In just a few days, I will hop on a plane (three of them, actually) to head back to Ann Arbor. Quite often lately I have been asked questions such as: aren't you going to be sad to leave Berlin? are you ready to face the life you thought you had permanently left behind?
And the answers are yes, of course I'm sad to leave Berlin. But the excitement I have about returning to Michigan overwhelms this disappointment. I have done much of what I was hoping to accomplish here, and I will never be done tweaking my life and creating new challenges. Returning to Michigan is my next step, and there is no rule saying I can never come back to live in Berlin.
Of course, there are some things from my summer here that I will not miss. Such as fighting to protect my prized fruits, vegetables and fresh bread from the plague of flies that recently fell upon my kitchen. Or smacking my head onto the wooden shelf that has been nailed next to my pillow when I wake up every morning. Or crashing into clear glass telephone booths when I ride my bicycle in the rain. Or sitting at my computer with a comforter on my lap in the middle of August. Or having nightmares nearly every time I fall asleep.
There is no one who can guarantee me that everything in Ann Arbor will be perfect. I am a rational woman -- I don't expect that to be the case. But, so far, plans are shaping up as well as I could imagine. I have a place to live, which happens to be only one floor below my last apartment. I will be living with a good friend of mine. I have a job -- for now. I ought to be able to continue my German classes. I have a renewed excitement for the arboretum, for Washtenaw county's yoga studios, and for the farmer's market and the co-op. And to see my friends again, even though so many of them have moved elsewhere.
Health-Kick Month began two weeks ago. Every year in early August, I start up a regular exercise regime and attempt a well-balanced diet. I like to ensure that, come my birthday on September 1, I am in the best possible shape I can be. And what are birthdays for, other than to celebrate that we are alive? It seems rather ungrateful to have birthdays pass while taking our health for granted.
Sure, I reflect each year on how I have grown emotionally. But like every other living creature, I also mature physically. And if I am healthy and in good shape, these changes can be welcomed as part of maturation. Otherwise, they are blamed on an ignorant and negligent lifestyle -- which is not nearly as sexy. I prefer to be conscious of what I am capable of, and how these capabilities change from year to year.
So this year I found a Bikram yoga studio here in Kreuzberg. It's a fast 15-minute bike ride from my apartment. For only 10€, I was given an unlimited pass to the studio for 10 days. I attended 7 classes, so I think I definitely got my money's worth. I never tried Bikram before this month, but I really, really enjoyed it. For those who don't know, the room is heated to 40 degrees (about 104 degrees Fahrenheit). I loved having sweat drip off my thumb onto my face during Trikanasana (the triangle pose). I loved having my shorts completely soaked by the end of our 90-minute session. I learned some very specific German vocabulary -- it would be foreign to me now to take a class in English. And after the first week, my flexibility had improved noticeably. I advanced particularly in the 5th (Dandayamana-Janushirasana), 12th (Padangustasana), and the 21st (Ustrtasana) positions. Hopefully there will be a similar course I can take in Ann Arbor. Unfortunately, due to the overhead costs, Bikram is pretty expensive. I will probably have to settle for pilates or another yoga course. We'll see what I can find -- and what I have time for.
The late-evening ride home from class became the highlight of my day. The roads were mostly empty, so I could cruise in the street and listen simply to the city at night. I would pass a beautiful cathedral which was lit up at night. The breeze dried my sweat by the time I reached my apartment.
On the days when I didn't go to yoga, I ran or rode my bike. I am not running regularly, but I have an average distance of 3.5 miles. I do not know how that is possible, but some time spent with Google maps has told me that it is. I have also discovered that if I eat a large lunch, I can manage to run in the evenings. If it is possible to keep that up, I will have a running buddy back in Ann Arbor.
Okay, more to come later. I have a picnic to search out.
