My Shoes Are Still Drying

I had a simple plan for my weekend: go to GBK Stadium, jog a few laps, feel good, and go home. Clean and simple. But the weather had other plans. It waited until my last lap to just dump everything. Now my shoes have been drying by the door for two days and might be permanently ruined. Is it worth it? I’m still deciding.

I’d say as full fledged Jakartans, it’s hard to beat the vibe of Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) on a weekend evening.

I went yesterday because I needed to get out. I’d been stuck inside all day and my body was starting to feel weird, like I needed to shake something off. So I grabbed my shoes and went.

The place had this energy when I got there. The stadium lit up in red, people everywhere. Runners doing their serious laps, families with kids, groups just hanging out on the grass. All of it makes me want to move too, even when i’m feeling lazy.

I started jogging and it felt good. Not thinking about anything, just running. The track was wide, the air wasn’t terrible. I figured I’d do a few laps and head home.

That plan lasted until my last lap.

Wind came first. Then more wind. Then suddenly it just dumped rain. Heavy in an instant. Everyone scattered, running for the stadium overhangs, trees, anywhere with cover.

I stopped under one of the covered sections and looked out. The city skyline was barely visible through the mist and clouds. Just blurry building shapes with lights trying to push through the fog. It actually looked pretty cool, so I took some photos even though my phone was getting soaked.

But the thing about rain is, it looks romantic in photos, not so much when you’re in it.

My shoes were completely soaked. That disgusting feeling of wet socks squishing inside your sneakers with every step. My glasses kept fogging up. And honestly, standing there dripping, I wasn’t thinking about how atmospheric the city looked. I was thinking about how hard it would be to get home.

Because Jakarta rain means crazy traffic. Floods. Waiting forever for a ride. Streets turning into rivers. That whole mess.

I’ve been thinking lately about how we plan things. Rain is a natural phenomenon and yet our plan still ruined by it. And I guess that’s just how it goes most of the time. We can plan our evening, our week, whatever, but something always shows up to change it. Not necessarily in a dramatic way. Just in small, annoying ways.

I took a selfie while waiting for the rain to stop. I look terrible. My hair plastered to my head. Not the refreshing evening jog aesthetic I was going for.

My shoes are still drying by the door. The insoles feel weird now. But I got the run in, at least. Finished before everything went sideways. And I have these photos of the foggy city and my wet, miserable face. So there’s that.

I’ve been going to GBK more lately. Trying to build some kind of routine, or at least get outside more consistently. It’s easy to just stay home, especially on weekends. Order food, watch something, scroll on your phone. The usual. But I’ve noticed I feel better when I actually go out and move, even if it’s just jogging in circles.

The crowd there helps. Seeing other people running makes you feel like you should be running too. Peer pressure, but the good kind.

There’s also something about physical tiredness that’s different from mental tiredness. After work, I’m exhausted but in this wired, restless way. Can’t relax properly. But after running? I’m tired in a way that actually lets me sleep. My body feels used, in a good way.

Though getting caught in the rain kind of ruined that peaceful tiredness. Replaced it with cold, annoyed tiredness.

I stood there under the stadium for maybe twenty minutes, waiting for the rain to ease up. It didn’t. Jakarta rain doesn’t ease up, it just stops suddenly or keeps going for hours. No in-between.

Other people were waiting too. Some were on their phones trying to book rides. Some were just standing there staring at the rain like I was. One guy was wringing out his shirt. Another was shaking water out of his shoes, which seemed pointless since the rain was still coming down.

Nobody was talking much. Just everyone dealing with being wet and stuck.

Eventually I just decided to make a run for it. Well, a walk. A very wet, uncomfortable walk to find transportation.

The ride home was quiet. The driver didn’t say much. I didn’t either. I was dripping all over his seat, which I felt bad about..

When I got home, I peeled off everything and threw it all in a pile. Took a hot shower that lasted way too long. Put on dry clothes. I felt human again.

Then I looked at the photos from earlier and they actually came out decent. The foggy skyline looks moody. Atmospheric. The selfie is hilariously bad but in a way that’s kind of honest. That was really how the evening went.

I don’t know. I guess I’m glad I went even though it ended badly. Better than staying home and doing nothing. At least it was something. At least I moved.

My legs are a bit sore today. Good sore, mostly. And my shoes are still damp. But I’ll probably go back next weekend.

Unless it rains.