my job, I am
venturing into a different path this new year –a major undertaking that, along
side my job and my Boston marathon training, will occupy my time 100%, leaving
me with no time for anything else. Suffice it to say that I am pursuing a renewed goal
of mine and doing so with much fear and trepidation, but I am doing it because now
it seems the right time and because I don't want to regret not chasing after this particular endeavor.
This semester is going to be a hell of
a ride and next to all my fears and anxieties, I am also experiencing great
excitement in anticipation of meaningful changes…
A small yard of my own, why? Because I want to have
my own small garden and be able to plant and grow some of my food and eat from
the fruit of the earth (the pachamama) from my own yard. I was thinking very
hard about this early today. Although I only eat fish, I eventually want to follow
a strict vegetarian diet for health reasons but mostly for ethical reasons. The
challenge that I have in wanting to do this is eating enough protein to fuel my
muscles and endure training as a distance runner. I know it can be done because
there are many vegetarian runners. I had a long conversation with one of my
classes about this today and some of my students think I am crazy—what a
compliment! ;-) Then of course I will need time to work in the garden and tend
to it, even if it is a small one, but how therapeutic it would be… My dog of
course would enjoy the yard and the garden too. I want a small garden...
Arranged my Spring class schedule and other commitments around this major event, the Boston Marathon 2015! Got my plane tickets and lodging worked out, next is TRAINING!!!
A fun and busy Thanksgiving day, and even my kitty was entertained. One of my students renamed her Midnight... I like the sound of that!
