Dear Kinshasa

Dear Kinshasa,

Thank you.

Thank you for the innumerable safe drives and runs I have had here. I know I am very lucky, but I will not leave here with anything but fond memories of traffic and training.

Your sidewalks made sure my Kinshasa parkour skills were always on point (I did fall once! But only once)

The occasional smile and friendly (or disbelieving) comment made me happy to be out early.

The sunrises were amazing.

I will sincerely miss running at 5:30am in Kinshasa. It's about as peaceful as this place gets, I think.

Thank you for allowing me to safely exist here for two years, observing, learning and soaking it in. I consider myself very lucky to have spent time here, meeting remarkable people from all over the globe and teaching classes of students so surreal-ly diverse, I never could have imagined them if I had tried.

This thought occured to me while I was running several weeks ago. Forgive me if this is maudlin or patronizing, it is not meant to be either... At the end of the day, Kinshasa is what I hope I am: a colorful, gorgeous, chaotic, beautiful, resilient, remarkable, confusing, wonderful mess.

I am a lucky girl, to have been here.

Love,

Ellen