It seems like yesterday, but it was long ago...

sisters post run
Originally uploaded by Josie R

In what was apparently a bit of foreshadowing, I titled the very first post on this blog "ready, ready, ready, ready, ready to run"...

Yesterday, I completed my very first 1/2 marathon. Cory, Caryn, Carri & I ran the Scotia Bank race in Vancouver, B.C. I guess it's one more thing to cross off that ever-shortening "I never" list. It's hard for me to describe how I felt as I ran across that finish line. I was moved to tears, which I suppose comes as no surprise to most of you and isn't really saying much when it comes to me, but the sense of accomplishment I experienced was pretty incredible.

I didn't train properly for this race, but I have to say it went better than I anticipated. My friend Stacia is putting together a team to run the half-marathon in Seattle in November to raise money for some projects she has planned in Kewsua. I'll be training for that race over the next few months, and I'm looking forward to making the transition to becoming a "real" runner. If you're interested in joining Stacia's team on November 30th, send me an email and I'll keep you posted on the details.

I believe I've missed each and every face...

I made it back to Seattle last Friday evening. The last several days have been a whirlwind of reunions, and in a way I feel like I've barely been able to catch my breath. But it's GOOD to be home.

The two questions I've been asked most often are "What was your favorite place on the trip?" and "What's next?". I'm not sure which of these questions is the more difficult for me to answer, but I will say I don't have a easy answer for either of them. I enjoyed every step of this incredible journey and while I certainly enjoyed some places more than others, choosing a "favorite" is so hard for me! As to what I'll do now... that's a tough one too...

When I interviewed with the Bonderman committee at the UW last year, they asked me what I was scared of with regards to embarking on this trip. I said then that my number one fear was that I would decide while I was gone that I didn't want to do what I'd just spent the last 6 or so years preparing to do (i.e. be a speech-language pathologist). Thankfully, that hasn't happened; I am still as excited as ever about my choice to become an SLP. What has changed for me I think is the sense of urgency I may have felt to "hurry up and get started". Coming off 9+ months of what was essentially a very long vacation, I am feeling incredibly relaxed and happy and laid back (for lack of a better phrase) and I think the challenge for me now is to figure out how to hang on to all of those feelings while transitioning to a more "normal" life. I'm planning on giving myself the summer to figure out where I'm headed. In the meantime, I'll be moonlighting as one of King County's most highly-qualified nannies and trying to catch up with the many, many, many people I've been missing over the last year.

I don't have a permanent residence right now, so I'll be floating around a bit. Happy to hear about any offers of spare bedrooms or comfy couches! :) I have a new phone number as well, so if you'd like that, shoot me an email.

Hope this finds you all doing well. There are new pictures up on the flickr site of the Paris extravaganza for Cory's birthday, so go check those out!

More soon...

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead....

In just over twelve hours I will meet my sister at the arrivals hall at Charles de Gaulle airport to begin our first ever "Sister's Trip". My mom and her sisters have been doing these forever, but somehow it's taken way too long for Cory & I to plan our first. I can't really begin to describe how excited I am about this little adventure to end this big adventure...

There are lots of fun things and little surprises in store and I am so looking forward to sharing with Cory what remains as one of my most favorite places in the whole wide world. Pictures and stories to come... see you next weekend!!

We're on our way home....
We're going home....

Many thangs is on my mind, words in the way...

This will be the last blog from India. I arrived in Pondicherry early this morning. This is a pretty little city, and I wish I had a bit more time here, but I've got to be movin' on. Tomorrow morning I'll begin my last LONG leg of travel and arrive in Paris Friday afternoon. Looking forward to a week of silliness with my sister, and of course looking forward to returning home to everyone I've missed so much these past several months, but it would be a lie to say that I'm not feeling a little torn about this adventure drawing to a close...

There is a lot I want to say about this, but I'm kind of having a hard time wrapping my head around it, I think. You might all just be subjected to these random rambles long after I return home... perhaps that's how I'll draw this whole thing out; there are after all still many stories to tell. :)

One thing I do want to say though before I "wrap up" from India is THANK YOU. Thank you for reading this, and for your emails, and comments, and kind words, and support (emotional, financial, and otherwise!). I can't begin to tell you how much it has meant to know that there were so many people thinking of me back home as I wandered around the world. Elizabeth Gilbert of "Eat, Pray, Love" fame has a great thing to say about gratitude, and I'm going to close with her words, which are more eloquent than anything I can put together now.

In the end, though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe its wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you. Forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices.
-Elizabeth Gilbert

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Much love and I'll see you very soon,

Josie

Of travel I've had my share, man...

Ok, I haven't really been everywhere, but it's starting to feel that way. :) I arrived in Madurai, Tamil Nadu early this morning, excited to see the Sri Meenakshi Temple, lauded as one of the "Top 5 Temples in South India" (that is according to the Lonely Planet). I was really looking forward to this one, so you can perhaps imagine my disappointment, when I arrived at sunrise this morning only to discover that each of the 12 gopurams (or decorative towers) were completely covered in thatch. Apparently due to a "painting problem" (as the security guard explained). Uhhh... sorry folks, park's closed... moose out front shoulda told ya. All I could do was laugh. The temple complex was still pretty impressive, but there's only so long you can hang out in a temple, and my train to Pondicherry doesn't leave until about 11pm, so I thought I'd write a quick update before setting out to see what else Madurai has to offer. Apparently there is a pretty good Gandhi museum here, so I'll probably go check that out; the other big draw here seems to be textiles, but my backpack is too full for any of that!