In the market for new legs

I had my first indoor game of the spring season on Monday and, aside from the fact that I always forget how unbelievably hard indoor is, I had a great time! Indoor is perfect for someone with a short attention span because there are only two twenty minute halves, compared to two forty minute halves in outdoor. The game is over before you have the opportunity to get bored! Despite the short halves, I had shaky legs when I walked off the field at the end of the game. Another girl on the team was asking me if I thought she could run around Greenlake in her indoor shoes and I almost puked a little into my mouth. A different girl talked about her ultra-marathon relay that she'd raced in the day before. "I ran thirteen miles, so I might be pretty useless today," she chirped as she bounced onto the field. I am still sore. I can't wait for next week's game.

It's that time of year

Now that it's gotten warmer, stays lighter later, and my bike has been tuned-up, it's time to ride as much as possible. This morning I woke up with stiff calves and burning quads. It's awesome! My sister once told me that my bike was too old and heavy. 'Real' cyclists use clip-in pedals and would have a newer, lighter bike. Well, maybe I'm not a 'real' cyclist, but I do have a good time. And that, Nopo Girl, is really all that matters.

Rest and Relaxation

After weeks of going and going and going and going and . . . well, you get the idea, I decided that it was time for some sleep and unaplogetic television watching and reading and running as long as I want to. Because Seattle has too many distractions and noisy neighbors, I came to the serenity of my parents' house. I slept for four hours yesterday afternoon, woke up and watched a movie, then slept for twelve more hours. As I was stretching in bed and thinking about how wonderful it is to actually rest and, for once, not worry about what I could be doing, my Mom knocked on the door. "Ailey," she said with obvious concern, "are you depressed?"

"No," I replied. "I'm just well-rested."

The small, still voice

Last week, I received my invitation for the JET program (to learn more about JET, check-out the website at http://www.jetprogramme.org/). If I want to go, I need to send in my letter of acceptance by April 24th. I've been hanging on to my letter for over seven days now. I know what I need to do, but I feel like I'm waiting for that small, still voice to turn into a bolt of lightening and strike me down with the correct answer. A year in Japan would definitely be, as my friend Nick says, sadical (sad/radical). Sad because I'd miss my friends and family and, of course, the city, but it would be an awesome experience and completely radical. Sadical - get it? Well, stay posted to find out if I'm wise enough to trust the small, still voice. I could be posting from Japan in four months.

Do you like to do Awesome Stuff?

Because I like to do Awesome Stuff. For some reason, it's hard for me to find people that also like to do Awesome Stuff. I live in one of the most active cities in the United States, but it seems that most of my friends have differing interests. In case you're wondering, Awesome Stuff includes skiing/snowboarding, camping, hiking, rock climbing, surfing, cycling, and running. Most people like to do one, or even some, of the above, but few (a staggering few) like to do them all. Don't get me wrong, I'm not expert or even particularly good at most Awesome Stuff, but I still like to do it. I especially like to do Awesome Stuff with my sister, Nopo Girl, my brother-in-law, Corporate Media Whore, and Noah the Dog. This blog entry was inspired by the fact that it's spring again and the time has arrived to do Awesome Stuff. In fact, Nopo Girl, Corporate Media Whore, Noah the Dog and I are going to do Awesome Stuff in two weeks. So, if you like to do Awesome Stuff and want someone new to do Awesome Stuff with, just let me know. There's lot's of Awesome Stuff to do around Seattle, but it's definitely more fun to have someone to do it with.

Retrospect (introspect?)

I just realized that it has been almost exactly a year since I was medically discharged from the Peace Corps. This week, I've been celebrating my year anniversary by reading old posts and reminiscing about the good and bad times. It's hard to believe that a little over twelve months ago I was walking through ankle-deep mud (buttcock - seriously, that's the Kyrgyz word for 'mud') to get to school, bathing once a week, and using a hole in the ground. It's hard to believe that Kyrgyz was my main language of communication. It's hard to believe that I witnessed a revolution.

Sometimes I have dreams that I'm back in Kyrgyzstan. In my dreams, I'm given another chance to make it work. I reunite with my students and my host-family and, always, my friend Umut and our reunions are exciting and hope-filled. Sadly, though, even in my dreams I know that I'm dreaming and that I can't stay. In my dreams, I always wish that I could stay.

Sometimes I'm filled with regret that I couldn't stay. I miss my host-family that I never had the chance to say goodbye to since I was whisked away in the Peace Corps all-terrain vehicle to the capital city without any notice. I miss my students. I miss the other volunteers and our nights of pseudo-pizza and involved discussions on bowel-movements (VERY important to a Peace Corps volunteer). I wish that things could have been very, very different.

This has been a really good year for me and I am so happy right now. It doesn't mean, however, that I don't think about what could have been.