A Letter to My Poor Abused Feet

Dear Feet,

Though my husband says you are hideous (whatever), I would just like to thank you for carrying my through all those races, long hikes, and uncomfortably stylish high heels. I am lucky to have you sturdy guys as my feet.

Remember that photo on the right? Belize. You were so happy then. We were all love, warmth, flip flops, freedom, and comfort.

So what is up with y'all now, you are ruining my life!

OK calm down, let's be fair. While I must apologize for that brief stint I had with "barefoot running" shoes (left), that was mean, I think I have treated you fairly well. Not too much toenail polish or goopy shit. Lots of time in the jacuzzi on cold nights, lots of thick socks. And just look where we are now.......what happened.

You have caused me a lot of agony over the last 2 years. There was the very nasty and unrelenting plantar fasciitis (TWICE).

Then the blisters - WTF I have been running for like 22 years and NOW blisters. And not just in one spot, I have several of them on each foot. And that is pain you really cannot "run though" without risking lots of blood and nastiness, and I don't want to do that to you/me.

And now posterior tibial tendonitis. Really! And I have been told the cold weather makes is worse by further restricting the blood flow to an area of the food that doesn't get much blood flow anyway. In other words, very slow healing. Great.

I see what you are trying to tell me. You are tired of being cold and running on flat pavement.

Well I am here to tell you that we are moving back to the Bay Area just in time for flip flop season. I would just like to apologize for making you move to London. You have been locked inside of boots since September, and over the last 2 years you have seen very little of your best friends - the flip flops. And I think you got pissed.

But please, be nice to me now. The London Marathon is in just over a week and I can't finish without you guys!

Your feet will again look like this post 12-mile Rancho run......very soon.

If anyone has any advice on posterior tibial tendonitis (taping, treatment, etc.), I'll take it....... Thanks!

How I've Changed

Well, I've spend about 22 months living in London. I still think I am very much the same person, really 2 years is not all that long. But there are a few things I have noticed about myself or how I view the world that have changed: 

Holy Crap I am White
I caught a glimpse of my bod in the mirror at the pool locker room today. Wow, I am pale. There is no tan line or differentiation between the color of my ass and the color of my arms. I haven't been this white since those long, dark winters growing up in the Midwest. Frightening, though probably excellent for my poor skin.......

I Wear Fewer Solid Colors 
Americans wear a lot of solid colors, like one big Gap ad. Have you ever noticed that: brown pants/yellow shirt or blue jeans/green top (see Dave for an example). Here in London there are so many patterns and mixes, and there is way less of a cultural "standard" for dressing. This holds true for both men and women. Dress crazy and wear whatever - matching or coordination is completely optional. My sister Kait would fit RIGHT in here.

I Speak a Bit of German and A Lot More French
Best thing I did while living in London, lean more languages!

I "Like" Tea
I had never had a proper cup tea in my life before living in the UK. While I don't love the stuff, I can appreciate it. Though really, I think I mostly drink tea to stay warm and not cry when it is cold and dark out all winter.

I Think More About What Is in the Foods I Eat 
Full disclosure - Dave has always had some pretty crazy stomach issues. To be fair he eats total crap a lot of the time, but it is clearly more than that. As in, we cannot leave the house if a Stouffer's lasagne or Kraft mac and cheese has gone down his throat in the last hour. His stomach would often go crazy after restaurant meals in the U.S. too (especially if the meal involved any sort of cream-based sauce or soup). Here in London, his stomach issues are non-existent. It's crazy. It makes you realize they use a ton of crazy-ass chemical fillers food in the U.S. They just don't use them here in the UK, at least - not yet.

I Drink Waaaayyyyy Less Diet Crack (Coke)
Probably because it is cold here and a frosty beverage would likely push my internal temperature further below where it is now- and then I would die of hypothermia. I have gone from drinking two cans of  Diet Coke per day to drinking one every other day. I hope to keep it up after I get home because that shit is really not good for you.

Now I Know What a Sad Social Welfare System Looks Like
When I hear people complain about "welfare" in the U.S., I wish I could show them the worst of the system here. It is entrenched, hopeless, incredibly sad generational welfare - beyond anything you have seen in the U.S. But they have started putting U.S.-style reforms into place and ended the incentive to have MORE kids while on government support (thank GOD). Let's hope it works.

I Think Heath Care and (Some) Higher Education Should Be Nationalized
I just do. Mainland Europe has so many things right, in my opinion - but again, that is just me. I know not everyone agrees, which is cool too.



I Am Not Intimidated to Eat Out Alone or Travel By Myself
I had to travel all alone a lot of the time, otherwise I had to face a lot of time in our cold, basement apartment all by myself - not cool. I have never really traveled independently before, EVER. I have been with The Davester since I was like 12 (OK 21). We have always traveled together. Let me tell you, walking into a crowded restaurant, by yourself, where no one speaks English can be intimidating - but also kind of thrilling in an "I am a mystery woman" kind of way. While I still have a weird paranoia about getting roofied at a bar while I am by myself, I will never hesitate to have an amazing dinner out "tout suel" ever again.

More From Biarritz

I think of this diagram (a friend posted it on Facebook but I am not sure where it is from) whenever I am trying to get the nerve up to do something and I really prefer to just sleep in: a long ride, a race, going into a packed restaurant by myself where no one speaks English, etc.

There is some real truth in this simple idea. The best moments of your life almost always occur outside of your little comfort zone.

I stepped out of my zone (I really wanted to just take a nap) and went surfing yesterday in the cold water here in Biarritz. My body was fine and comfortable, but my feet were really cold. I loved every second of it. I'll probably go again today since it is SUNNY again. YAY! I am finally dethawing after a long London winter and my system is being flooded with vitamin D - also YAY!

Anyway, off to enjoy the day and do some German homework down on the beach. I will look back very fondly on this trip when I am sitting back at my desk in my office in June.......

Day 1 - The Good, Bad, and Ugly

Well, after a very long train ride from London, I made it to Biarritz last night. Luckily, I made my train connection in Paris with time to spare, there were cabs at the train station when I arrived in Biarritz (it was Easter and the French take their holidays VERY seriously, so I was worried), the hotel door code I received via email worked, and the key was waiting at the front desk for me. Woosh!

 Really, I worry about all this shit to a probably unnatural degree.......and it all worked out. However, traveling isn't always perfect. It has its ups and downs, and goods and bads.

The Good

• I stopped off in Paris and the most amazing lunch at some brasserie across from the Montparnasse train station. Really, only the French can put smoked duck and foie gras on a salad (which is what I ate) and still stay thin. I love this country.
• I had some time after lunch before my next train, so I went over to Luxembourg Gardens - lovely. This was Easter Day, so everyone else was in the gardens too. Here are a few photos.

Buy yer mom some flowers eh, it's Easter.

Made me miss Dave, except there is a small child at the front of the statue.

If I was a bee, I would live in Luxembourg's apiary. Posh! Little roofs and everything.

You want pony ride, yes I did.!

Mother effer, remember the damage you did on this on your childhood swing-set.

 

I love me a train station. Does this hat look like the Harry Potter sorting hat?

•  Oh good god - the food and wine, definitely good. I wandered into a tiny place for lunch today in Biarritz. It was PACKED, always a good sign. Then there were the adorable waiters - also a good sign. I had a mountain of tapas/pinxtos, 2 glass of local red (I told the hot bartender to pour me what he liked), an orangey liqueur for dessert, and an espresso. This extravagance cost me all of 13 Euro. God bless Biarritz.
• Also good, the view at night from my hotel room:

I dream of charcuterie!

• And la plage (the beach), that was pretty good - especially at night!

 The Bad

• I took a bus east to Bayonne today, both to check out the historic town and maybe escape the driing rain. Well, I didn't know when exactly to get off the bus. Then, all the sudden we passed the town and were driving off to the middle-of-NOWHERE-suburbia. Finally, the bus stopped altogether (oh shit) and the driver looked at me funny (dumbass tourist). He went out and had a nice long smoke, and we retraced our route back - woosh. I made it to Bayonne, just 45 minutes late. I actually didn't mind the detour because it was pouring rain and windy and cold outside, and I hate all that. 
• When I actually got to Bayonne, everything was closed because of the Easter Monday holiday. So I walked around a bit, lost feeling in my hands because of the cold, went to the cathedral and cloister, and took the bus back to Biarritz. Not really a stellar morning.

Not too bad, except for the rain and cold.

The Ugly

• There was a drunk French guy that wouldn't leave me alone at dinner, annoying. But when you are traveling alone, the waitstaff is always super nice to you. They ended up kicking the weird dude out and I finished my dinner in peace. He wasn't THAT bad, or maybe I have just been harassed by worse. Hmmmm.

So surfing and more eating tomorrow. I'll keep you posted.

F- This Weather, I'm Out

In the name of all things that are holy (it is Easter after all), I need some sun. The temperature has not broken about 43 degrees since, oh last July. We have not had a proper sunny day since, oh last April.

For gods sake people, it snowed today.

I may cry while writing this because I am a giant, whining baby........And I am cold.

In other news, Dave going to Vegas next week for a "conference". He invited me actually. He has his own room for 5 nights at the Venetian, it will be 85 degrees and sunny, and a bunch of our friends will be there - cool right?

Not really. I can handle Vegas for a weekend, and generally by Sunday I am wondering whether we can get an earlier flight home to get the hell out of that place. Plus there is the whole expensive ticket from London, jet lag, lack of good running routes, etc.

After all, I am in EUROPE! I can go to Vegas anytime when I am back in the U.S. So I declined Dave's offer and booked a trip to Biarritz, France and San Sebastian, Spain for a week instead. I was hoping to lay low, run, surf, eat well, be a tourist - sounds nice right? Yeah well the weather in all of Europe has been really unseasonably cold this year. It will only be about 55 degrees and rainy next week during my trip to France and Spain. Noooooooooooooo.

Did you all break out your World's Smallest Violin for me? I certainly hope so.

Anyway, I am leaving tomorrow morning for Biarritz. I am taking the train the whole way because I don't think I can deal with a crowded airport on a holiday weekend. On Wednesday, I'll take the bus from Biarritz to San Sebastian and I plan to stay untill Saturday. I'll let you know how it goes. I still hope to surf (though I will be wearing an exceptionally think wetsuit).

Pray for sun!

Things I'll Miss About London

With just about 2 months to go until we move back home to Palo Alto, I am starting to feel a bit melancholy about it all. We have had one hell of trip these last 2 years, and it is sad to think it is almost over. Though, the weather lately here in London is making our upcoming departure a little easier to digest - mother effer can it please break 40 degrees at some point in the next month. PLEASE.

Here are a few things I realized I am going to miss, some big and some small:

British Eggs
Yes eggs. Unless you get pastured farm eggs, you have no idea what I am talking about. The eggs here are divine, with bright orange yolks (none of that yellow crap) and a rich, fatty flavor that I effing love. Two soft cooked eggs in Ramen noodles is the most divine dinner when your eggs are so good. And don't even get me started on all the omegas and vitamins in these things...... 

Cheese
Oh the horrors of pasteurization! They make some damn good cheeses here. And thanks to less corporate-favoring, and more small farm friendly food regulations; there are a ton of tiny producers here making heavenly cheese. And don't forget the imported fromage - France is only a few miles away, after all! Remember people - cheddar is not orange! 

Restaurants
Determining where to go for dinner each night involves consulting my extensive restaurant list, consisting of word-or-mouth and Time Out recommendations. You can get just about any type of food in the world within a 15-minute Tube ride of our flat (except Mexican, don't get me started on the state of Mexican food in London). And we eat out A LOT given our dorm-sized fridge and the fact that I work from home......gotta get out gotta get out gotta get out. 

The Tube
I could never have a car again and be perfectly happy. Taking the Tube is cheap convenient, good for your health (aside from the GERMS), and fun. Taking the Tube also means you and your friends can meet for cocktails after work, drink all you want, and no one has to drive home. I may be a serious alcoholic by the time I leave, but I won't have a DUI or will I have nailed pedestrians with a heavy vehicle while drunk. 

Friends
Goes without saying. It's sometimes the people you meet that make places so memorable. That is true here for sure, because it sure-as-fuck is not the weather that makes this place special.

Shopping
I love the non-High Street tiny designers, art galleries, and boutiques in London. The barrier to entry for a small business (be it a cafe or a clothing designer) seems much lower in London, compared to the US especially. Those tiny unique sops are what make London so fun to wander around. You never know what you are going to find.


So while I find myself HATING the cold and missing the Nor Cal sun, mountains, the smell of eucalyptus trees, sweating, good wine at bars, and Sammy; I know I will be there soon!

So you will catch me eating eggs and cheese with friends on the Tube on the way to go shopping. Or something......