Coming to America

We’ve made it. We’re back in the US of A. It’s kind of surreal. We’ve run the whole Euroasia, from Ireland to Japan… and now we’re back in the States, where we’ve started. Did it really happen? Did we really run through 14 countries? Did we really run through 8 time zones? Are we really now in the country where it all started? Just like in running, often you arrive at the same place where you began, yet you’re not the same. It is the journey that matters. It is the journey that changes you.
The flight from Tokyo was pleasant. I sat by a college student who just spent 4 months studying abroad in Tokyo and was coming home. He had actually heard about the Blue Planet Run and was very interested in talking to me about it. I enjoyed his energy. I also enjoyed talking to him about Japan. Although I spent only 4 days in Japan, it totally captured my spirit. Japan was amazing. It seemed to me as a place where East meets West. The services and infrastructure were impeccable, yet the country was radiating respect, culture, and history. That is what I miss sometime when living in the States. As a European living in the US, I miss the cultural heritage and history I am accustomed to from growing up in the Czech Republic (just as an example, the Charles University in Prague was founded in the 14th century). As a partially-American visiting Czech Republic, I sometimes lack the customer service and infrastructure I am so accustomed to from living in the States. Japan had it all. One of my personal goals for the Run was to develop a list of possible futures for me. I added living in Japan (for a year or two) to my list.
Last two days we’ve been running in the Bay are of San Francisco. Today we had a big exchange point at Jack London Square in Oakland. Shiri was running in, and I was running out. Before she came, Emmanuel and I got on the stage for about half an hour and entertained the crowd. It was good times. We talked about the water crisis, about our experiences from running in Asia, and tried to get the audience involved.
I would like to dedicate today’s blog to my best friend Bill. Running and driving around Oakland reminded me of our times here last year. He interned at a school for autistic children near Oakland, and I came out and visited him. He has been a great friend for the last 10 years, and especially supportive in the stresses of applying for the Run, as well as in the preparations for it. Thank you! It is great people like him that make me humble and appreciative of all the good in humanity. Water is life, and life is good in Oakland.

P.S. I found these videos on youtube last night, and wanted to share them with you. They very nicely capture the reason why we run.