I’m very fortunate to be able to live in two great cities. One drawback however is how long it takes to get from one place to the other. Often I fly direct but sometimes for one thing or another I have a layover. Today I had a layover in Madrid and my flight to Barcelona left two hours late.
Anyway, no matter how tired I am, I have a ritual I follow and it usually leaves me feeling like new. Regardless of whether I arrive home in New York or in Barcelona my ritual is about the same. I check email, I handle anything work-related that has come up while I’ve been out-of-pocket. Then, I put on shorts, a T-shirt and shoes and I go for a run. I can do that any time of year in Barcelona. I admit my ritual has failed or been substituted for the gym in New York a time or two due to weather conditions.
I just got back from my Barcelona run and it was great! This is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and June is one of its better months. I run uphill to Montjüic Park and around the back of the Olympic Stadium and the Palau Sant Jordi Arena (where I used to work), and then back down and home. That route is only about 4 miles but half of it is uphill so it’s still a pretty good workout.
I’ve always loved to run and have been doing it pretty regularly since my early teenage years. With age my knees hurt if I do it too many days in a row and the last few years I’ve been gaining weight so it’s not as easy as it used to be. But, like in the song “Heavy Fuel” by Dire Straights; when my ugly big car won’t climb this hill I’ll write a suicide note on a hundred dollar bill.
Anyway, one of the best parts of living in two cities is no matter which direction I’m heading I always get to arrive to the comforts of home. That’s a really great feeling.
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