It hit me a few days ago and it wasn’t until a high school teacher of mine reminded me…. that I need to write all of this down for 30 years from now (or in my case, 13 years later as I’m transcribing everything and not remembering most of it! Thank GOD I always kept a journal).

It was probably about two weeks ago, the first time i felt this. It was maybe the third time I was running through the park. Things still kind of felt like a dream since we were doing so much touristy stuff all the time every day. It wasn’t until I went turnning in the park that it all began to feel real. It made me think of when i went running at home. Now i was just doing itt here – my new temporary home. I can’t even really describe perfectly enough what exactly it felt like. But I knew it was good.

The sun was setting on this ideal September evening. The sun was warm against my skin and a slight breeze blew all my worries away. The music playing in my ears was the perfect soundtrack to this moment. The park is full of people. Some are walking hand – in -hand down a path. Others are laying on the ground taking in the world at that very moment. Some, like me, are running. There’s this unshown connection between runners. We’re all going through the same thing. Silently respecting one another as we pass by. Nobody know where I’m going or how many miles I’m trying to run, or what I’m working on in my head. But we all just wave and keep moving. It’s like being part of an invisible culture and for the first time since I’m here, being accepted as part of something. There’s no formal welcoming, only the feeling that can’t ever be described, only felt.

I can’t believe that after all this time, I’m finally out in the world… doing it!