This week, for the first time since June 3, we got on a plane (two planes actually), as we flew from Beijing to Hiroshima and from Nagoya to San Francisco. As we’re gearing up for the final third of the run, here’s a recap of last week’s top 10:

- Our team went swimming in the Pacific after our first 3am-9am shift in Japan. The salty water, warm sun and fresh air felt miles away from smoggy Beijing!

- We discovered how fantastic Japanese 7-11’s are. 7-11 is a huge chain in Japan, and they have a wide selection of noodle dishes, hot and cold drinks and snacks. We realized that our hunt for hot coffee and clean bathrooms was over!

- Sean and I went to the onsen, or public bath, in Tokushima, Japan. We love to visit public baths when we travel because they are a great place to interact with locals and integrate into the local culture. The $5 onsen, one of the few bargains in Japan, was an amazing maze of hot pools, a cold plunge, saunas, and washing stations. At the washing station, I bathed next to a middle-aged woman who was washing her elderly mother. She took a break from shampooing to show me the ropes (in Japan there is a system for everything, including bathing).

- I got lost in Japan on my final night run in Asia. I was running at 2am, and the pedestrian path crossed underneath the main road numerous times. Understandably, the night pilots and I lost sight of one another, and the next thing I knew, I was standing outside of a diner deliberating calling my parents collect. Luckily, the night pilots showed up after about 10 minutes (and got a sweaty, relieved hug from me)!

- The U.S. staff from Ignition (logistics agency), the Blue Planet Run Foundation, Dow, Golin Harris and Kaplow PR gave us a warm welcome when we arrived in San Francisco. It was hugely refreshing to see some new faces and exchange stories from the past few months. This really re-charged us for the final leg of our journey.

- We went home…to our apartment! After arriving at SFO airport, Sean and I drove to Menlo Park to drop off a few things, pick up our mountain of mail, and visit with our dear neighbor, Adi. Although we sort of felt like we were observing our “real life,” rather than returning to it, it was great to be home for a few minutes.

- Before staring the U.S. portion of the run, Sean and I were able to have dinner with a group of our best friends in San Francisco. We feel so lucky to have such amazing, bright, loving friends … ’twas great to see you all!

- I was quoted in the San Jose Mercury News as yelling “Go L-Dog, work it L-Diggity,” to my 60-year-old teammate, Lansing. Luckily, they also managed to quote me talking about safe drinking water!

- My first run in the U.S. was gorgeous, stretching from San Francisco’s Great Ocean Highway through Golden Gate Park, through the city, to the Embarcadero. Best of all, our friend Eric Edelson joined me for the last three miles of my run (thanks, Eric)!

- During my run in Oakland, I was stopped at a red light, and a tiny, elderly Asian woman told me she had seen me on the news that morning, and she thanked me for what I’m doing. People like her really make this run feel worth it.