One of those weeks....

It's just been one of those weeks... The week started off heading downhill and pretty much followed that trend to the end. I ran about 6 miles this past sunday to get some exercise and do something I enjoy. Before I started my run I realized that my iPod was dead, which is pretty much the saddest feeling ever before I start a run, but I decided to run anyways. Normally I have my music goin in the background, playing some of my favorites, which is a pretty ecclectic mix of music. But this run was so much better than my normal runs and I really don't know why. Music is normally one of the best parts of my run! Anyways, I was feelin great right out of the gate, I took a little slower pace than normal because I was planning on going a little farther than I had gone in a while. I was feeling great, running right by the river and through a little park down there, its a great place to run. I continued to follow the river, running through some more concrete and finally arriving at another great stretch where I was able to run on the dirt for the majority of about 3 miles. It is so much better on your legs and knees in the dirt and it was great to find some dirt relief in Sevilla because so much of it is paved or stone. Anyways, I even got to take my shirt off for about a mile and a half which was great because around here apparently no one does that until like the middle of the summer, but o well I didn't really care, the only other people around were runners and I figured they would understand. I had a pretty good wind at my back which was nice until I turned around at the bridge. Then it was in my face and still pretty strong, but it didn't have the usual effect of making me feel incredibly slow, incredibly it didn't really seem to affect me all that much. I ran the same route back to the house to complete my six mile run, I felt great during the run and had one of the best runner's highs I have had in a long time. Which of course meant that after my shower and stretch I was rather cranky and quiet as my family can attest to after my long runs. My senora asked me why I was so quiet at lunch and I pulled the i'm tired from my run card, but its just the runner's low that follows a long run haha, but thats life haha. So sunday wasn't too bad, but Monday was a different story. Apparently my foot didn't agree with that 6 mile run and decided to talk to me about it. All day monday my foot had a nagging pain in it and I jus attributed it to being sore or something from the run and assumed it would get better on tuesday. It didn't, Tuesday was actually worse than monday. Wednesday was worse than Tuesday, I could barely walk to class and where I park my bike is a grand total of like 100 yards from my class. It was rediculous so I decided that it was time to go to the doctor because I was beginning to wonder if it was a stress fracture. So after classes I contacted the course director here and arranged for one of the assistant directors to accompany me to the doctor because although I can speak spanish pretty well I just don't really have the vocab to go to the doctor by myself, but after going I am pretty sure that I could manage and if I have to go back I think that I will find a way to manage because I hate to make Brit take time out of his day to come with me. Anyways we went to the doctor at 5 and it didnt take to long to be seen. I told the doctor about my run and that it started hurting the next day and he more or less poked it about 3 times and said lets take an X-ray lol I was like nice haha. So anyways the assistant took an X-ray and then he read it and said he pretty much thought it was acute tendinitis. He wrote me a prescription for some intense doses of ibuprofen after every meal and it seems to be helping to keep the inflamation down along with the pain. After the doctor I went to EUSA cuz I have class at 630. I got there a little after 6 and that is when I found out about Ralph. So I was quiet for the rest of the evening, just trying to keep everything together and make it through class. I felt bad, cuz I kinda ignored everyone but I just didn't really wanna talk about it and I wasn't ready to talk about it. So as much as Hannah was trying to pry what was wrong out of me I didn't really wanna spill the beans and as many of you know, that meant that I didn't say anything. I tend to wait til I am ready to tell people about something, which is a good and a bad thing. Anyways, class started and needless to say I was a bit distracted and definitely was not in class mentally. I really didn't say anything all class unless I was directly called upon. I think Coro (Our teacher) noticed because when she called on me I more or less answered with no enthusiasm or excitement and I was rather monotone. Anyways, we didn't really do much that class because she got sidetracked and then I brought up some obscure point about 15 minutes before class ended so that we wouldn't finish the work and we wouldn't have homework for monday. Anyways after class I was a little better because I really hadn't thought about Ralph much towards the end of class which helped to make me feel a little better. After everyone got what they needed done on the internet we walked back to Los Remedios. I got home and had been there for a little while when mom called. So I went to my room and we talked about what happend with Ralph and it was nice to get to talk to the family and be with everyone even if I can't physically be there. It was really hard to be here and know that they were all there together. It was like the goodbye that I had said before I left had finally hit but it was different than anything I had ever felt. I was in a foreign country, with people that relatively, I barely know. I mean other than Hannah Duna Christine and Kati I didn't know anyone before I came. And other than Kati and Hannah it was more like acquaintances. Kati was out of town with her mom in Paris so that more or less left Hannah, who eventually was the first one to find out here. It was nice to talk about it with someone here but it was just different not having people that I knew really well around. I wished that I was back at Chapel Hill just for the day, to hang out with Rachel and Chasity, cuz they can always make me feel better when I have had a bad day. Someone that I share my feelings with on a regular basis. Life is different here, I pretty much share my feelings with my journal and esteban occasionally but we really don't talk about anything too deep. I have learned how relieving having a journal is. You can be as raw and honest as you want to be and it never condemns or judges, it just is there listening and never responding. Allowing you to release what you are thinking and move on. I think that one day it will be nice to look back on and see what I was thinking and why. Anyways, the rest of the week has been pretty quiet. I didn't have class on Thursday because a professor was sick, and I don't have friday classes so the majority of the week has been spent in the house just resting the foot and playing some online poker haha. I think I may go out tonite but I'm not sure. Anyways, the foot is feeling a lot better. Mom and Corey both said that the service for Ralph went well, I think they taped it so that I can see it when I get home which was nice of them. It still seems surreal, I've been expecting the call I got on Wednesday for a while now but all the same it still doesn't seem like it has set in. I don't think it will seem real to me until I walk into the basement of Mema's house and he's not there watching something interesting on TV or just hangin out in the basement. Good times in that basement is something I will definitely miss...Thanks to everyone who has written an encouraging note on my wall or sent me an encouraging message, they have been dearly appreciated!!! I love you all and Mom Dad Corey Abbey Mema Wayne Joy and Don I wish I could have been there with you to share in the celebration of Ralph's life, but I know that yall did him justice and thank you for what each one of you means to me and for the support you have given me over the last few days and over my entire life!! Miss you all so much right now!! Hasta Luego!