Konichi wa

Pretty sure I might have had that blog title before but the difference this time is that I'm in Okinawa bitches!!! Hehe, ok. That was a but intense but I'm in Japan!!!!!!!!! It's sooo amazing.

Yesterday I left the states for Japan. I flew from MSP to JFK and then JFK to NRT. That was a total of 16 hours flying. After that, I tagged three more hours on there to go from NRT to OKA. I am staying with Chica's mom who works here at the USA air force base. I am sooo grateful for her hospitality.

I am so wonderfully blessed!!! I will stay here for a few days and then head to Tokyo to spend a few days with an old Disney friend. My birthday is in four days!!! I am turning 28. What does that mean???

I met a 20 year old who said, how can you rock out to Metallica? Yes, those were his exact words. Now I know I am only 8 years older than this kid but he made me feel old when he said that. He said he can only get into techno music and that Metallica doesn't have a beat. What???? I worry about the next generation if they need a song to have a consistent base beat in order for it to be real music. Obviously this kid doesn't know any other good music. Not to say his beats aren't good but music has so many layers. It's not just the beat. It's the lyrics. It's the story. It's the rhythm. It's the emotion. It's the movement. It's the dancing. It's the energy. It's the decade. I could go on and on. The point is that I couldn't identify much with this young man and it made me feel my age.

I'm excited to turn 28 in another country. This the birthday I wanted when I turned 25 but I let my feelings for my husband lead me to his country for what turned out to be a failed birthday visit. Saying that brings up a bit of the emotion around how that day went down which alerts me to more weight that I can let go of.

I have been reading some deep spiritual things (surprise surprise) and I am discovering more and more baggage that I can drop off. I don't have to wear my scars. I don't have to let those things determine my walk or how I breathe. I was just reading the book about how centering my breathing can help me stay in my now. I always knew that focused breathing was good for you but this book explained it well to me for the first time.

It's like you are sitting drinking a cup of tea supposedly enjoying the moment but what you're really doing most of the time is not drinking the tea. You are thinking of some past or future event or obligation. To really be in the moment means to just drink the tea and breathe. Sounds simple but it's not easy to do at first. I have always wanted to shut my mind off and this seems to be a sure method.

I try my best to be present during my runs. I focus on running and all that goes into it which is breathing, posture, foot strike and roll, arm movement, direction, the path, the terrain, pace, time and so much more. I have found that when I don't focus on running I bang my foot into something, miss a turn, get stopped by something, lose form, breathe incorrectly, or almost trip and fall. It's the universes way of saying, "Hey! Pay attention." And those things definitely get my attention.

When I am focused on my run, the path is always open. I never worry about cars, traffic lights, dead ends or forks in the road. I know that if I want to run and focus on just that, the path will be open to me. When I am paying attention, I see the openings. I feel the universe saying cross here, turn here, wait at this corner, etc. It's such a powerful experience! I feel so strong.

I was just telling cic the other day about how the philosophies we learn and use during running can be used in our everyday life. If you can run, you can a accomplish anything. Yes you will be faced with challenges and learning how to run is a task of patience and determination.

I didn't know how to breathe when I started running. I was breathing all wrong. Now I have so much more control over my breathing. I can even run without exhaling through my mouth for a while. I know when to push it and when to take it easy. However, after reading that book I mentioned earlier, I discovered that I can tune in more to my breathing and running than I am. That's exciting. It's work but it's work that makes you better!

Funny I'm here in Japan and I am more geeked about running in this moment than anything else, lol. I just think its fucking cool that I went running in Japan!!!