hamburger half-marathon

It's funny. I've been fretting for months about what was going to happen to me and now that I know, now that I've decided, I'm still fretting. In fact, I'm often scared shitless though my fear is intermittently peppered with a light, kind of soaring excitement. I am definitely staying in Hamburg. I am going to start out freelance teaching English, but I feel confident that I will be able to create a really great, satisfying career here. I don't think I am going to spend the rest of my life here, but I'd like to spend at least the next 5 years. Who knows, though? I also trust that if and when I am "supposed" to go back home, I'll know. Kind of like how I know that I want to stay here for now. I don't know what's going to happen, but as a very wise friend likes to remind me, no one does. Ever. I'm just going to dedicate time and energy to doing something that calls to me and, once again, trust that things will work out.
So that's that.
I watched the Hamburg half-marathon this morning, to show support for my current room-mate, who was running in the race. It was the second time I had watched a long-distance foot-race. I find them to be incredibly moving and inspiring. They make me tear up; they take my breath away. Today I got to watch the runners cross the finish line. It. was. amazing. I got to see a great range of the human experience as I was standing there cheering on perfect strangers. A lot of people fucking pull out all stops and take whatever it is they have left in their person to sprint the last 30 seconds of the race. Other people continue at a slow-but-steady pace but their eyes are clear and up-lifted. Others are running steadily but with much effort and their faces are contorted in exhaustion and pain. But my favorite, I think, are the moms and dads who pluck their little children from the crowd and run with them -- both completely elated and proud -- hand-in-hand to the goal. I thought to myself a couple dozen times today, I MUST DO THIS. And I will.
I'm going to get my foot checked out on Tuesday . . .