Home Leave | Virginia Beach

Post-5k race.After a few days apart in Michigan and California, Kail and I spent the last portion of our home leave visiting my sister and brother-in-law in Virginia Beach. Kail stayed for a week before heading back to Amman, but I was able to enjoy an extra two and a half weeks with my family.

Fitbit Charge HR

I’m back on the Fitbit bandwagon. My sister Rachel bought me and Kail Fitbit Charge HRs for Christmas. She’s a very generous gift-giver and is always thinking of Christmas (and birthday) presents year round.But wait, you ask, didn’t I already have a Fitbit Flex (a birthday gift from Kail last year)? It’s a long story, but

FitBit and MyFitnessPal

Kail got me a FitBit Flex for my birthweek. In case you don’t know what a FitBit is, it’s a fancy step counter that is all the rage these days. Excuse me — fancy step counter and sleep tracker. Newer models are going to feature a heart rate monitor and GPS tracker.

First Kabul 5k

Kail and I (slowly) ran a 5k in support of women’s health over Labor Day weekend (the embassy celebrated the holiday on Sunday rather than Monday). It was the first time I’ve run outside here in Kabul — and probably the last.

Gatorade Beach Run

I ran the Gatorade Beach Run organized by Run El Salvador on Saturday at La Costa del Sol. The race started at 4:00 p.m. It was HOT.I finished in 31:34 — not my fastest 5k by any means but pretty good considering it was on a Salvadoran beach in the middle of the afternoon. Also

Music Run 7k

7k finishers!Kail and I ran the TIGO Music Run 7k yesterday in San Salvador. It was our first race since the Lago Coatepeque 10k in September. Other than a couple small hills and a hot sun, the race wasn’t that tough (we didn’t run very fast — we finished around 43:00, about a 10:00/mile).

Lago Coatepeque 10k

Team MBN.On Sunday Kail and I ran the Lago Coatepeque 10k. A big group from the embassy ran the race, and one of Kail’s colleagues was kind enough to host a few people from his office at her beautiful lake house for a post-race brunch (and later, lunch).

Interview: Being a Non-Foreign Service Expat in El Salvador

I know my blog makes expat life as a Foreign Service wife sound glamorous and exciting. It is, and it isn’t. Certainly, living in El Salvador has its perks. Living here and being affiliated with the Foreign Service does as well. But what about all those other expats out there, brought to El Salvador by

Spanish Friday: Tonificar

Today is Spanish Friday: Blog post in Spanish; English translation below.Durante mi staycation traté de hacer ejercicio mucho. Y no solo correr. Mi primer día libre, corrí, levanté pesas y hice yoga. ¡Qué error!

Outdoor Activities in Kingston, Ontario

As I mentioned earlier in the week, Kingston, Ontario is full of things to do outdoors: walking, running, biking, kayaking, sailing, you name it. I definitely took advantage of these opportunities and the relative safety and freedom with which I was able to get around.