Journey//Don't Stop Believin'

Last week, I received the answer to 10 questions I had responded to a year ago, during the 10 days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur (really cool – check out 10Q). Especially since I was just beginning a new chapter in my life one year ago – moving to a new place, not even having a job – it’s really cool to read about where I was then and to reflect on the journey from there to here.

Having this blog has really allowed me to quite literally track my progress, or really, my journey through the past few years. While I was stretching the other morning, I flipped the print-copy of my blog (thank you friends!) and read back over some of my firsts – first struggles with finding a balance to get it all done, first 6-10 mile long runs, first half marathon. While life is always flooding us with new musts, goals, and things to reach for, it's important to remember where we're coming from...and sometimes, just how far we've come.

  

Lani after her first half!

In addition to it being the start of the Jewish new year, this week has also been the mark of many journey ends and new beginnings around me. Even though Lani only just signed up to run her first half back in February, it has certainly been an ongoing journey of a few years even, especially as she battled through an injury that delayed her initial race earlier this summer. Beyond that, I think back to all our runs together in Philly and think how awesome it’s been to watch her come so far. Yesterday morning, she crushed her first half in Denver, the place she now calls home - so proud of her!

Dr. RJW

While she was doing that, I was back in the Mid-West, checking out South Bend and touring Notre Dame. I love seeing new campuses, especially when the tour guide is a friend who feels the way I do about my alma mater. Tour guide/favorite friend, Joe, just moved back to ND after 5 years away, taking with him his new, shiny doctorate degree. Oh and by the way, he put us in our place this afternoon when he informed us that while wrapping up his dissertation, he was banging out first-time mileage at a pace that leaves me gasping for breath just thinking about it (warning: you will be pressured into running a half soon). Anyway, talk about JOURNEY!

Life is ever changing and all we can hope is that when the changes come, we can appreciate them. If they’re not easy changes, I try to find a reason for it or push myself to make the most of it. I think it’s these things that help us to become problem solvers, as we strive to be content and satisfied, to be fulfilled, regardless of the things that come our way.

Running has taught me a lot about "the journey." They say it’s not about the destination and any runner who runs loops around the block or does a long run, just to end up back where they started, will confirm that. While we hope our destination – where you live, where you end up professionally, the finish line of your first race, the beginning of a new chapter after working hard in the last one – is one we love, it’s true that it’s all about the journey we took to get there. It’s about the unexpected things we found along the way, about the lessons we learned, and the people we met. Each journey gives us something different and it’s up to us to take that gift…and run.