Reminiscing Run-In

As I sit on my porch enjoying one of the first sunny days of March, I am reminded of how important this month is to me. Last March, the radiating, fresh morning sunshine on my skin fueled my body with strength and excitement. For 26 days, I woke up eager to allow nature to light up my body. I spent the month of March exploring and living in Death Valley as a part of the 26-day backpacking trip my school offers. I hold this accomplishment extra close to my heart because only months earlier, I was still in a wheelchair battling GBS. At the culmination of the 26-days in the desert, after the 8-hour bus ride home, my classmates and I were dropped off 8 miles away from school and told to run back to the school campus. Since my run-in was almost a year ago, I want to share a piece of writing reflecting on my experience running 8 miles back to school. I wrote this earlier in the year, and I am working on weaving it into one of my chapters :)

My multicolor, extra-traction running shoes smack the pavement, and squeezing my eyes tightly, side-to-side, I toss my head trying to wick some of the sweat from my face. I allow myself a brief glance upwards, cursing the sphere of hot plasma that causes the rivulets of perspiration to flow down my face and onto my neck like rushing rapids. An hour in, after being dropped off eight miles away from my school, I am approaching mile six. As an exhaustion-fueled wobbliness overtakes my legs, and I feel an overwhelming need to stop moving, I spy a gold-glittered poster board pinned (most likely by my mom and sisters) to the oak tree five feet ahead of me. Ellie, there is more in you than you think.Tears mixing with sweat, adrenaline surging through my limbs, I lengthen my stride and run faster.

This is me returning to school after 26 days in the desert and an 8-mile run :)