Runs

Look what we found at the end of our run!

Lucky for me, talking about runs here doesn't just mean talking about my digestive problems...(although I haaave just started treatment for parasites...chao chao, amoebas.)

I get to do a pretty good amount of running around here...
most days, running is a little part of my routine - like running after a toddler who doesn't want to sit in her high-chair, or running to catch the bus when I'm late for school, (that sounded like I'm 10 years old...) Fortunately, most days I can find some time to actually go on a run, and I'm thankful that this is the case. Running is something that I really just love doing, but for my first month or so here, it was honestly pretty hard to find the joy in running. Cochabamba has lots of parks and lots of green; the problem is that everyone has warned me that these are places I shouldn't be by myself. Resultantly, when I'm running on my own I've been sticking to bike paths on busy streets...so my runs have included lots of dodging traffic, weaving through people, and not exactly my favorite smells. Combine this with never-ending comments from spectators, (up until this weekend, I had seen one other runner since I've been here. Sidenote, he was wearing sweatpants and a fleece with a hood - it was 85 degrees,) and a little altitude adjustment early on, and I just hadn't been very excited about running here, which was strange since it's something I normally love so much.

Things have definitely changed for the better throughout the past month! Thanks to some new people in my world here, I'm happy to say that running is something that's really been brightening my mornings. A friend from school, Lauren, and I have been running together some, and it's been fun to run more scenic routes together and get to know her better. During a day trip to La Cabana de Torres this week with some school friends, we went running down some railroad tracks and were so surprised with the views that waited for us at the end. Another running highlight here was when a Bolivian friend took us running around the lake by El Cristo before church...I have never seen so many runners up at 5:30 on a Sunday morning! And how can you beat a Saturday morning run with Lauren and Machews throughout random farm roads, (pausing for the cattle herders to cross,) knowing that we were running home to homemade cinnamon rolls from Mauge?! Yup - there's joy in running, that's for sure.

Lauren and I at the end of the tracks

Without a doubt, the best thing that's come from a love of running here is getting to run with Adelaida!

Tia Adelaida is one of the 8 Bolivian staffmembers at the baby home - she's actually in charge of the group of tias, andddd she loves all sports. I can't say how good these tias are to me. All 8 of them have been so patient and helpful to me since I've gotten here, and some of the tias are some of my best friends here! With the language barrier, these relationships have taken more time to build, but going on morning runs with Adelaida has been such a valuable time for our friendship. We have to be finished with our runs by 6am...but what a great way to start the morning!

Last, this is another one of our Tias...Tia Consuelo. Tia Consuelo does not have anything to do with running besides making jokes about it...I just love her!