I am having trouble breathing today, after a 4 mile, 2 hour hike with the boys yesterday (me pushing 50 lbs uphill- whew!). It's not the exercise that did me in, but the altitude and air quality from yesterday. The family that I work for lives at 3,000 feet (whereas my house is near the beach!) and close to the active Volcanoes. I had never heard of Vog until I moved here, and yesterday I was walking in Sulfur rich air that smelled like rotten eggs. Ugh. No wonder I feel so sick today!
I had asthma as a kid, and would regularly have to keep an inhaler close by... I could never run long distances or be able to play for long outside during Harvest season. I eventually grew out of it, forgot what it was like to not be able to breath, and started smoking in my late teens, off and on for the past 10 years.
This past month smoke-free has been such a great experience of rediscovering my breathe, through yoga, excercise and just day to day living. I didn't realize how shallow and unproductive my breathing had become. And I forgot what it was like to WANT to breath, but not be able to.
Today is my day off, and I am home sick, catching my breath, coughing and feeling crappy. Bummer. I really do love my job, but at $8 an hour, I am not sure if I can handle the stress, both physically and mentally, that I have to deal with everyday. Being overworked and under-paid is one thing, but working in an environment that keeps me from breathing freely is just stupid!
