Jetlag and Gym

Due entirely to jetlag, I was up at 3:30 A.M. and as I leave for the gym, I think about the last time I worked out. It was way back on December 12th, and the jetlag may be exactly what I need to work it back into my morning routine.

I leave my apartment carrying my laptop case, a cup of coffee, and an umbrella. The coffee is Starbucks House Blend, freshly brewed in my own kitchen, and is there to satisfy my caffeine addiction (the urge doubles whenever I return from Israel). The umbrella is there because it's raining, hard.

It's also very windy. Earlier, a full bottle of shampoo was blown off the bathroom windowsill. To protect against the elements, I am wearing my navy blue down jacket, and have reattached the hood, which I rarely use.

At the station, I buy a metrocard and make it to the platform just before the train arrives. I am easily able to get a seat, but am still surprised to see this many people on board so early in the morning. I rest my coffee cup on the seat next to me while I fiddle with the music on my Blackberry. However, I am careful to remove it before the next stop, in case someone wants to sit there.

Across from is me a thin, blond girl with many bags and blue Land's End coat on her lap. She is wearing a pretty flower-patterned shirt and purple pants. I can't help but notice she is also wearing a thumb ring. The pattern is too far away to decipher, but whatever it is, I like it.

The girl's large head and small face makes her nose look bigger than it is. Her eyes look sad and worn, as if she'd been crying or not sleeping enough. She nods away while studying handwritten notes on some unknown topic.

A man is giving out religious pamphlets, and I appreciate that, noticing my yamika, he skips past me. "Thank you, Jesus loves you," he says to those who take. He speaks in Spanish or English.

As the train ride progresses and I get closer to Midtown, I prepare myself for the return to work, working out, and a whole slew of new leaves I am about to turn.