I struggled a lot when I got here. Not really in speaking to people, getting places, studying or making friends, but in arranging my schedule the way I want it to be so that I get things done.
I started a job that I absolutely hated and didn't get paid enough for. I was to teach an hour of English two days a week from 5:00 - 6:00 pm. Wednesday was the 6-10 year olds and Thursday the 3-6 yr olds. Each class had more than 12 kids and all 12 of those kids had all been at school since 9 am. I was faced with pure rejection of all ideas and energy I had. After sweating through an hour, going back and trying it again, realizing I would have to work 3 times the amount of hours (in preparation, photocopying, etc) and not get paid as much as the other jobs I have (a few sporadic one-hour play dates with professor's children so they can hear native English--EASY and FUN!), I decided I needed to quit.
In the end, after much debate about whether I should just do it for the good of the kids and try to deal with it, my mood and stress level decided for me. After an encouraging email from Amy Amash, some good points from Andy Allen and my parents, I went ahead and quit. It was a very liberating feeling!!! Since then, I've studied more, slept better, used my time better and (AND) joined a gym.
I love this gym I joined. It's SO small and smells awful like mold and sweat---but I hold it dear. When I come in, I am greeted by a kind Catalan woman "bon día Melissa!" and then I head to the tiny locker room, but pass the little kid's tae-kwon-do class and smile everytime. I change, head upstairs and squeeze past the rowing machines and through the people waiting for the weights and step on the elliptical, but the ceilings are so low that I nearly hit my head on the piping lines. Then the "monitor" comes over to me, introduces himself and tells me there is a class called "body pump" (seriously? I was so happy! Just like MVP I thought...) so I went to body pump and Voila! Totally different than mvp. However, it is wonderful. The weights are in Kilos...Just know that there are 2.2 lbs in every Kilo...I wasn't thinking straight when I picked up the weights. It was a tough first class :)
The MALE instructor is hilarious, but whistles- sharp chirping whistles- to get us to change beat. He also blasts music from the club and dances by himself in front of us while WE are working out. Then (this scared me) he came over to the woman next to me (he must have known her, I tell myself) and they started dancing! Whatever, I thought, as I did a few more squats. Since then, I've been back 2x and it's been different and good. I like the class a lot.
All in all, I honestly love the gym. It's great. It's tiny. It's hot and there is no circulation of air. The dressing room doesn't have a sink or lockers or tissues. It's right next to my flat here (less than a block away!) and it's affordable. You can't beat the feeling of post-workout relaxation and concentration though. I am so happy to be back in the swing of working out!
On the note of "finding joy" I've been blessed to have the internet and the Ada Bible webpage. I have been following Jeff Manion's sermons on "The First Church" series he's doing. He has a powerful way of speaking and I really appreciate his messages. It's a great source of JOY for me here, in this desert of spiritual renewal and Christian accountability.
1 comment:
I love the mental image I have of your gym...you describe it so well. I think I can smell it. Ew.
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