get lost

This afternoon I was on my way home from training and told myself I needed to go for a run. So naturally, I found a reason to run by the dyqan. Then, I found a reason to stay and chat with a few folks. Then, I saw my host family on their way to another dyqan, which was great, because I was now looking for another reason to put off what I needed to do. So, I went to the dyqan. Then, I played catch with my darling nip (he calls me hallë Mohri, so I'll just go ahead and claim him). Finally, begrudgingly, I resigned myself to the need to run. I walked outside, changed my shoes, and looked at my watch, amazed at how much time I had wasted. I walked up the drive, turned on some Billy Joel, and started my run.

It doesn't feel like the right place to add my life lessons into this post, so please enjoy the educational insights (S/O to JBrummel and our European adventures) included in the following picture captions.

One verse into "You May be Right" I remembered that it was Tuesday, which meant that I had some journaling to do. I realized how stupid I had been to waste so much time. It seemed that I had so much left to do before I could lie down for my nightly installment of Harry Potter. So I found myself irritated at my carelessness, my lack of planning, my imbalance of priorities. I wanted to turn around and just go home. I hadn't had time to run in nearly 2 weeks, so I knew this run was going to particularly suck. One run wasn't going to make a difference anyway, right? I heard someone calling out to me to say hello, and as I looked up, I realized how incredible the sky looked as the sun was setting right in front of me.

I willed myself to run to it so I could capture this moment and send my family pictures of the Albanian sunset, the only sunset I have found that might give Kansas a run for its money. The further I ran, the more beautiful the rays seemed to bounce off the clouds. I honestly don't know how long I ran toward the sunset, but I can tell you that I saw every second of it. When the sun finally sank below the horizon, and the brilliant golds and reds turned to shades of purple, I turned around, and I started to run home. I hadn't realized how far I had gone in the pursuit of something beautiful. As I turned around the bend, and saw the whole of my village in one perfect snapshot, I realized how beautiful it was and how beautiful it was to watch my home go to sleep.

I knew that when I got home, I would play catch with my Ledio, I would let myself get carried away in the dinner festivities, and I would find a reason to stay and chat. Because that's what is beautiful about my world.

Educational Insight #1: There is no W in the Shquip alphabet... what? or should I say çfarë?

So here I am, writing this post, allowing it to cut into my time with Harry Potter, and this story sounds like a broken record to me. The thing is that I never seem to remember that this is the ending. Anyone that knows me would tell you that I will always find a reason to stay and chat, regardless of my busy schedule, some impending deadline, or an early morning wake-up call. And let me tell you, I have never regretted it. Yet, when it happens, I still get caught up in the irritation with myself and my lack of planning and prioritizing. But when all is said and done, and I have finished my tasks, raced to the deadline, and yawned a few too many times, that time I spent staying and chatting was worth it, because that is what is beautiful about my world.

Educational Insight #2: Roosters do not only crow in the morning.

So here's my advice to you today, when you're out there running, every minute, every mile wondering why on earth you did this to yourself, get lost in the beauty. Be it the sunset, the people, the intricacy of this world, get lost in the beauty. I promise you will have the will to go far.

Jeta është e bukur,

Mohri