Running around the world

When I was in highschool, my track coach took me on a trip that changed my life (opened my eyes to the world you could say). Every other year he (Mr. Taylor - no, I did not pick my husband based on my life changing track coaches last name) chose 8 runners to study and prep for a trip across Europe. For a year we read the Bible, studied Nietzsche, read philosophy spanning Socrates and Plato to Epicurus, and more.

Mr. Taylor is writing a book now and occasionally sends thoughts and pictures from past trips. I love reading these and being reminded. It's a reminder of where I've been (and run!) and where I'm going to go - I can't wait to show the boys the world.

Our trip took us to:

• The Dome on the Rock in Israel to study religion
• Egypt to run with the Bedouins see the Dead Sea scrolls
• Greece (Athens, Mycenae, Nemea, Sparta, Pelos, Olympia, and Ithaca) to run and dig on one of the first olympic tracks (literally dig - Mr. Taylor is friends with an archaologist there)
• Rome and Florence where we read about Brutus while sitting in the cave where he was burried
• The Swiss Alps where we read Thus Spake Zaratheustra while visitng Nietzche's old house
• Verdun where we had our hearts broken by war and tragedy
• Finally, to Paris where we studied Freud

The trip culminated with dancing on the Themes and reading from our journals. I felt oh so important then.