der Volkspark - people's park

i know i said i wouldn't be tricked into going running again, but dan is a sneaky little bugger.

so yesterday we got dressed for running - and then got in the car. we decided to get dressed first so that we wouldn't have to walk back up the stairs after our drive - that is how lazy we really are. we went driving to look for ultimate frisbee in neukölln, a neighborhood in southern berlin. we didn't find the ultimate but we did find that the park where the ultimate was supposed to be was really nice. so, since we were dressed for it, we went running through the park.

this may be the first time that i actually enjoyed looking around while running. (most of the time i am too fixated on the pain and torture i feel.) the crisscrossing paths, soccer fields, and little playgrounds, make the park ideal for people of all ages. and the location, across from a turkish mosque, next to a large catholic church and cemetery, makes after worship walks easy. at one point we were listening to kids laughing, a muslim call to prayer, and church bells all at the same time.

living in berlin is a constant learning experience, sometimes a frustrating one. after a week of just wanting to go home, i'm so glad yesterday's run brought back the excitement and curiosity i had when we first arrived. there is still so much to take in.

i actually had fun on our run. i hardly noticed the pain in my lungs and that it was snowing... hardly.