Running

I attempted my first run in Kabul yesterday. Let's just say that had it been a race, you would have needed a calendar to time me. The combination of higher elevation than my body is used to, the terrible air quality of yesterday (cold day with lots of fires burning combined with thermal inversion in our valley), and the snow/ice/mud made for a tough run. But, as hard as it was to keep my body going forward, it felt so good to be able to get out and exercise. Given the current security situation in Kabul, my run involved running little loops and circles through the inside of our compound. The Afghan students looked at me like I had lost my ever-loving mind. Exercise for the sake of exercise is simply not a luxury they can afford.

Three days remain until the assignments are handed out and this team that has spent so many days together will be disbanded and dispersed around the country. We are all anxious to get to our assignments and begin work.