Book Club, Brunch, and Beer

Spent my Sunday morning discussing The Kite Runner with 10 middle-aged strangers. Then went to Mother Bunch Brewery to drink a beer and read a book. The guy next to me at the bar had the same idea but he was reading Harry Potter and not the wild and crazy Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Tonight, I Yoga-d

This morning, my body still thought I was in Pennsylvania so I was wide awake at 6 am. I contemplated going to work early but decided to get my run done for the day. This meant I had all night for whatever activities I wanted.

I'd been meaning to go yoga as a supplement to my running but always came up with excuses. For some odd reason, I was extra motivated tonight and I rode my bike to Tempe for a 6:30 yoga class. I was worried about my knee--even though it's been 11 months since surgery. I definitely felt tightness in my left knee but it was so nice to stretch out and actually get to yoga.

At the end of class, the instructor read a quote from Confucious: "Cultivate the root; the leaves and the branches will take care of themselves." It seemed very applicable to my life today in two ways. I'm trying to build up my running again. If I focus on getting consistent training and running in, my speed and strength will come. I just have to be patient. Also, on a larger scale, I've been feeling restless in Phoenix, feeling lonely. On my ride back from yoga, I felt like I was becoming a part of the community and putting down roots. Maybe once I do that, friends and happiness will fall into place.

Valley Green

It's never a trip home without a run at Valley Green. We joke that if someone in my family was ever on the Bachelor/ette, the hometown date would involve my dad driving us to go for a run here.

What I'm Listening To: Declan McKenna

Sedona

No-work-Fridays mean adventure time. I wanted to see the red rocks of Sedona, about 2 hours north of Phoenix. On my way there, I stopped to see old and magnificent cliff dwellings. How'd they get up there? According the park ranger, they had 4-5 wooden ladders. Pretty amazing, don't you think? I stopped for lunch at this little burger place, which was full of locals and country music. I loved it. Driving to Sedona, I turned off the I-17 and onto the scenic road to Sedona. I turned a corner and there were the red rocks, looming down the road. My jaw dropped. I wanted to cry, it was so beautiful.

The best way to experience Sedona? A hike. So I strapped on my knee brace and head on my 6 mile out and 6 mile back hike to Devil's Bridge. It was so scary to look at--I thought people were going to fall off! On my way back, I came across a group of javelinas (Google it) and I was so scared that I started running! The 12 miles tired me out and all I wanted was my bed back in Phoenix. I definitely need to go back to Sedona--maybe with someone so we can experience the beauty together.

What I'm Listening To: "Sedona"

Just Read: "Americanah"

What a good book. I wrote a list of books to get from the library and I couldn't find the one from this author so I picked this one up. It tells the story of two Nigerians, who fall in love in secondary school, but life and fate separate them. However, still, after so many years apart, living different lives, in different countries, they find themselves together again. The novel is more than just a love story--it discusses race and immigrants and human interactions.