I like to cha cha

I do really like to cha cha (I learned in Zumba) and I absolutely love the song “Cha Cha” but I don’t speak fluent Spanish, yet. I hope the good people of Miami give me some time to catch up.

Baby Sharonda, age 2

Being in Miami has been one interesting culture shock every week. My favorite one is Spanish. Spanish speakers automatically assume I speak the language and will begin whole conversations with me in Spanish. When it happens, I always smile and give them a blank stare. Sometimes they still don’t get it and that's when they get Baby Sharonda’s face. I’ve stopped saying “hola."

The first time it happened, I was at Miami International Airport waiting for my flight back to Chicago. My flight was 2 hours delayed so I was texting a few friends and family to tell them about my successful interview.

You ever feel someone staring at you? Well, I felt that while sitting there and when I looked up, an older woman was looking at me and smiling. She was in her mid-50’s and looked like she’s an awesome abuela to snuggle up under. I smiled at her and said “hola.” Big mistake.

She then has a whole conversation with me....in Spanish. I could pick up some of it. She too was upset about the ridiculous American Airlines flight delay. Since I couldn’t think of a response, I just smiled and went back to texting.

My airport abuela started staring at me again. This time, she asked me to watch her bag so she could go to the bathroom. I said, in English, “No problem. I’ll watch your stuff.” Airport abula returned from the bathroom and said “thank you” to which I replied, “de nada.” I finally knew a response and then she uses English :(

The second time it happened was at work. My boss submitted a work order for my office to get repainted. The nice man came to check out the space. We exchanged “good morning” and then he had questions about the room. He asked them all in Spanish. I’m so happy my boss was within earshot and came to my rescue. He was laughing, too.

I also had someone start a conversation with me in Creole. I was in the car, in the left hand turning lane. He pulled up besides me and was smiling. I wasn’t in the mood for flirting but I still rolled down my window. When he saw me, he waved, then started asking me something...in Creole. I didn’t give him the blank stare, he got Baby Sharonda. When he saw I wasn’t understanding, he smiled again then used his hands to motion. He wanted to get in front of me. Lawd!

This curly hair is confusing folks. I’m BLACK! I need to get back to my Duolingo, ASAP! 

Running in Florida= gnats for dinner :(

First marathon with Veronica and Mira

In 2011, my friend Veronica had an idea; let’s train for a half-marathon. I usually loved all of Veronica’s ideas (they usually consisted of football and/or good food and cocktails), but this one was crazy . Run...a half-marathon…like 13 miles...in one day...

I was already active. I went to the gym about 2-3 a week and enjoyed it. But the idea of running scared me. I hated running. I tried to negotiate training for a 5K instead, but she eventually convinced me to train for 13.1 miles of running. I thought about dumping her as a friend in the beginning!

Second half-marathon

Veronica recommended the training because in 2011, my world literally crashed. My parents divorce, my cheating/lying ex-boyfriend, and my job transition all had me shifting to a very dark place. I wasn’t the same person and she saw that. Running prevented me from slipping into a darker place. Running saved my life.

Third half marathon

Since then, I have completed three half-marathons and several races. The sport has become part of my lifestyle. My initial introduction into running was all about escaping my reality and today, it still gives me that same feeling. I feel accomplished, relaxed and in charge of my life when I’m out there.

I went on my first Floridian run last week after work. I purposely left out when it was cloudy so that I wouldn’t have to deal with the sunshine. What I forgot was that Florida’s “cloudy” weather only lasts temporarily. I was sweating profusely by the 5 minute mark.

Along the route, I saw another runner in the distance. As the figure got closer, I could see it was a black woman! I started to run faster. I didn’t want to appear slow and sluggish! As we crossed each other, she started clapping for me and nodded her head, the standard “hello” that us runners give each other.

After my first Florida outdoor run
The black specs on my chest=gnats

On my run back to my apartment, I saw her again. This time, I couldn’t hide how much the sun was killing me; I was walking. Besides the sun, I had eaten four gnats, one was stuck in my left eye and my sweaty chest was covered in them. I really wish I could’ve called an Uber to take me home. I decided to jog as I got closer to her.

As our paths crossed, she clapped for me again and pointed towards her head while saying, “All mental.” I nodded in agreement and ran the rest of the way home. My training in 2011 consisted of a lot of crying but it helped mentally helped me. She was totally right.

My 4th half-marathon is scheduled for January 2016 and I’m super excited. This will be my first race running alone, but hopefully I’ll find some running friends here in Miami. Training for it is going to be a new challenge. This sun and humidity is no punk and my sinuses still are adjusting. Next time I see that woman, I’m going to give her a high five and thank her for the reminder!

Top 5 things I miss about Chicago…

Today marks the official 1 month mark of relocating to Florida! 

Although I’m enjoying my new life and going through the culture shock of living in this tropical paradise, there are a few things I do miss about Chicago. Here they are in order of importance:

1. My friends: Living somewhere for 9 years comes with an amazing friend network who you can call up for impromptu happy hour, lunch and beach time. I miss my friends so much. I miss being able to call/text them for random fun. But, they have all been in touch with me, regularly, to make sure I’m okay. I MISS AND LOVE YOU! You know who you are.
2. 
   My church: Out of all the things I was dreading the most when it came to this move, finding a new church was top of the list. New Life Covenant totally changed my life in so many ways (separate blog post) so looking for a church home that complements that one is going to be tough. I grew at that church, stretched and totally learned how to have a stronger walk in my faith. I believe all of that was to prepare me for whatever I’m here in Florida to do, see and experience. That’s why I know my new church home is a big part of that story.
3. Afternoon walks: My afternoon walks downtown with my co-worker guaranteed a nice boost in numbers for my FitBit. Although FIU’s campus is huge, this beating sun is hard to hide from. In Chicago, the buildings kept me from getting burnt! I know I’ll appreciate it in January when Chicago is -14 degrees and Florida is 74 degrees.
4. Morning runs along the Lake: Living in Hyde Park, I was able to get up early and run along the lakefront. But, the ocean has a much better smell so this one will likely be obsolete in a few months.
5. My gym, FFC: Man, I loved my group fitness classes. I didn’t have any gym buddies but i just enjoyed sweating and competing with the other people in the class. I do have a gym in my apartment complex, but being in there working out with stanky men just isn’t the same thing!

My list isn’t long because I really do like it here. Professionally, I’m already working on some exciting and new initiatives that are pushing me. I’m loving it! 

Personally, I’m looking forward to making more friends. My group of 3 friends has been awesome so far, but maybe in this next chapter, I'll have a smaller circle. And the weather/climate has been great. My allergies are finally adjusting and my hair hasn’t rebelled too much!