Invicible

Today...or i should say tonight,,,was a nite i will not forget. My day was nice too though :) I had grammar and culture/civ class this morning, and then i had cafe con leche and tortilla y patata y worked on our group project with my wonderful friends Marion and Maja in Faustino's (that's the name of our cafeteria :) ) I swear to God that's one of my FAVORTIE places here hehe just b/c i have so many wonderful moments with my friends, the food is SO SO cheap to buy and SO good, and it's such a cozy setting (you've seen some pics :)
Then, around 230pm i headed home, but went for a walk around the corte ingles/downtown area, and finally found this quiant, but AMAZING store that' ive been looking for for the last week hehe! It is a store of the coolest, more beatiful jewelry, scarfs, purses, ...basically 'Lauren haven!!!!" that i've ever seen in my life..reasonably priced too! So ....hehe i bought myself my birthday present(s) today... early presents hehe. I bought the most gorgeous ring and two bracelets...so it was fun to just treat myself. I will def be going back there though to buy gifts for mom, friends, etc b/c its just so fun. Then, to make matter's even better, i started talking with the lady that was working there, and it turns out she is from Pamplona, studies at the public university (so we don't go to the same university), but she was SO nice to me and wanted to know how i was doing, etc. So we talked, i told her how i'm doing here, loving a lot of things, and then b/4 i left she say's to me.."Here i want to give you my name and number so you can call and we'll have cafe or you can come to my piso and we can cook and visit".! It was just the coolest, random thing. I was NOt expecting to meet a new friend, but it was like a double birthday present! hehe...She is SO awesome and fun to visit with, her name is Slvia, her boyfriend was studying in New York, but now he's back here, ..but anyway,,i'm just so happy to have met her, and i think i'm gonna call her this weekend. I love how you just never know when life will put a new person in your life, and had i never gone walking and found the store, i would have never even met her! So i'm so glad i did!
I had dance class in the early evening, and what was SO much fun about this was that there was only 4 of us students there..plus the teacher Nerea..so it was me, Kristen, the other Kristen hehe, and Ruben. He is so fun too! So we danced chachacha for an hour, and i swear, i just laugh so hard when i'm there. I just love this..it's another one of those situations i just feel so blessed to be in b/c i'm meeting real Spanish people, learning, and just being happy. Then, it was funny b/c for the next hour, we sat in a circle and visited! We talked about food, desserts, Ruben explained to us how to cook some things (he's 21) and then Nerea told us of some bars and good places we can all go out to practice the tango and chachacha and the other dances we are learning. Then we left!..so even though we didn't practice Tango tonight, the night was awesome! The four of us are going to go out sometime and dance and have a drink b/c it was so fun talking!!!
Then, as i was walking home tonight, i got just this provoking feeling to drop everything and run. So that's what i did, and i'm telling you it was the best run of my ENTIRE LIFE!. I went to the ciudadela, and it was already dark out, but it must have been 55 degrees farenheit, 0 mph wind, a moon softly hidden by the clouds, and the lights of the buildings, the park, the cars, and a few stars lighting my way. The other thing is that i've never seen so many runners in one place at that time of day in all my life. It was just so fun..it was like i entered runners world..and as i was going, i'd look into the eyes of a runner passing me by, and we'd just exchange this gaze of pure happiness..that of which only a runner knows. Im telling you, tonight was a major mile-stone for me, because i ran for 35 minutes without stopping a single stride, and without feeling 1 ache or pain in my leg. It's been over 8 -9 months since ive felt this good, and then with the broken leg, etc,,i can't tell you what it meant for me to do this--and feel so good at the same time. I just went. What i love so much, is that when i'm running, i'm free, i'm independent, i don't need anybody, all i need is my legs to carry me, my eyes to guide me, and my ears to give me the pleasure to hear (tonight is was Taio Cruz, MJ, and Mariah Carey,,with a mix of more of my fave songs!)I just reached that point where i could keep going, going, goin, and yet i was waiting for that ache, for that strike of pain that i've become so accustomed to, and it never came. I swear to God, i had a smile on my face for the entire time, AND i think i was even singing out-loud haha. Oh god! thank you God :) I'm just so thankful to have legs that work, and to be able to do this. Even if not everyday, and if not 26 miles, i can do 35 min, and i still get those endorphins. I don't need anything else when i can do this..it just gives me strength, courage, confidence, and independence. It's my medicine, and cure for all.
When i was home, Julia had prepared my favorite chorizo with bread and a tomato in olive oil. Then i at an amazingly fresh apple, drank a ton of water, and had some amazing Spain chocolate hehe :) God ...it was a good night..there really is only one thing that could have made it better..but i will get to be with him soon :)
Until next time,
All my love,
Lauren