After a day of school in Pitt status, I am ready for some peace and quiet. Today I decided to go for my first run in Coelemu. Innocent enough, right? I grabbed my iPod, blasted some AMERICAN music and hit the road running. I drew lots of stares from the townspeople on my way out of the village so I am assuming running isn't very popular in these here parts. The weather was perfect and I headed out of town towards the river. It was glorious (aside from the occasional honks from truckers) and I ran much further than I had intended to but I spotted a bridge further down the road and decided to turn around after I crossed it.
On the way back across the bridge, a logging truck (the forestry industry here is huge) passed me and a huge wood chip hit me between the eyes. Rather than break my momentum, I opted to continue running despite the fact that my eyes were watering like crazy and visibility was minimal. It took me a few seconds to process exactly what happened next. I crashed into something. Someone, rather. Possible the only other runner in the entire region of Bio Bio who happened to be out for a jog at the same time, on the same bridge, in the middle of nowhere. This someone also happened to be very attractive and exactly 22 years of age and of the male gender. Really? What are the odds?
Naturally, I made a fool of myself. I was so disoriented by the collision that I was speaking Nepali to him when he helped me up. Rodrigo, that is. Perhaps I'm reading too much into the coincidental encounter but I think it's safe to say that it was love at first sight. (Kidding.) However, we did talk ourselves all the way back to my house...a solid 45 minute walk. He is a medical student working at the hospital (if you could even call it that) in Coelemu. He got my Chilean cell phone number and was quite keen to have someone his age to hang out with in this tiny town. No complaints on the Chilean "besitos" this time around. I can't say for sure but I don't think we've heard the last of Running Rodrigo.
On the way back across the bridge, a logging truck (the forestry industry here is huge) passed me and a huge wood chip hit me between the eyes. Rather than break my momentum, I opted to continue running despite the fact that my eyes were watering like crazy and visibility was minimal. It took me a few seconds to process exactly what happened next. I crashed into something. Someone, rather. Possible the only other runner in the entire region of Bio Bio who happened to be out for a jog at the same time, on the same bridge, in the middle of nowhere. This someone also happened to be very attractive and exactly 22 years of age and of the male gender. Really? What are the odds?
Naturally, I made a fool of myself. I was so disoriented by the collision that I was speaking Nepali to him when he helped me up. Rodrigo, that is. Perhaps I'm reading too much into the coincidental encounter but I think it's safe to say that it was love at first sight. (Kidding.) However, we did talk ourselves all the way back to my house...a solid 45 minute walk. He is a medical student working at the hospital (if you could even call it that) in Coelemu. He got my Chilean cell phone number and was quite keen to have someone his age to hang out with in this tiny town. No complaints on the Chilean "besitos" this time around. I can't say for sure but I don't think we've heard the last of Running Rodrigo.
A med student? Nice! I'll have to tell the girls that Brad Smelly Hoopsher is on the outs!
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