I’ve got lots of blogging to do. I wanted to write about the half marathon we ran…the blissy-bliss half-marathon we ran. The half-marathon where we ran and I felt so excited and I smiled the whole time and hooted and cheered, the half-marathon where I ran farther than I’ve ever run so far and my body felt so alive! The half-marathon where I surprised myself with the extent of my spirit; the half-marathon where I surprised myself with ability and endurance and ease; the half-marathon where Daniel walked back after he finished and ran the last mile and a half with me!
hooray
And then I was going to write about how a day and a half later my right foot swelled a little and has been sore and slightly swollen ever since, and I ice it and elevate it and put arnica and menthol on it, and pray it will heal, so I can run again.
And then I want to write about this journey to New Jersey! On August 6, I caught the Pere Marquette train to Holland, Michigan, where I spent the night, and then hopped in my parents’ car to travel to New Jersey!! Where I hadn’t been in 5 years!
And we towed my dad’s motorcycle and my parents’ bicycles as well, and on Sunday afternoon, my parents’ dropped me off in Budd Lake, New Jersey, with my mom’s bicycles and big backpack. And I have been journeying through my old town and the surrounding towns, seeing the things I once saw and the newness and breathing and sweating!! The hottest day of the season, so far. high 90s…HUMID. glory.
On Sunday night I visited Pax Amicus Castle Theatre (check it out…it’s awesome: www.paxamicus.com) where I saw a production of RENT and spent the night with beloved friends from the theatre. And then in the morning, I took off by bike to Hackettstown and rode around and went to a farmer’s market and rode into Independence Township and past my old house and visited my piano teacher and a few old friends, one of whose family took me in and fed me dinner and welcomed me to spend the night. And this morning, I went for a bike ride and found myself back at this coffee shop where I spent some time yesterday as well.
Things that amaze and interest me here:
a. HILLS (o.m.g. hills, and biking on hills!), b. Hackettstown has farmer’s market (where I bought local organic honey, a loaf of pumpernickel bread, organic zucchini bread, and an apple from the same place we used to go apple picking), c. Hackettstown has a Fair Trade store!!!!, d. continuing development and chain corporations (yuck…white castle, wendy’s, target, so many rite-aids), e. ethnic food and stores (there was always a lot of Italian–which is awesome in my perception, slash now there is so much latino stuff- a panadería colombiana, a restaurante salvadoreño, other shops and restaurants with signs in español; a thai restaurant), f. New Jersey accents– I had NO IDEA that our accents were so strong. it is thoroughly amazing to me
oh new jersey. familiar and unfamiliar. and beautiful. western new jersey, hilly mountainous green beautiful to me.
One more day after today and then we depart.
