A Day of Transition, Connection, and Quiet Strength

I woke up at 5:30am, already knowing it would be my last day running with Jay. We both knew the mileage would be shorter, and our only real plan was to enjoy the day and make the most of our final miles together. We started gently, with a coffee in hand and that quiet sense of appreciation you feel when something meaningful is coming to an end.

Just a few miles in, nature called. We stopped at a small stand beside a hospital, and I went in to ask if I could use the bathroom. Of course I could. Afterward, I found myself chatting with two nurses and a few staff members. A couple of people stopped by to ask about my run, curious and warm, as people here so often are.

A little after 1pm—just as we had planned—we reached the toll station where Satish, Jay’s friend, came to pick us up. That last mile with Jay hit me hard. All the memories from the past days flooded in. I had tears of joy… and maybe also a touch of fear. The change. The return to being on my own. The weight of doing everything alone again. It’s a lot—but it’s also the journey.

On our way to the room Satish had organized, we stopped at a bicycle shop to get me a new front tire. Satish lives and works on a campus dedicated to Sathya Sai Baba, a widely revered Indian spiritual leader whose teachings focus on truth, right conduct, peace, love, and non-violence. “Love all, serve all. Help ever, hurt never.”

As 2025 marks his 100th birth anniversary, celebrations are taking place to honour his legacy of compassion and service.

Jay and I were given lovely rooms on the campus, and I had the chance to witness some of the spiritual exercises. It was intense—beautiful, powerful, thought-provoking. After the ceremony, we shared dinner with the community. Being welcomed into that space, even for just one night, felt like such a gift.

And then… exhaustion. I knew what I needed to do. I knew I wanted to get up at 4am. But the moment I lay down, sleep swept over me instantly. Nothing else mattered.

Thank you all for checking in, for following along, and for being part of this journey.

This blog belongs to yesterday—written with gratitude from a very full heart.

Much love, Andrea