My Lucky Star Marathon

Friday, Oct. 3rd
Another hike to a new place - Swakopmund. This time I have my site mate, Jay, with me which is always nice to have company on the road. If I get lost, at least I am not lost alone.

Khorixas Hike Point with Jay

So, the adventure begins in 10-seater metallic green van with us two, eight adults and three children. The metal frame and tires thunder along the road as if it was turbulence on an airplane. Sometimes the car would be surrounded by a cloud of dust with nothing to see but swirling light brown particles. I got to see a different landscape than I did before of brushy bushes and mountainous hills in the distance. This time I also got to see flat land covered in rocks and sand dunes. If you know me, I am always carrying around a water bottle. Well, I think this leads to a fear unknown to until now...the dessert. Looking out the window there was a vast of nothing - which was beautiful, but also scary. My mind could only go to the van braking down and getting stuck on by his barely traveled road...what to do?! My heart races slightly when I forget to bring my water bottle on my walks in town. So, I think I found one of my most unwanted deaths...dehydration by getting lost in the dessert. Don't worry though, none of that happened! I did get to see some flat land with rocks, then some large random boulders, and then to sandy beaches. The sand reached rather far out inland which surprised me. Close to Swakop was this small little town that reminded me of a life size Lego Town. All the buildings were very colorful with block-like architecture.
The accommodation in Swakop was an A-frame house shared among 10(?) volunteers from different groups. It was really cute actually. There was a small kitchen, dining room, and one room downstairs and then upstairs was an open space with 4 full beds. I have always been fascinated with A-frame houses since at my family's lake house there was this unoccupied A-frame house that I always mused at from across the way growing up. So we pushed the twin beds downstairs together and the three runners slept there. The majority of the PCVs were actually marathon supporters- an excuse to see the beach and major tourist town.

Saturday, Oct. 4th
My first half marathon in Africa, The Lucky Star Half Marathon! It was a cloudy, foggy day. The full marathon and marathon relay started in Walvis Bay. Julia, Alicia and I were running the half though which was an out and back course.

Yeah - We Are Ready to Run!

Girl Runnin' Trio

I have ran the Austin Half twice and am used to thousands of runners. There was less than a thousand which I should of expected for a smaller country. The race was chipped and the majority of the runners were white except for a few running teams (I believe due to the entrance fee). We ran on a paved road with the Atlantic Ocean and beautiful red sand dunes on either side of me. I was constantly thinking of my family, in my head I was running for them especially my expecting sister and my little niece on the way. My sister nicknamed her daughter pumpkin since she was due late October and my mom, sister and I dressed up as pumpkins one year for New Braunfels Wurst 5 Mile run. So, I got a shirt made with a pumpkin on the back saying "Runnin for Pumpkins in the USA" and had my sister, niece,mom and sister-in-laws initials inside the pumpkin. I didn't realize how much running races made me think of my family.

My Pumpkin Shirt

It has become a tradition to run the Blue Bell Fun Run in Brenham which I missed in March...we are three ice cream cones. I was originally inspired when my sister ran in high school. I was later inspired by mom's effort of waking up at 4/4:30 in the morning to get to work early and skipping lunch break to use the gym. I have some tough girls in the family. They were both there for my first and second half marathon to cheer me on. We had so much fun and their energy really gave me strength to finish. Well, all their love and support across the Atlantic Ocean helped push me through one more! I was even the first girl PCV across the finish line!
I thought it couldn't be better of a day, until after the race I checked my phone and discovered I was an aunt to my beautiful niece, Miranda Kay! She was born October 3rd, but with the time difference it was the 4th for me! I secretly hoped she would be born the day of my race so it could be running more so for her. Well, this little wish came true and she came healthy and little early into the world! She just so happened to be "my lucky star" in the Lucky Star Marathon.

The Ladies that Inspire Me & "My Lucky Star"

Sunday, October 5th
I had just enough time to pack and I was out the door for my hike back to Khorixas using the same green van. I enjoyed my visit to Swakopmund, but it was cold and I didn't see the sun once!
I promised that I would be more thankful for the sun upon returning home. It turned into a long, hot dusty ride home - everyone was covered in a layer of dust and my lungs felt a little polluted with dust. Khorixas is definitely my home now, and there is that feeling of comfort and pride when I return back to her.

P.S. I saw this same van just the other day broken down, getting pulled to a garage to be fixed.

Beach Fun!

The Poop Jar

Thursday, Oct. 25th
One lovely tenured volunteer greeted my group when we first landed in Namibia with a story of pooping her pants. I was not in the same van as her, so I did not get to hear the story until later, but it inspired the Group 39 Poop Jar. The concept of the jar is if you poop yourself then you have to put money in the jar and the last one to abstain receives all the money with the accompanying stories. As we have learned from some volunteers, pooping yourself is actually normal.  Most all cases it involves getting sick from some food or drink.

Well, that was not my situation. I feel like there is some name for it, but it is a runners' problem. I would bet all distance runners have soiled themselves in some way or at least come close. It seems like it happens to me once every few years. It usually happens to me when I have not been running consistently and ran at a different part of the day than normal. In the states, if I feel I cannot hold it there is usually a fast food restaurant, gas station or some building that I can use to relieve myself. Well, not here. So, you say why not just go in the bush? Well, I have done that once before already. This time was different. I was in the bush, but it had higher footing traffic. Anyways, enough details of that. Needless to say, I have joined the three other contributions in the jar this day.

Little Things Make Big Difference

              So my last blog was quite lengthy. I will try to make this one shorter or have several short posts. First, I am doing much better now. Last blog I shared that, “The spark of this adventure actually resulted from my frustrations and exhaustion at site which I will divulge in my next blog.” Well, this is my next blog now! So as my blog title says “Little Things Make a Big Difference” and little things built up at site that broke me down slowly and I didn’t have the same support system here as I did in The States. I now realize I do have amazing support among my fellow Group 39mates, I was just not utilizing them. And of course I have you lovely people back home, whom I am constantly reminded how much of a blessing it is to have you all. Thank you for being so amazing.

C.G.H.S. Girl's Club

                In a previous blog, I discussed my future plans of “getting hospital staff involved with the gym”. Well, getting people involved in gym here is probably as equally difficult as it is in The States. I tried extending hours of the gym and only one person showed. I was too tired to motivate, but I am feeling more energized and trying again this November. I will start Girl’s Club at a different school starting next term which begins in January. The HIV Teen Support Club is being tabled to a later time because there was difficulty involving these individuals. Other projects have occurred, but simple projects can be very strenuous and disappointing due to the lack of collaborative effort in the workplace.

                  Another tiresome regular event is receiving unwanted attention. I became bitter and defensive as I began to feel like an object of either sex or money. Many men just want me as another mark on their list and it doesn’t matter if they are dating, engaged or married. The same happens back home, but men make their intentions much more clear here. Every day I also hear from children “owe me dollar”. These little things every day take a bit out of me. But then, I got good at ignoring the men or approaching the situation differently. Also, my site mate gave me a different perspective and informed me that children often just want attention. I now give high-fives or stickers or just chat to those asking for money. I think I have gotten better at ignoring men or being frank with them how uninterested I am and that seems to work.

As for the Damara man, we are back together. There were some cultural differences we had challenges over and it took breaking up to settle these differences of what one was willing to stand for and the other willing to give up, but ultimately we’re a good team. I am not planning to give any more personal dating updates, so email me if you have interest or more questions.

So I have shared the difficult things, but the little good things make all the difference. Sometimes I get hugs from little children I don’t know. People talk in plural and present continuous form often: “Hellos”, “I am coming now” (which actually means you are leaving), and “How are we?” (between only two people). There are not many vehicles, so seatbelts are not really enforced. I am all for it in The States and in higher traffic areas, but I must say I do enjoy this freedom! It is normal to see donkey carts as a normal form of transportation. On the road, there are warning signs for warthogs, elephants and kudus which definitely is not the normal back home. Family is family, in people’s mother tongue there is not a word for cousin and only brother or sister. I like the closeness this brings, but then people also call their close friends brothers or sisters, so that can be confusing. Ultimately, I enjoy the connection between everyone. Namibia is a beautiful country with beautiful people and I look forward to discovering more within them both.