As I passed through the last doorway and left the world of pages and in-baskets to the trusted and talented hands of my partners, my thoughts lay with two things. First, I needed to get to the gym. The prior two weeks, including the Christmas holiday, had been incredibly hectic, and my schedule had rarely coincided with the available classes. I had been feeling all of it and I needed a workout. The other thought pressing against the tangled neurons of my brain was that I had to get home, shower, and straighten up a little before my flight.
I made it to the gym with time to spare only to find my coach looking at me with concern. “You’re scaling?” But it wasn’t so much a question as a statement of fact. He knows I’ve got a few nagging aches that I’ve been nursing and doesn’t want me exacerbating them. From where I stood, I was looking at a long break ahead regardless of what I did today. This was my time for healing and recovery, and had no intention of setting myself back going into it. So rather than do the things I really wanted to do, I made my way through the workout lifting lighter weights and doing my best to avoid anything that would poke the angry bear. I worked on challenging myself to move faster rather than heavier. It wasn’t what I really wanted, but it was enough. And to be honest, I knew that if I had tried to do more, he would have called me on it.
It’s nice to know people are looking out for me. Really nice. And I’m learning to let them.
Rushing home, I showered away the grime and tidied up as I waited for my ride to the airport. When she finally arrived, my Lyft driver was perhaps the most talkative I have ever had. She lives in Toledo and primarily drives in Ann Arbor, where students sometimes hire her to drive them a block to buy a blunt. At the end of her shift tonight she will be going to visit her mother who lives in Southfield. When she isn’t driving, she has another job, but driving pays better. She also doesn’t really like Toledo, but the rent is cheaper. Except her landlord says she is using too much electricity. The Chevy Equinox she is driving is new, and she hasn’t really learned it yet … she continued on. The perpetual monologue made for an entertaining ride, but I was ready to move on when she dropped me off at the airport for my 10pm flight.
I quickly passed through security and the airport opened wide in front of me, a gateway to the world …
I can’t believe that was more than two weeks ago. In that time I’ve seen, tasted, and experienced absolutely incredible things.
And those nagging aches and pains? The have gradually subsided. One of them, however, was the most intense and frustrating. And it wouldn’t go away. When I went for the Ayurvedic massage, the therapist targeted it with a hot stone, pounding away at it, explaining that the treatment would force the healing power of the herbs into the tissue.
The next day the pain was worse, and I was pessimistic.
That was four days ago. Three days ago is the last time I remember feeling that muscle protesting.
Two days ago as I carried our suitcases up the stairs of the house in Kannur, I didn’t notice anything, but I didn’t test it. And I haven’t felt anything since.
It’s nice to be pain-free.
I’m somehow nervous about going back to the weight room and lifting. Maybe that’s because I know the break has set me back, but at least I’m going home as I had hoped: healthy. I have plans for the next six months, goals and challenges I that I wish to pursue, and I need to get back to working on them.
But don’t worry, because sometime in there, I plan to drop in and let you all know about a trip or two!
Until then…
With Love,
Butterblogger
butterblogger 