Run Run Run!

I’m back! Got some quick updates for you all and then (as any person training for a marathon) I’m going to be insufferable and talk about running in Lesotho.

Updates!

• Trucking along with teaching at school which has been great. My grade 4 class this year has 20 boys and 9 girls and good lord has that ratio tested my patience. But we’ve finally gotten into a good classroom rhythm and all is well.

• Another spelling bee coming up on Friday! I told my learners that if they win I’ll buy them sweets or cake from town and let’s just say that did the trick motivation wise. We shall see how they do and regardless I’m so proud of them and adore my little spelling club!

• DOGE is visiting Peace Corps headquarters currently and we have no idea what that will bring for us… Maybe I should wait a few days to publish this in case we’re all sent back to the states but what the hell. The people need to be informed. This political landscape in the US and being an American abroad continues to be a huge challenge and stressor, but here’s to hoping all turns out okay!

• Had a blast of a weekend celebrating another volunteers birthday last week and am constantly thankful for my cohort and the cool people I get to meet and work with! And I finally got a beer at the highest pub in Africa! Score.

• Weather is rainy and cloudy and getting cold! This means my phone has not been fully charged in weeks and i’ve started adding layers to my outfits. The no electricity lifestyle is not friends with rainy days.

• My propane tank (that powers my stove) ran out and through a whole ordeal I didn’t have gas for 2 days. Had to get a neighbor to saw a rusty lock off my propane cage, pay my taxi driver to go fill the tank in town, and cook my host sister dinner so that I could use her stove. But now we’re back and better than ever cooking wise. Found rice noodles recently in the neighboring district and could not have been happier.

bday weekend for lily!

Okay I know I’ve mentioned this before but running/working out is not a thing here and culturally is pretty odd to see in the rural villages. Exposure therapy style, my village has gotten used to seeing me go on runs since I’ve moved here, and has stopped asking me if I’m okay, where I’m going, and what I’m doing every time I come jogging down the dirt road. Score! Well, I’m starting to get back into running again and going longer distances, which means running to and through new villages. Terrible news… all the questioning is back. “ARE YOU OKAY?!” shouted from a hilltop. “WHERE?!” primal scream from a 12 year old boy. “You are wasting your time” from a woman getting water from the pump. “Oh sister why are you doing this?!” from a woman who tried to run with me and stopped after 20 feet. Needless to say I’m not receiving a ton of encouragement and am solidifying my title as ‘that crazy white girl who lives in the valley and runs every morning’.

HOWEVER, I personally am a fan of my runs and they do wonders for my mental health. I’ve had to try incredibly hard to eat more protein and enough food to sustain running more which has been a challenge considering the only protein I have access to in my village is beans and the only fruits or veggies I can reliably get are green apples and onions. I’ve become a wildly creative chef and believe I would go the distance if ever called to be on Chopped or any other random ingredient cooking show. Even so, it’s nice to be on a training plan (a bunch of volunteers are going to Zimbabwe to run the Victoria Falls marathon this July) and to occasionally meet up with other volunteers in town to get those longer runs in.

The only people who get excited about seeing me running are my friend Mokete (he has sporadically showed up in my village life by filming initiation school graduation for me, making sure I know how to pick corn, randomly gave me a ride home when I was hitchhiking back to the village [did not know he had a car], and asking me how he can get a white wife) and my students who like to run a few minutes with me here and there. On my run the other day I’m running back to my hut and have got half a mile left to go. All the sudden I round a corner and hear “TSELIIIIII” (my sesotho name) only to look up the hill and see Mokete hauling ass down to the road to come and run with me. He’s quick and starts pushing the pace way faster than I wanted to be going but I’m no quitter so now am racing Mokete down the dirt road. He’s whistling to everyone to come watch, and I’m barely keeping up. “Mokete you are so fast!” “Yes. I am too fast.” Needless to say Mokete beat me but we did get a good crowd cheering us on.

view from one of my runs last weekend :)

Other things to note about this topic: I have one route I can run (up and down my rocky, very uneven dirt road), post run routine is hauling water for a nice little bucket bath, my shoes are constantly covered in mud, when it rains some sizeable streams spring up across the road which are always fun to cross/attempt to hurdle. Alright I think you’ve now gotten the full picture :).

Funny little moments like running with Mokete that are funky and sweet make me appreciate my village and all the characters I’ve come to know. Although out of my element, I love my little corner of the world over here! Thanks for reading - love you all!

Disclaimer: All written from the POV of a US citizen with no affiliation to the Peace Corps or US Government.