So Pinterest Knight was held on last Thursday and I didn't really know what to expect going into it. I am a huge Pinterest fanatic so I was excited when I saw that ETK was actually hosting one! I walked into the ballrooms by the Mensa with Jaclyn at 6 pm and the place was already booming! There were separate little stations for each project and in the opening of the doorway was a table full of "I <3 Pinterest" pins.
The first table Jaclyn and I went to was the hot cocoa snowman making one. We filled out little jars with hot cocoa and marshmallows and mints and glued the jars together. We added little ribbons for scarves and little puffballs for the coat. They also had little googly eyes. Our second table was the picture holder thing. It's kind of hard to explain, but there were many different colors of clothes pins and you grabbed the colors that you wanted. Then you grabbed a piece of cardboard and cut a big circle. Then once you have done that, you cut a smaller circle inside the bigger circle. Once done with this, you hot glue the clothes pins all around the circle facing out so you can put pictures on them. It created a sun. Our last table was the coasters. This one was my favorite because it was fast yet really cool to do. You picked certain sheets of scrapbooking paper and then grabbed however many coasters you wanted to make. Then you would cut the sheet into the size of your coaster. Modge podge was provided at the tables so you would take a little of that and put it all over the front of your coaster. Then you laid the scrapbook paper over it and put modge podge over that as well! It looks white over your scrapbook paper, but it dried clear. You waited a good 5-10 minutes and you would have yourself a pretty coaster. I thought this was an excellent way to meet new people and work together. It was very fun and I hope they host a night like this every year!
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Oh! The struggle
Everyday, girls criticize themselves on their looks, appearance, weight, intelligence and many more things that most likely are not even an issue with them at all. Girls are their own worst critiques and more and more girls are having self-esteem issues. Why is this do you ask? Girls feel the need to compare themselves to other girls. This is not okay. Everybody's body is built differently and different people have different genetics. Why do girls feel the need to do this constantly and have their thoughts change about their body? Why do girls lower their self-esteem over something so unimportant. Everybody is different and every girl is beautiful in their own unique way. Girls in today's society are so down on themselves and don't understand that each and every person is different. People are all beautiful or handsome in their own way. Everybody had different things about them that makes them beautiful. I believe that girls just need more confidence.
I use to have this problem in high school a lot. I would look at other girls with the expensive buckle jeans, and nice shirts and their hair done nicely and I always thought that even though I tried, they always looked better than me. I always looked down at myself and wondered what was wrong with me. Why do these girls not want to be friends with me? Yes, I get my clothes from Platos Closet, a use clothing store, but they are still in good condition, still cute and inexpensive. I curled my hair when I wanted to and dressed presentable almost every day. After I built up my confidence, I started to realize that a lot of people first judge you on your appearance. A person's first look at you could mean "hey she's kinda cute" or it could mean "wow she looks like a b****". Girls tend to judge more than guys do, but why do girls not give other girls the chance? Why do they not talk to them first before judging them on their appearance? I will never understand this, but what I can tell you is that people will have a lot more respect for you if you have confidence in yourself. All a girl needs is a little confidence and everything else in their life will follow.
I use to have this problem in high school a lot. I would look at other girls with the expensive buckle jeans, and nice shirts and their hair done nicely and I always thought that even though I tried, they always looked better than me. I always looked down at myself and wondered what was wrong with me. Why do these girls not want to be friends with me? Yes, I get my clothes from Platos Closet, a use clothing store, but they are still in good condition, still cute and inexpensive. I curled my hair when I wanted to and dressed presentable almost every day. After I built up my confidence, I started to realize that a lot of people first judge you on your appearance. A person's first look at you could mean "hey she's kinda cute" or it could mean "wow she looks like a b****". Girls tend to judge more than guys do, but why do girls not give other girls the chance? Why do they not talk to them first before judging them on their appearance? I will never understand this, but what I can tell you is that people will have a lot more respect for you if you have confidence in yourself. All a girl needs is a little confidence and everything else in their life will follow.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Working at Pancheros
I started working at Pancheros in Dubuque, Iowa two years ago. It seems like I have been working there a lot longer but I guess it wasn't that long ago. I was training there by a crazy named Nicole. I was 16 at the time and she was 18. Now I am not saying she was crazy because I thought she was, she was crazy to everyone! She was strict about everything and would constantly pick on me especially when I first started there. Some of the stuff I didn't even know what to do or know how to handle situations and she would yell at me. I felt like such an idiot sometimes, but in the end she trained me into a hard worker at Panch.
When I first started at Pancheros, I mostly worked the night shift because I was still new to everything and usually nights were a lot slower. I was put on dish. We had 4duties at the time which were dish, dining room, front of house, and the manager who just kept up with the meat cutting and cooking it. I was on dish my first night and I was stressed to the max. So many dishes all the time and I didn't know how I had so many. My first couple nights I worked with Nicole, so I always felt like I wasn't going to make it in the burrito making business. Well I was sure wrong because look at me now! I also would like to say that Nicole was a crazy because she was going into the air force in January and quitting at Pancheros. She was a "hard ass"(sorry for the cuss word!)
As I started to move along in my Pancheros career weird things were happening. My good friend Erin who I worked with at Pancheros who helped me get the job at Panch quit and left to work at a rec center in her home town. I found out that the 22 year old, Brittney, was gross and weird. Again, I am not being judgmental, but my boss would constantly tell her she cannot wear a dirty shirt to work. She also would not shower for days and would have slick,greasy hair. She also liked to pick on me so one day I final had enough and went up to her and said, "If you have a problem with me please say it to my face." After that I have heard nothing but sweet things from her. Sometimes you just have to stick up for yourself in situations like that.
I also worked with people like Kayla, a girl my age who is pretty cool, a guy name Chris who was a year younger than me, but super laid back, two twins named Courtney and Caitlyn who were also my age with bright red hair (they were stoners so we never talked a whole lot), Trevor, a guy who is two years younger than me, but super energetic and free-spirited; he was a very funny kid! There were other people as well, but these were the main people that I enjoyed spending my time with and who were working at Pancheros before me. As of today, only Kayla and I are still working at Pancheros. She became a manager because she is going to a community college so she is close to town. I was suppose to become a manager , but with my decision to come to Wartburg, my boss thought that I should stay a worker till next summer when I have time to get the training in to become a manager.
I really enjoy working at Pancheros because it is quick-paced and there is always something to do. You do not sit around and wait for something awesome to happen like at other jobs. I am an active girl so always moving and keeping myself busy is in my nature. I don't know if I will ever leave Pancheros anytime soon because my boss relies on me for many reasons. He said himself he misses me working because I was his best worker and how he appreciates me coming home to work over breaks. I think I will stay up until my Junior year and maybe I will find a different job when that time comes. I will forever be known in the Mensa to my cross country teammates as the best burrito roller around though ;)
When I first started at Pancheros, I mostly worked the night shift because I was still new to everything and usually nights were a lot slower. I was put on dish. We had 4duties at the time which were dish, dining room, front of house, and the manager who just kept up with the meat cutting and cooking it. I was on dish my first night and I was stressed to the max. So many dishes all the time and I didn't know how I had so many. My first couple nights I worked with Nicole, so I always felt like I wasn't going to make it in the burrito making business. Well I was sure wrong because look at me now! I also would like to say that Nicole was a crazy because she was going into the air force in January and quitting at Pancheros. She was a "hard ass"(sorry for the cuss word!)
As I started to move along in my Pancheros career weird things were happening. My good friend Erin who I worked with at Pancheros who helped me get the job at Panch quit and left to work at a rec center in her home town. I found out that the 22 year old, Brittney, was gross and weird. Again, I am not being judgmental, but my boss would constantly tell her she cannot wear a dirty shirt to work. She also would not shower for days and would have slick,greasy hair. She also liked to pick on me so one day I final had enough and went up to her and said, "If you have a problem with me please say it to my face." After that I have heard nothing but sweet things from her. Sometimes you just have to stick up for yourself in situations like that.
I also worked with people like Kayla, a girl my age who is pretty cool, a guy name Chris who was a year younger than me, but super laid back, two twins named Courtney and Caitlyn who were also my age with bright red hair (they were stoners so we never talked a whole lot), Trevor, a guy who is two years younger than me, but super energetic and free-spirited; he was a very funny kid! There were other people as well, but these were the main people that I enjoyed spending my time with and who were working at Pancheros before me. As of today, only Kayla and I are still working at Pancheros. She became a manager because she is going to a community college so she is close to town. I was suppose to become a manager , but with my decision to come to Wartburg, my boss thought that I should stay a worker till next summer when I have time to get the training in to become a manager.
I really enjoy working at Pancheros because it is quick-paced and there is always something to do. You do not sit around and wait for something awesome to happen like at other jobs. I am an active girl so always moving and keeping myself busy is in my nature. I don't know if I will ever leave Pancheros anytime soon because my boss relies on me for many reasons. He said himself he misses me working because I was his best worker and how he appreciates me coming home to work over breaks. I think I will stay up until my Junior year and maybe I will find a different job when that time comes. I will forever be known in the Mensa to my cross country teammates as the best burrito roller around though ;)
Saturday, November 30, 2013
My Thanksgiving Break :)
To start my Thanksgiving break off, I went to my boyfriend Joshua's house for four days. We packed up his car and left at 3:30 PM on Friday. We arrived to the little town of Ossian where his parent's house was around 4:45 PM. His dad was already home watching football on TV and we unloaded and waited around until his mom got home so we could eat dinner. We ordered pizza from Caseys and chilled the rest of the night. Nothing too exciting happened at his house because we took these four days to just relax from school and the cross country season. Saturday morning, Josh and I woke up to watch our women's team run at nationals online. It was a disappointing day because our girls were ranked in the top 5 without our number one girl running and we ended up getting 11th! I do not know what happened and I am planning on asking what happened because only one girl on the team ran like she should have. Everyone else had an extremely bad race. I hope this never happens again and we can win a national title next year!
That Sunday was Josh's dad's side Thanksgiving! There were about 30 to 40 people at this gathering and everyone brought a dish and dessert of some sort. There was so much food that I ate way more than I should have. On Monday Josh and I went to Decorah to see the new Hunger Games movie, "Catching Fire". It was really good, but the ending was a cliff-hanger. We both wanted to see this movie and "Delivery Man", but we both don't really have the time or the money. Tuesday we ate Happy Joe's pizza before leaving to drive back to Wartburg to get my car. We switch all our stuff in my car and I drove to my house that night.
It took about an hour and a half before we got to my house around 9 PM. My dogs were ecstatic to see me and the new person I brought home.
The next day, Josh and I slept in, made pancakes for breakfast and just chilled until I had to go to work at 5. I was scared of leaving him all alone with my family especially with my sister Chloe because she can be a lot to handle. After I got home from work, I saw him sitting on the couch looking upset. Chloe was way to much to handle and was constantly picking on him, bugging him or asking him questions. I was really upset about this especially because I wanted him to stay here at my house.
Thursday, Thanksgiving day, my mom and I cooked all morning. We were just going to eat our meal as a family this year and not go to anybody's house. This whole day we just ate and chilled around. Usually I run the 7.5 mile Turkey Trot in Dubuque, but I have a stress fracture in my knee so this is the first year in 5 years where I have not won my family a turkey. I was pretty upset about this, but everything happens for a reason. Thursday night, Josh and I went Black Friday shopping in American Eagle and Target and then went to IHOP for pancakes. When we got back to my house we sat in the Soft tub (smaller, cheaper version of a hot tub). Friday, My family, Josh, and I volunteered at the Rescue Mission and then went to East Dubuque to cut down our tree for Christmas. It is a tradition in my family every year to do this. Afterwards, we shopped at TJ Maxx for Christmas gifts and went home to relax.
Saturday, I woke up and worked 12-8 so Josh just hung out with my family. When I got home we chilled around and did some homework and went to bed. We plan on coming home tomorrow early so we make brunch, but who knows!
That Sunday was Josh's dad's side Thanksgiving! There were about 30 to 40 people at this gathering and everyone brought a dish and dessert of some sort. There was so much food that I ate way more than I should have. On Monday Josh and I went to Decorah to see the new Hunger Games movie, "Catching Fire". It was really good, but the ending was a cliff-hanger. We both wanted to see this movie and "Delivery Man", but we both don't really have the time or the money. Tuesday we ate Happy Joe's pizza before leaving to drive back to Wartburg to get my car. We switch all our stuff in my car and I drove to my house that night.
It took about an hour and a half before we got to my house around 9 PM. My dogs were ecstatic to see me and the new person I brought home.
The next day, Josh and I slept in, made pancakes for breakfast and just chilled until I had to go to work at 5. I was scared of leaving him all alone with my family especially with my sister Chloe because she can be a lot to handle. After I got home from work, I saw him sitting on the couch looking upset. Chloe was way to much to handle and was constantly picking on him, bugging him or asking him questions. I was really upset about this especially because I wanted him to stay here at my house.
Thursday, Thanksgiving day, my mom and I cooked all morning. We were just going to eat our meal as a family this year and not go to anybody's house. This whole day we just ate and chilled around. Usually I run the 7.5 mile Turkey Trot in Dubuque, but I have a stress fracture in my knee so this is the first year in 5 years where I have not won my family a turkey. I was pretty upset about this, but everything happens for a reason. Thursday night, Josh and I went Black Friday shopping in American Eagle and Target and then went to IHOP for pancakes. When we got back to my house we sat in the Soft tub (smaller, cheaper version of a hot tub). Friday, My family, Josh, and I volunteered at the Rescue Mission and then went to East Dubuque to cut down our tree for Christmas. It is a tradition in my family every year to do this. Afterwards, we shopped at TJ Maxx for Christmas gifts and went home to relax.
Saturday, I woke up and worked 12-8 so Josh just hung out with my family. When I got home we chilled around and did some homework and went to bed. We plan on coming home tomorrow early so we make brunch, but who knows!
Friday, November 15, 2013
Pet Peeves
Here are some of my biggest pet peeves and why they are so annoying/disturbing to me....
1. When people eat with their mouth open
- First off, why would people do this? Wouldn't the people feel awkward?
Further into this one..
2. When people eat with their mouth open AND talk to people
- Would you not see the people looking at you in disgust and wonder first, what the heck are you saying and second, can you please not do that ever again.
3. When people use the expression " Oh that's too bad"
- I know that most people don't mean any harm by this, but it drives me crazy because the sarcastic tone in it.
4. When all people do is talk about themselves
- How selfish are people these days? Occasionally, it is alright to share stories and such, but when others share stories and the person relates it back to them or a story THEY went through it becomes annoying.
5. People with poor work ethic or when life is handed to them
- I believe in the long run that people with strong work ethic they will achieve more and grow bigger as a person. They will achieve more in life and know what accomplishment is.
6. Being rushed!
- I do like to do some things fast like run or work( as in Pancheros), but I cannot stand when people rush me to get ready or rush me to go somewhere. I don't like just running through life and when I am rushed I get high anxiety and frustration.
1. When people eat with their mouth open
- First off, why would people do this? Wouldn't the people feel awkward?
Further into this one..
2. When people eat with their mouth open AND talk to people
- Would you not see the people looking at you in disgust and wonder first, what the heck are you saying and second, can you please not do that ever again.
3. When people use the expression " Oh that's too bad"
- I know that most people don't mean any harm by this, but it drives me crazy because the sarcastic tone in it.
4. When all people do is talk about themselves
- How selfish are people these days? Occasionally, it is alright to share stories and such, but when others share stories and the person relates it back to them or a story THEY went through it becomes annoying.
5. People with poor work ethic or when life is handed to them
- I believe in the long run that people with strong work ethic they will achieve more and grow bigger as a person. They will achieve more in life and know what accomplishment is.
6. Being rushed!
- I do like to do some things fast like run or work( as in Pancheros), but I cannot stand when people rush me to get ready or rush me to go somewhere. I don't like just running through life and when I am rushed I get high anxiety and frustration.
My Bucket List
Bucket Lists seem kind of foolish sometimes, but they keep me motivated to check some off each year.
BUCKET LIST
1. Qualify for the Boston Marathon
2. Ride the tallest AND fastest roller coaster in the word (with it being safe of course!)
3. See John Mayer in concert
4. Go scuba diving
5. Marry the perfect guy for me
6. Land a successful job and love doing it!/ Be my own boss
7. Be an All -American in college cross country and track and field
8. Write a book and have it published
9. Have a small, relaxing wedding on a beach or in nature
10. Climb Mt. Everest
11. Run on the Great Wall Of China
12. Go Whale Watching
13. Travel to Africa to help the kids with Aids, malnutrition, and serious diseases
14. Book a ticket and just leave
15. Have a bonfire on a beach
16. Own my own bakery someday
17. Donate time to a wildlife Sanctuary
18. Send a message in a bottle on one of the oceans
19. Stand where you can be at 4 states at once
20. Cliff jump
21. Go on a camping trip with all my friends
22. Move in with the one I love
23. Learn a new talent
BUCKET LIST
1. Qualify for the Boston Marathon
2. Ride the tallest AND fastest roller coaster in the word (with it being safe of course!)
3. See John Mayer in concert
4. Go scuba diving
5. Marry the perfect guy for me
6. Land a successful job and love doing it!/ Be my own boss
7. Be an All -American in college cross country and track and field
8. Write a book and have it published
9. Have a small, relaxing wedding on a beach or in nature
10. Climb Mt. Everest
11. Run on the Great Wall Of China
12. Go Whale Watching
13. Travel to Africa to help the kids with Aids, malnutrition, and serious diseases
14. Book a ticket and just leave
15. Have a bonfire on a beach
16. Own my own bakery someday
17. Donate time to a wildlife Sanctuary
18. Send a message in a bottle on one of the oceans
19. Stand where you can be at 4 states at once
20. Cliff jump
21. Go on a camping trip with all my friends
22. Move in with the one I love
23. Learn a new talent
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
The Trips Back Home
This weekend would mark the second time I have come home since I have been in college. It doesn't really feel like a home to me anymore which is weird though. I'm so use to coming into a warm house with the aroma of sweet pumpkin spice from my moms Sensie floating around the air in our small cottage home. I feel as though I am growing up too fast and my life is soon going to be over in a blink of an eye. I don't really enjoy this feeling because I still want my home to feel like well..home.
It is weird to think how in high school I never was close to anyone, but my close guy friend and training buddy Dallas. When I come home now though it seems like the whole world wants to hang out with me. I don't really understand it and in all honesty I came home for three reasons. One, to see my family and Oksana, my baby sister who is growing like a weed. Two, to see my crazy dogs who I miss so much, and three, to work because I cant afford to attend this school or pay my bills if I don't work.
I wish I could have the money to do fun things all the time like go out to eat and see movies and go on trips and to water parks in the summer and whatever else kids like to do these days. In all honesty though, I sometimes don't wish I had the money for these things. I would not be as much of a hard working individual if I had life handed to me. Even though it causes much stress in my life, I am learning to handle it. I know I will be rewarded in the future for my hard work.
In my free time, I like to do free things. When I am home I enjoy watching Netflix with my family or sisters, cook meals or bake desserts, crafts, talking the dogs on a walk or going on a short run as I push my baby sister Oksana in the stroller. I simply love just laying out sometimes too or sitting on the porch with my mom and having funny conversations with her. When I am here what I like to do with my free time is.....lets be serious, I have no free time. Well I have some, but usually I am sleeping because I don't get enough sleep as it is. Waking up at 4:25 everyday sure gets the best of me.
Overall I just want to say that I miss home. I miss all the free time and seeing my family, dogs, and just laying in my bed back home and cuddling with Maggie, my black pug. I miss being young again and not having a care in the world. I cannot wait to go home for Thanksgiving break!
It is weird to think how in high school I never was close to anyone, but my close guy friend and training buddy Dallas. When I come home now though it seems like the whole world wants to hang out with me. I don't really understand it and in all honesty I came home for three reasons. One, to see my family and Oksana, my baby sister who is growing like a weed. Two, to see my crazy dogs who I miss so much, and three, to work because I cant afford to attend this school or pay my bills if I don't work.
I wish I could have the money to do fun things all the time like go out to eat and see movies and go on trips and to water parks in the summer and whatever else kids like to do these days. In all honesty though, I sometimes don't wish I had the money for these things. I would not be as much of a hard working individual if I had life handed to me. Even though it causes much stress in my life, I am learning to handle it. I know I will be rewarded in the future for my hard work.
In my free time, I like to do free things. When I am home I enjoy watching Netflix with my family or sisters, cook meals or bake desserts, crafts, talking the dogs on a walk or going on a short run as I push my baby sister Oksana in the stroller. I simply love just laying out sometimes too or sitting on the porch with my mom and having funny conversations with her. When I am here what I like to do with my free time is.....lets be serious, I have no free time. Well I have some, but usually I am sleeping because I don't get enough sleep as it is. Waking up at 4:25 everyday sure gets the best of me.
Overall I just want to say that I miss home. I miss all the free time and seeing my family, dogs, and just laying in my bed back home and cuddling with Maggie, my black pug. I miss being young again and not having a care in the world. I cannot wait to go home for Thanksgiving break!
What I Am Thankful For
This is a list of a few things that I am thankful for. When times get rough sometimes you just have to think about the small things in life to get you by. This is what I am thankful for....
I am thankful for....
My life- it is a precious thing.
My mother- even though she is crazy sometimes, she always makes me laugh.
My job- If I didn't have a job, I would not be going to school here right now. Also back home I love rolling those burritos at Pancheros ;)
My health- even though I was hurt at the end of the cross country season, my health could be so much worse.
My hair- It's somewhat long, its bleach blonde naturally, and it is straight so I usually never have to do anything with it.
My baby sister Oksana- She shows me really what love is.
My other sister Chloe- Even when she picks on me, I still love her because I know how much she looks up to me.
My education- I am the first out of my mom and dad to go to college right after high school.
The money I DO have- Even though my family does not have much, we make by with what we have. Matters could be much worse.
My xc team- They push me everyday to be the best I can be. They are also very supportive and loving. I did not have a team like this in high school.
My ability to be fast at running- I work my butt off day in and day out and I am always rewarded by my hard work. I was blessed to be somewhat fast.
God- He gets me through life when my life seem to be tumbling down.
My stepdad Mike- Ever since I was 8 Mike has been in my life. He has provided me with more than I could ever want and has helped me tremendously with everything from show choir fees to getting a car.
My roommate- I could have had bad luck and got a terrible roommate, but instead I got a roommate who is becoming my best friend. I love her and am so happy I got to meet a girl like her.
The roof over my head- Even though my house back home is tiny, it sure is cozy and warm with our wood stove fire.
My boyfriend Joshua- In the beginning, I thought he was a little too crazy for me, but I love his personality and sense of humor now. He can brighten my dad when I feel like my day will not get any better.
Pancakes!- I LOVE them! They will forever be my favorite food.
The chances I got to travel the country- I have been to almost every state but some on the east coast.
I am thankful for....
My life- it is a precious thing.
My mother- even though she is crazy sometimes, she always makes me laugh.
My job- If I didn't have a job, I would not be going to school here right now. Also back home I love rolling those burritos at Pancheros ;)
My health- even though I was hurt at the end of the cross country season, my health could be so much worse.
My hair- It's somewhat long, its bleach blonde naturally, and it is straight so I usually never have to do anything with it.
My baby sister Oksana- She shows me really what love is.
My other sister Chloe- Even when she picks on me, I still love her because I know how much she looks up to me.
My education- I am the first out of my mom and dad to go to college right after high school.
The money I DO have- Even though my family does not have much, we make by with what we have. Matters could be much worse.
My xc team- They push me everyday to be the best I can be. They are also very supportive and loving. I did not have a team like this in high school.
My ability to be fast at running- I work my butt off day in and day out and I am always rewarded by my hard work. I was blessed to be somewhat fast.
God- He gets me through life when my life seem to be tumbling down.
My stepdad Mike- Ever since I was 8 Mike has been in my life. He has provided me with more than I could ever want and has helped me tremendously with everything from show choir fees to getting a car.
My roommate- I could have had bad luck and got a terrible roommate, but instead I got a roommate who is becoming my best friend. I love her and am so happy I got to meet a girl like her.
The roof over my head- Even though my house back home is tiny, it sure is cozy and warm with our wood stove fire.
My boyfriend Joshua- In the beginning, I thought he was a little too crazy for me, but I love his personality and sense of humor now. He can brighten my dad when I feel like my day will not get any better.
Pancakes!- I LOVE them! They will forever be my favorite food.
The chances I got to travel the country- I have been to almost every state but some on the east coast.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
The four weeks a year I get to become fat!
Since I am a full cross country and track runner here at Wartburg College, I get about two weeks after each season where I do not run and I do not exercise. This is the two weeks where it is a chance for runners bodies to recover from the long seasons and the countless miles we run each week. Our bodies have adapted to the hard work and the pounding of the pavement on our legs, but that does not mean we do not need a break.
Everybody is different, but my body NEEDS the two weeks completely off. If I do not take those two weeks off, I will burn out during the following season or hurt myself. Some people can easily take their two weeks "off" where they still run almost everyday, but instead of running for 80 minutes they will run for 30 mines each day. I simply cannot do this. My body is not made to recover so quickly.
Without having cross country practice everyday anymore at four o' clock for three hours, I have more time to get into the trainers room to fix the knee issues I have been having and also get some stuff done I usually am not able to do like clean my room and talk on the phone to my mother. I also get the chance to eat almost whatever I want! This is my favorite part actually!
I am a sucker for sweets, especially chocolate. Anything and everything chocolate is what I like. I also enjoy going out to eat. So for this first week I have definitely been taking advantage of this. I went to Pancheros, where I work back home, but in Waterloo. I usually get a salad or tacos, but instead I got a burrito WITH queso. Queso is fattening, but it is okay to indulge every once in awhile. Saturday, a group of friends and I went to HuHot in Ankeny after the ISU game. I got two platefuls and did not feel guilty. Afterwards, I also enjoyed myself some red velvet homemade ice cream.
Now I have to admit, I do start to feel guilty after the first week because that is when it starts to sink in that maybe I am gaining a few pounds. Every runner goes through this phase. I tend to look past it though because I need to enjoy myself these two weeks. If I don't, I get depressed throughout my training how I never get to eat the things I love the most.
The toughest part is getting back on track after the two weeks off. Your legs feel dead and huge. You feel like you have not ran a day in your life and you have to stop eating like a cow all the time! Now many people assume that "oh you run like 8 miles a day, you can eat whatever you want!" Yes we may get to eat more, but not technically anything we want. A runner has a very sensitive stomach and that is why before each race every runner is racing to the porta potties. So if runners ate whatever they want, they might not have as great of workouts or the most enjoyable runs of their life unless they like a different kind of runs if you know what I mean ;)
Everybody is different, but my body NEEDS the two weeks completely off. If I do not take those two weeks off, I will burn out during the following season or hurt myself. Some people can easily take their two weeks "off" where they still run almost everyday, but instead of running for 80 minutes they will run for 30 mines each day. I simply cannot do this. My body is not made to recover so quickly.
Without having cross country practice everyday anymore at four o' clock for three hours, I have more time to get into the trainers room to fix the knee issues I have been having and also get some stuff done I usually am not able to do like clean my room and talk on the phone to my mother. I also get the chance to eat almost whatever I want! This is my favorite part actually!
I am a sucker for sweets, especially chocolate. Anything and everything chocolate is what I like. I also enjoy going out to eat. So for this first week I have definitely been taking advantage of this. I went to Pancheros, where I work back home, but in Waterloo. I usually get a salad or tacos, but instead I got a burrito WITH queso. Queso is fattening, but it is okay to indulge every once in awhile. Saturday, a group of friends and I went to HuHot in Ankeny after the ISU game. I got two platefuls and did not feel guilty. Afterwards, I also enjoyed myself some red velvet homemade ice cream.
Now I have to admit, I do start to feel guilty after the first week because that is when it starts to sink in that maybe I am gaining a few pounds. Every runner goes through this phase. I tend to look past it though because I need to enjoy myself these two weeks. If I don't, I get depressed throughout my training how I never get to eat the things I love the most.
The toughest part is getting back on track after the two weeks off. Your legs feel dead and huge. You feel like you have not ran a day in your life and you have to stop eating like a cow all the time! Now many people assume that "oh you run like 8 miles a day, you can eat whatever you want!" Yes we may get to eat more, but not technically anything we want. A runner has a very sensitive stomach and that is why before each race every runner is racing to the porta potties. So if runners ate whatever they want, they might not have as great of workouts or the most enjoyable runs of their life unless they like a different kind of runs if you know what I mean ;)
How Am I Surviving?
These past two weeks were probably considered the most stressful two weeks of my entire life. I know when you come to college you expect to have less class time, but more homework. I was ready for all that. What I was not ready for was getting threating emails about if I do not pay my finances for this semester off by November 15th my winter term classes will get canceled. Or the fact that I would have to work every day during the week waking up at 4:20 AM to clean the Clinton building. As an athlete, especially a runner, you need optimal sleep to recover from your workouts. If you start skimping on sleep, You're body will not recover and you will get hurt. This is what happened to me. I try so hard to stay on top of my studies, getting everything I need done each and every night. I try my hardest everyday at practice and do the best to my ability. I was so excited because I have been in contention to being an alternate for our national championship team. That is huge for a freshman! Considering I got hurt though for studying and finishing all my assignments each night and waking up super early everyday I hindered my performance and eventually hurt myself to the point where I could barely run. My knee has a sharp tingling pain and my conference meet went nothing how I hoped. I dragged myself to the finish line crying and wishing I could finish the season on a good note. If only I could have enough time to do everything so I could get enough sleep so I wouldn't get hurt. Also on top of THAT, The week before conference and this past week the financial and business off has been harassing me still with emails so I finally went in and talked to my coach balling because I know I cant afford this school and I really want to stay here and run still. I am doing the best I can. I got a job on campus so the financial aid office would take $2500 off my semester fee. I wake up every morning that early just so I can stay at this school. I work every day when I go home and all that goes to my tuition as well. All my earnings from this coming summer will be going to my tuition next year if I am still able to be enrolled here at Wartburg. Consider I don't know where I am suppose to get almost $5000 before November 15th, I also tried for a loan that would cover at least this semesters costs. After having my father tell me that he is not helping me one penny and how he showed me my whole life he has never truly been my father or never wants to even help me a little, I decided I don't need him in my life anymore. It makes me so miserable how I have to listen to my mom cry and suffer because we got denied the loan because my mother and step-dad do not make enough money to support me in this loan and my dad does upsets her. She hates my dad now because he always gets to enjoy the little and the big stuff in life while we are here suffering. After talking to a financial advisor and determining that my loan got denied the chances of me getting to stay at this school are slim. There are only a few loan choices left, but they will not cover me for the full four years here. My heart breaks into a million pieces every single day because I love it here so much and I don't mind school and cross country or working everyday as long as I get to stay here. I know how successful this school makes people and I don't want to have to suffer my whole life because I can not afford the school that I want to go to.
When I do something, I put 100% effort into it and when I struggle with all these financial issues and constant emails and pressures I cannot give 100% to my school work or cross country. I simply do not have the time at the moment and this is so difficult for me because I AM a hardworking student and I AM a hard working athlete. I know what I want and I will do whatever it takes to get that and its so difficult sometimes when you cannot handle everything at once because of stupid things like money. How come they never give the people who have a heart in something a chance. I may not be the brightest color in the Crayola box, but I sure as hell will do whatever it takes to become that bright one!
When I do something, I put 100% effort into it and when I struggle with all these financial issues and constant emails and pressures I cannot give 100% to my school work or cross country. I simply do not have the time at the moment and this is so difficult for me because I AM a hardworking student and I AM a hard working athlete. I know what I want and I will do whatever it takes to get that and its so difficult sometimes when you cannot handle everything at once because of stupid things like money. How come they never give the people who have a heart in something a chance. I may not be the brightest color in the Crayola box, but I sure as hell will do whatever it takes to become that bright one!
Sunday, November 3, 2013
The End to my XC Season
With Wartburg's Cross Country team being National runners-up last year and contending to be national champions this year it is very difficult to be on the varsity line up. As a freshman, I know I should not even consider myself to be on varsity, but growing up in a small town of Epworth, Iowa I was the number one varsity runner on the team. Coming here, I am the top JV runner. I strive to be the best I can be and my goals will not change since the season is over for me. MY freshman season may be done, but my views for track still follow. Become varsity! Running is my passion and to be anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift, as Steve Prefontaine would say.
This season was a long, but short one at that. It was just as long as it was in high school, but we have less meets. They also fall on Saturdays which in high school they were usually during the week with the exception of two we would run on Saturday mornings. Going through the season, I was potentially ranked between 9th and 10th on the team. My roommate and best friend now, Jaclyn, would be close behind me and occasionally would beat me when I fell apart during a race. There were also two senior girls, Debbie and Bekah, who would push me out of the top ten at some meets. We haven't been running our two top girls, so its difficult to see where I need to be in the top ten so I could at least be an alternate for Nationals.
With this past week starting off, my excitement soar because the conference meet was this Saturday. All my hard work and training will pay off if I just believe! Then there was the previous Sunday workout after fall break. I felt wonderful running and after the workout I felt a slight pain in my knee. I made no big deal about it, and pushed it to the back of my mind. Then the next day I woke up and could barely walk up and down the stairs with it. I took the day off and talked to coach who adjusted the rest of my workouts that week. This was a mental block because I was so ready to race at conference and be an alternate for Nationals.
Driving to Pella, Iowa for Conference on Saturday, I stayed calm and relaxed, but I knew deep down my knee was going to bother me. I brought tape to tape it up and hold my kneecap in place, but that can only do so much. My team started to do our 20 minute warm-up on the course and I followed along. I tried so hard to not think about the pain, however it crept into my mind every second. Starting the race, I went out with two girls that are usually way ahead of me. I felt so good and my body felt so great except for my knee. Then there were the down hills. One of my teammates told me to use the downhill and I tried but the pounding on my knee grew bigger. I slowly started fading after the first mile and started feeling sorry for myself. Why did I put myself through this? I stopped a couple times, planning on just dropping our of the race, but my coach would not let me. He said I was finishing this race no matter what! I limped in pain and cried myself to the finish line nearly a minute slower than my race personal record.
People knew what was wrong from the moment I crossed the finish line and teammates came over to help me. They encouraged me that I will be okay and that I just needed rest and recover so my knee could heal, but as a competitor, that is the last thing I would like to hear. I want to be the best and when my injuries come at the most inconvenient times, its so hard on my mind. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that it is only my freshman year. Even though I will not be an alternate for this years team, I am planning on scoring for the team next year because I am one tough cookie:)
This season was a long, but short one at that. It was just as long as it was in high school, but we have less meets. They also fall on Saturdays which in high school they were usually during the week with the exception of two we would run on Saturday mornings. Going through the season, I was potentially ranked between 9th and 10th on the team. My roommate and best friend now, Jaclyn, would be close behind me and occasionally would beat me when I fell apart during a race. There were also two senior girls, Debbie and Bekah, who would push me out of the top ten at some meets. We haven't been running our two top girls, so its difficult to see where I need to be in the top ten so I could at least be an alternate for Nationals.
With this past week starting off, my excitement soar because the conference meet was this Saturday. All my hard work and training will pay off if I just believe! Then there was the previous Sunday workout after fall break. I felt wonderful running and after the workout I felt a slight pain in my knee. I made no big deal about it, and pushed it to the back of my mind. Then the next day I woke up and could barely walk up and down the stairs with it. I took the day off and talked to coach who adjusted the rest of my workouts that week. This was a mental block because I was so ready to race at conference and be an alternate for Nationals.
Driving to Pella, Iowa for Conference on Saturday, I stayed calm and relaxed, but I knew deep down my knee was going to bother me. I brought tape to tape it up and hold my kneecap in place, but that can only do so much. My team started to do our 20 minute warm-up on the course and I followed along. I tried so hard to not think about the pain, however it crept into my mind every second. Starting the race, I went out with two girls that are usually way ahead of me. I felt so good and my body felt so great except for my knee. Then there were the down hills. One of my teammates told me to use the downhill and I tried but the pounding on my knee grew bigger. I slowly started fading after the first mile and started feeling sorry for myself. Why did I put myself through this? I stopped a couple times, planning on just dropping our of the race, but my coach would not let me. He said I was finishing this race no matter what! I limped in pain and cried myself to the finish line nearly a minute slower than my race personal record.
People knew what was wrong from the moment I crossed the finish line and teammates came over to help me. They encouraged me that I will be okay and that I just needed rest and recover so my knee could heal, but as a competitor, that is the last thing I would like to hear. I want to be the best and when my injuries come at the most inconvenient times, its so hard on my mind. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that it is only my freshman year. Even though I will not be an alternate for this years team, I am planning on scoring for the team next year because I am one tough cookie:)
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Injuries
Why am I so prone to injuries? I do not know. I hate it though I can tell you that! This season I wanted to come into cross country injury-free, but also stay injury free too because the season is longer and more high mileage base. All my injuries from running come at the most inconvenient times and they usually are not small injuries. My sophomore year of high school I qualified for the Drake Relays, which is very prestige, and ran the fastest I ever have. After my first race though I felt a pain in my right heel. I ran my second race and also PRed. After my race though I went for a cool down and could barely walk. I told my coach and he didn't understand. We had a meet two days after Drake and I knew if I could barely walk, I would not be able to race on Monday. I took that Sunday off and came into Monday's race unprepared and feeling extremely stiff in my heel. I told my coach and he said, "We will run the first race and see how it is." He obviously did not see me balling my eyes out on the warm up because it hurt so bad. I told him I shouldn't and he disagreed telling me to "Man up". I ended up tearing a small muscle in my heel that was very rare.
This season here at Wartburg my number one goal was to stay healthy because I am in contention of being an alternate for the regional meet and Nationals. With me healthy, I race strong and fierce, but the moment I get hurt it is not a good sign because my injuries are never quick ones to recover from. This is the week of conference and with all good workouts under my belt I wanted to have a good race this Saturday. After Sunday's tempo run on River Road though I felt a slight pain in my left knee cap. I didn't think anything of it until I could barely walk up the three flights of stairs in our dorm building without pain. I took Monday off and this whole week it looks like I will be cross training until the race. I hope this is a good thing and helps get my legs under me a little bit so I feel refreshed. I don't know what will happen, but I sure hope it is a good outcome!
This season here at Wartburg my number one goal was to stay healthy because I am in contention of being an alternate for the regional meet and Nationals. With me healthy, I race strong and fierce, but the moment I get hurt it is not a good sign because my injuries are never quick ones to recover from. This is the week of conference and with all good workouts under my belt I wanted to have a good race this Saturday. After Sunday's tempo run on River Road though I felt a slight pain in my left knee cap. I didn't think anything of it until I could barely walk up the three flights of stairs in our dorm building without pain. I took Monday off and this whole week it looks like I will be cross training until the race. I hope this is a good thing and helps get my legs under me a little bit so I feel refreshed. I don't know what will happen, but I sure hope it is a good outcome!
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
IS Workshops
Both of these workshops were brief and quick so I decided I will write about both of them to make this blog just a little bit longer. My first workshop was about vocation. I have always had trouble about choosing a career and if there is something I would enjoy it isn't a job really at all. An example would be running, hiking, kayaking, etc. TJ Warren stated that 40% of all students come into college undecided. Then he asked questions like "What will your verse be?". He said students need to find a calling- a mix between what they are passionate about and what the community and world need. To find your calling, you need to ask questions to yourself like, what did I want to be when I grow up? It takes a great deal of self reflection.
My second workshop was financial literacy and this was pretty much about making a budget for first year planning in college. The lady said that you need to incorporate things like time management, choosing a major, selecting the opportunities you would like to take in college such as internships, studying abroad, and Wartburg West into your budget. She mentioned things on financialliteracy101.org that could help students establish a budget each month. There is also information about choosing a bank, avoiding fees and credit card applications, watching your credit score, financial aid information, and understanding education loans. If I could change something about these workshops it would be that they would last longer. I liked the information, but I honestly felt like I got nothing out of them because they were so quick and to the point.
My second workshop was financial literacy and this was pretty much about making a budget for first year planning in college. The lady said that you need to incorporate things like time management, choosing a major, selecting the opportunities you would like to take in college such as internships, studying abroad, and Wartburg West into your budget. She mentioned things on financialliteracy101.org that could help students establish a budget each month. There is also information about choosing a bank, avoiding fees and credit card applications, watching your credit score, financial aid information, and understanding education loans. If I could change something about these workshops it would be that they would last longer. I liked the information, but I honestly felt like I got nothing out of them because they were so quick and to the point.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
MIssing Home
I could not be more happy to be going home this coming Thursday to see my family. Before I left for college I knew I would be sad and upset and would miss my family, friends, and dogs tremendously, but when I got on campus I wasn't as homesick as I thought I would be. With my mom being my best friend ever since freshman year of high school, I miss her the most because she keeps me sane and keeps me happy. She can always put a smile on my face and make me laugh even in the worst situations. Even though she struggles with some stressful things in her life all the time, she still is my best friend because we keep each other accountable. I keep her accountable on exercising every day because that's what helps her anxiety go down and makes her a happy camper and she keeps me accountable for making smart choices and getting my work done on time. We have a good thing going.
I miss my middle sister Chloe because she is so wild! She is 12 years old and full of life. She keeps me young and on my feet and reminds me why I need to have a healthy relationship with her. Even though we bicker and she likes to pick on me, we are becoming closer and closer sisters ever since I came to college. Recently, she texted me from her IPod saying how she misses me and how she cant wait for me to come home. It's nice to know that I am missed by her because sometimes it feels like the total opposite when I was home before college.
I miss my dogs Maggie, Sophie, and Roo. Sophie is a Boxer and is the youngest of the three. She is six years old. Roo is a Jack Russell Terrier and is eight years old. Maggie is a black Pug and she is also eight years old. Maggie is my baby and I miss having her cuddled up by my side every night. I miss the fact that every time I would say I am going somewhere, all the dogs would get excited because they would want to go in the car with me. When I would let them ride along in the car with me, Maggie would bark at the water tower every single time we passed it because she was scared of it. Or how excited Maggie would get when I would tell her we are going on a walk because she loves exercise so much, even though she is so fat. These dogs mean a lot to me because they make life more wonderful than it already is.
I miss Oksana, my one year old sister, because she is so little of course! I feel like I am missing everything while I am here! She is almost walking and is getting bigger and bigger every time I see her. I always feel that one day she will forget me because I have been gone so long, but once I go home she knows exactly who I am by the little things I do when I play with her. She really enjoys playing peak-a-boo or when I make funny faces and sounds. Everyone around when we are together says how much Oksana looks like me and I hope she does! I hope even though there is a 17 year difference between us that I can be special in her life.
I miss my friends back home too. Well really just one. His name is Dallas and he goes to UW-Plattville now. He was the only person that ever truly stayed my friend through thick and thin. This past weekend, I got to see him at our cross country meet in Lacrosse, Wisconsin. I feel like I haven't seen him in ages and I was very happy I got the chance to. In high school, he was my running and cross training buddy( he got me into trying a triathlon next summer). We are also in Venture Crew together. Venture Crew is a co-ed scout group for older kids in which we take big trips and little trips and do adventurous, crazy fun things together. This coming summer we are going to Washington for 13 days to go back packing and hiking and camping.
Even with missing the most precious things in my life, I know I made a good decision into coming to Wartburg for college. It makes me appreciate coming home more and the little things my mom and family does for me. I never thought I would miss back home like I do now, but I am happy that I can look forward to coming home.
I miss my middle sister Chloe because she is so wild! She is 12 years old and full of life. She keeps me young and on my feet and reminds me why I need to have a healthy relationship with her. Even though we bicker and she likes to pick on me, we are becoming closer and closer sisters ever since I came to college. Recently, she texted me from her IPod saying how she misses me and how she cant wait for me to come home. It's nice to know that I am missed by her because sometimes it feels like the total opposite when I was home before college.
I miss my dogs Maggie, Sophie, and Roo. Sophie is a Boxer and is the youngest of the three. She is six years old. Roo is a Jack Russell Terrier and is eight years old. Maggie is a black Pug and she is also eight years old. Maggie is my baby and I miss having her cuddled up by my side every night. I miss the fact that every time I would say I am going somewhere, all the dogs would get excited because they would want to go in the car with me. When I would let them ride along in the car with me, Maggie would bark at the water tower every single time we passed it because she was scared of it. Or how excited Maggie would get when I would tell her we are going on a walk because she loves exercise so much, even though she is so fat. These dogs mean a lot to me because they make life more wonderful than it already is.
I miss Oksana, my one year old sister, because she is so little of course! I feel like I am missing everything while I am here! She is almost walking and is getting bigger and bigger every time I see her. I always feel that one day she will forget me because I have been gone so long, but once I go home she knows exactly who I am by the little things I do when I play with her. She really enjoys playing peak-a-boo or when I make funny faces and sounds. Everyone around when we are together says how much Oksana looks like me and I hope she does! I hope even though there is a 17 year difference between us that I can be special in her life.
I miss my friends back home too. Well really just one. His name is Dallas and he goes to UW-Plattville now. He was the only person that ever truly stayed my friend through thick and thin. This past weekend, I got to see him at our cross country meet in Lacrosse, Wisconsin. I feel like I haven't seen him in ages and I was very happy I got the chance to. In high school, he was my running and cross training buddy( he got me into trying a triathlon next summer). We are also in Venture Crew together. Venture Crew is a co-ed scout group for older kids in which we take big trips and little trips and do adventurous, crazy fun things together. This coming summer we are going to Washington for 13 days to go back packing and hiking and camping.
Even with missing the most precious things in my life, I know I made a good decision into coming to Wartburg for college. It makes me appreciate coming home more and the little things my mom and family does for me. I never thought I would miss back home like I do now, but I am happy that I can look forward to coming home.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
My Senior Year
Coming into my senior year of high school, I was ready to take on the world. I knew I wanted to be good in cross country and keep my grades high. I wanted to stay in show choir one last year and do my best in everything I did. My close group of friends were not nearly as close as they use to be because my best friend, Abby, got a boyfriend and would spend most of her time with him. My other friend, Megan, got on my nerves a lot because every single thing I would share with her or tell her, she had to "one up" me. My other friend, Mary, who was in show choir with me also got a boyfriend and would spend all her time with him or her wannabe friends.
The thing that bothered me the most about all my friends disappearing was that I tried all I could to make things work. Even with a busy schedule and a boyfriend at the time, I still put every effort into spending a day on the weekend with them, but they just were "too busy". I questioned what was wrong with me and what I was doing that was so bad that they did not want to be friends with me and I put myself down constantly.
It all started in the summer when Abby and I went on a 13 day trip to Yosemite National Park, in California. It was with our Venture Crew group and we went backpacking, hiking, canoeing, and camping there. On the last day of our trip, we took vans out to Santa Cruz beach where we spent the day. We were all playing in the sand and water and having a good time and just as Abby always is, tried to skin board for the first time. In the end, she was hospitalized and a couple hours later came back with a broken fibula. She would not be running for a good eight weeks. That would put her at the beginning of August when our cross country team first starts practice. It was not that big of a deal at the time because I thought she would put in some good training the moment she got the cast off.
When August came around, Abby showed up to few cross country practices. She said she had a lot going on and work was hectic. I believed her and told her that she should probably be running on her own or doing some kind of cross training. We were both team captains and had to set good examples for the team. When Abby finally came around to practice she was out of shape, obviously, but would not try in some of our easiest workouts. When school started, Abby always struggled in math and Spanish. At our high school, we had a study table twice a week where after school you would get help in your subject needed. Abby started missing many practices because she was going to study table. She would not tell coach and as I would be doing my warm-up I would see her leaving with her boyfriend, Andy, in his truck right after school. She never went to study table.
I was furious and upset all at the same time because my best friend of almost six years was lying to me and not doing her best to get back into shape to be the number two runner again on our team. We needed her and she let our whole team down. I tried calling her and texting her many times and soon enough she turned Megan against me. I tried again and again asking if she could talk to me or spend the night one weekend so we could talk about all that's going on. I got rejected every time. After my last try, I started hearing rumors about me being obsessed with Abby and how I wanted to spend all my time with her because I was in love with her. I wanted to be just like her apparently. I was not only appalled about how she was spreading rumors, but the fact that she said all that about me, her best friend.
I went home early that day she said all those mean things because I couldn't stand all the dirty looks I was getting in the hallway. All I wanted was the old Abby back who would help her team and coach get to the State Meet again. I cried when I got home to my mom because I have never felt so alone. All I had was Cody(my boyfriend) and my family. I would go to school alone, walk alone in the hallways, and I started going home everyday for lunch because I would have no one to sit by.
Everything was a total blur after the Abby incident. I ended up getting hurt in cross country half way through the season and ended the season not qualifying for the State Meet. I was so upset and frustrated that I hung my head in shame. School was harder than ever with Composition, Anatomy, Stats, Spanish and Cultures through Literature every single day. I always had something going on. In the winter, I had show choir every weekend and Monday nights were rehearsal. Also, that is when I was having major problems with Cody. We were constantly fighting. Cody and I were on and off for our high school careers. We ended up breaking up in February and he left me with nobody to talk to but my mother.
When Track came around, the weather was so bad that almost one-third of our meets were canceled or a rescheduled meet at a smaller school would be available with limited competition in the longer races. I ended up not being able to break any of my personal records because I never got the chance. To make matters worse, in March I lost the most influential person in my life, my grandpa Dean. He had dementia for the past seven years we just didn't know when it would get to its worst. My mother and grandmother were an emotional wreck and I did not know what to do.
I qualified for the State Track Meet one last time in the 4x800m and the 1500m. We were 4A my senior year, so it was very difficult to qualify for state. I was seeded last going into the 1500m, but I did not finish last! Even with so many difficult, terrible things happening in my life all in one year, I'm glad I got to end it on a good note and coming to a school far away from my high school was a wonderful decision of mine.
The thing that bothered me the most about all my friends disappearing was that I tried all I could to make things work. Even with a busy schedule and a boyfriend at the time, I still put every effort into spending a day on the weekend with them, but they just were "too busy". I questioned what was wrong with me and what I was doing that was so bad that they did not want to be friends with me and I put myself down constantly.
It all started in the summer when Abby and I went on a 13 day trip to Yosemite National Park, in California. It was with our Venture Crew group and we went backpacking, hiking, canoeing, and camping there. On the last day of our trip, we took vans out to Santa Cruz beach where we spent the day. We were all playing in the sand and water and having a good time and just as Abby always is, tried to skin board for the first time. In the end, she was hospitalized and a couple hours later came back with a broken fibula. She would not be running for a good eight weeks. That would put her at the beginning of August when our cross country team first starts practice. It was not that big of a deal at the time because I thought she would put in some good training the moment she got the cast off.
When August came around, Abby showed up to few cross country practices. She said she had a lot going on and work was hectic. I believed her and told her that she should probably be running on her own or doing some kind of cross training. We were both team captains and had to set good examples for the team. When Abby finally came around to practice she was out of shape, obviously, but would not try in some of our easiest workouts. When school started, Abby always struggled in math and Spanish. At our high school, we had a study table twice a week where after school you would get help in your subject needed. Abby started missing many practices because she was going to study table. She would not tell coach and as I would be doing my warm-up I would see her leaving with her boyfriend, Andy, in his truck right after school. She never went to study table.
I was furious and upset all at the same time because my best friend of almost six years was lying to me and not doing her best to get back into shape to be the number two runner again on our team. We needed her and she let our whole team down. I tried calling her and texting her many times and soon enough she turned Megan against me. I tried again and again asking if she could talk to me or spend the night one weekend so we could talk about all that's going on. I got rejected every time. After my last try, I started hearing rumors about me being obsessed with Abby and how I wanted to spend all my time with her because I was in love with her. I wanted to be just like her apparently. I was not only appalled about how she was spreading rumors, but the fact that she said all that about me, her best friend.
I went home early that day she said all those mean things because I couldn't stand all the dirty looks I was getting in the hallway. All I wanted was the old Abby back who would help her team and coach get to the State Meet again. I cried when I got home to my mom because I have never felt so alone. All I had was Cody(my boyfriend) and my family. I would go to school alone, walk alone in the hallways, and I started going home everyday for lunch because I would have no one to sit by.
Everything was a total blur after the Abby incident. I ended up getting hurt in cross country half way through the season and ended the season not qualifying for the State Meet. I was so upset and frustrated that I hung my head in shame. School was harder than ever with Composition, Anatomy, Stats, Spanish and Cultures through Literature every single day. I always had something going on. In the winter, I had show choir every weekend and Monday nights were rehearsal. Also, that is when I was having major problems with Cody. We were constantly fighting. Cody and I were on and off for our high school careers. We ended up breaking up in February and he left me with nobody to talk to but my mother.
When Track came around, the weather was so bad that almost one-third of our meets were canceled or a rescheduled meet at a smaller school would be available with limited competition in the longer races. I ended up not being able to break any of my personal records because I never got the chance. To make matters worse, in March I lost the most influential person in my life, my grandpa Dean. He had dementia for the past seven years we just didn't know when it would get to its worst. My mother and grandmother were an emotional wreck and I did not know what to do.
I qualified for the State Track Meet one last time in the 4x800m and the 1500m. We were 4A my senior year, so it was very difficult to qualify for state. I was seeded last going into the 1500m, but I did not finish last! Even with so many difficult, terrible things happening in my life all in one year, I'm glad I got to end it on a good note and coming to a school far away from my high school was a wonderful decision of mine.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Running:)
When I was in six grade I moved to the small town of Epworth, Iowa where I had to make all new friends and start my life over in a big school. My first friend I met was Megan Rauen. We became close and she was welcoming and committed to getting me out for cross country the following year. At the time, I had no idea what cross country was. At my old school, when the announcements were said over the intercom that cross country practice would be cancelled for the night or where the meet was I thought that the team literally ran across the country! I had no idea it was just a two mile race and if I trained right, I could run that far...right?
So when seventh grade started, Megan persuaded me to go out for the sport. I did not train at all in the summer, but thought that I could train throughout the season. Seventh grade cross country racing did not go too well for me. In middle school there are only a few cross country races per season and most of the seventh grade season I spent walking the meets. I would go out with Megan and we would get tired so we would walk up the hills. Every single race I got third to last and beat Megan to the finish line.
When track season came around, I knew I would enjoy it more because it was all flat and everyone would be around to cheer me on and motivate me. I ran the 1500m and a couple 800s, but none of my times were impressive enough to be good for high school. When eighth grade came around, I got my best friend at the time, Abby, to go out for cross country. She was a strong shorter girl and didn't train like me. I figured we would run together in the meets. Once the season started, Abby and I would run the whole race and talk, but every single race to the finish line she would outkick me to the finish. I got so upset because I felt I wasn't good enough. So over the winter I put in some miles for track season and prepared myself for a better time.
As eighth grade track came along, my 1500m times got faster and so did my 800s. My 4x800m team broke a meet record with a time of 11 minutes flat. At the time, this was very fast for middle schoolers and we were very proud of out accomplishments. I knew if I just put a little bit more training in, I could be a good runner.
The summer before freshman year I realized I probably should lose a little weight if I wanted to be fast in high school. I ran 2-3 miles almost everyday and did abs all the time. I lost around 10-15 pounds and the start of my freshman year I was stuck between the number one and number two varsity runner on the team. My hard work was starting to pay off and I realized that once I get serious in this sport, I love competing and seeing how hard I can push myself.
The summer before my sophomore year I put in a ton more miles and lifted while taking care of my body. When the season came to a start, I proved to myself that if I train like a beast, I can race like one too. This was my fastest year because every meet I surprised myself of how good I could be. I got the fastest high school girls 4k time of 14:36 and qualified an individual berth to the state meet! The meet that I ran the fastest 4k time ever, Megan came up to me after our race grabbed my hands and said, "When you qualify for the Olympics you better tell everyone that if your friend Megan didn't get you to go out for cross country, you wouldn't be this stud athlete that you are today." I smiled gave her a hug and felt amazing inside for having someone to inspire, but also a friend who was willing to get me to go out for a sport I never thought I would be good at.
So when seventh grade started, Megan persuaded me to go out for the sport. I did not train at all in the summer, but thought that I could train throughout the season. Seventh grade cross country racing did not go too well for me. In middle school there are only a few cross country races per season and most of the seventh grade season I spent walking the meets. I would go out with Megan and we would get tired so we would walk up the hills. Every single race I got third to last and beat Megan to the finish line.
When track season came around, I knew I would enjoy it more because it was all flat and everyone would be around to cheer me on and motivate me. I ran the 1500m and a couple 800s, but none of my times were impressive enough to be good for high school. When eighth grade came around, I got my best friend at the time, Abby, to go out for cross country. She was a strong shorter girl and didn't train like me. I figured we would run together in the meets. Once the season started, Abby and I would run the whole race and talk, but every single race to the finish line she would outkick me to the finish. I got so upset because I felt I wasn't good enough. So over the winter I put in some miles for track season and prepared myself for a better time.
As eighth grade track came along, my 1500m times got faster and so did my 800s. My 4x800m team broke a meet record with a time of 11 minutes flat. At the time, this was very fast for middle schoolers and we were very proud of out accomplishments. I knew if I just put a little bit more training in, I could be a good runner.
The summer before freshman year I realized I probably should lose a little weight if I wanted to be fast in high school. I ran 2-3 miles almost everyday and did abs all the time. I lost around 10-15 pounds and the start of my freshman year I was stuck between the number one and number two varsity runner on the team. My hard work was starting to pay off and I realized that once I get serious in this sport, I love competing and seeing how hard I can push myself.
The summer before my sophomore year I put in a ton more miles and lifted while taking care of my body. When the season came to a start, I proved to myself that if I train like a beast, I can race like one too. This was my fastest year because every meet I surprised myself of how good I could be. I got the fastest high school girls 4k time of 14:36 and qualified an individual berth to the state meet! The meet that I ran the fastest 4k time ever, Megan came up to me after our race grabbed my hands and said, "When you qualify for the Olympics you better tell everyone that if your friend Megan didn't get you to go out for cross country, you wouldn't be this stud athlete that you are today." I smiled gave her a hug and felt amazing inside for having someone to inspire, but also a friend who was willing to get me to go out for a sport I never thought I would be good at.
My Future Plans
Only being a freshman, I realize I do not know what I want to do with my life. In high school teachers drilled in your minds that you have to know what you want to do with you life right now or you are going to be screwed. I do not believe in that concept. I take things day by day and believe there is a right path for everyone you just have to be patient for it. Even though I don't know what I want to do for the rest of my life, I do have a dream plan to one day accomplish.
After finishing my degree here at Wartburg college, I plan on moving to Colorado, hoping I have a job out there waiting for me, and living in a small cottage upon a mountain with a town maybe 15-20 miles away. I want to own two, white huskies with bright blue eyes so they can run with me. I also want to either live by trails or blaze my own trails for running. I love the outdoors and anywhere I can run that is more scenic than Iowa, I will take it!
I hope to be married someday and I am not entirely sure if I want kids or not when I am older . I think someday I might, but as of right now I want to be financial ready and emotionally ready for that big step in my life. I hope my husband is a runner too, but I will not disapprove if he is not. An athlete though, yes that is a must!
For my career, I hope to either be a school counselor and coaching cross country at a high school around where I live. If I cannot find a job like that, I hope I could start my own business and become a trainer/nutritionist. I enjoy all aspects of exercise and helping others reach their goal is a big achievement for me as well. I love helping people get to the top!
As I get older and have a little bit more money around, I hope to take a service trip to Africa. It has always been a dream of mine to go there and I hope one day I get the chance. Another big goal of mine is to run a half marathon or marathon in every state. I have ran plenty of road races in my life and a few half marathons, but never a full. And for one very special trip, I want to travel to Oregon where they have one of the biggest ultra-marathons. I am pretty sure it is 50-70 miles. If I accomplish that goal, I know I can do anything!
I know everyone's life doesn't go as planned, but if I can enjoy a few of these things in my life I will be satisfied:)
After finishing my degree here at Wartburg college, I plan on moving to Colorado, hoping I have a job out there waiting for me, and living in a small cottage upon a mountain with a town maybe 15-20 miles away. I want to own two, white huskies with bright blue eyes so they can run with me. I also want to either live by trails or blaze my own trails for running. I love the outdoors and anywhere I can run that is more scenic than Iowa, I will take it!
I hope to be married someday and I am not entirely sure if I want kids or not when I am older . I think someday I might, but as of right now I want to be financial ready and emotionally ready for that big step in my life. I hope my husband is a runner too, but I will not disapprove if he is not. An athlete though, yes that is a must!
For my career, I hope to either be a school counselor and coaching cross country at a high school around where I live. If I cannot find a job like that, I hope I could start my own business and become a trainer/nutritionist. I enjoy all aspects of exercise and helping others reach their goal is a big achievement for me as well. I love helping people get to the top!
As I get older and have a little bit more money around, I hope to take a service trip to Africa. It has always been a dream of mine to go there and I hope one day I get the chance. Another big goal of mine is to run a half marathon or marathon in every state. I have ran plenty of road races in my life and a few half marathons, but never a full. And for one very special trip, I want to travel to Oregon where they have one of the biggest ultra-marathons. I am pretty sure it is 50-70 miles. If I accomplish that goal, I know I can do anything!
I know everyone's life doesn't go as planned, but if I can enjoy a few of these things in my life I will be satisfied:)
My Sweet Memories
Growing up, I was never the girl with the expensive outfits and the prettiest face. I did not have the brand new shoes or the cool new phone in middle school. I didn't even have an IPod to listen to while sitting in the seat on my hour and a half bus ride to Maquoketa. I stared out the window and just thought. I thrived on imagination and dreamed of a better tomorrow.My hair was frizzy most days from the wind blowing in my hair walking to the bus stop each morning with my best friend at the time, Nathan. This one boy right here was the one who didn't care about what I looked like or how shy I was. Nathan was my best friend growing up. He was a sweet farm boy who was 3 years older than me. At the time, that did not matter because Nathan and I were the only kids in the small town of Zwingle, Iowa.
Each and every day, Nathan would come pick me up before walking to the bus stop. He had his Wrangler jeans on and his flannel that he buttoned all the way up. I think back to these days with Nathan because these were the days where a true friend has actually been in my life. A true friend who cared, loved, and took care of me. We were each others shoulder to lean on when things got us down.
Nathan and I's adventures together were different than most. Zwingle obtained multiple "weird" people and we would gossip about how they were witches and such. One lady in particular was named Deborah. Her white cottage with a large, fenced-in yard fit her personality. She was full of life, but also a little crazy at the same time. She had mini horses, dogs, snakes, chickens, turtles, birds, and other creatures that scattered her yard and home. These animals were her family. Nathan and I would occasional go visit her and feed the animals, but other than that we would stay away.
Nathan and I would sometimes ride our bikes down to the post office where a creek streamed by under a bridge. We climbed down the broken rocks to get to the water and search for frogs, water bugs, snakes, and spiders. I was always too scared to touch them, but Nathan wouldn't mind. In the summertime, we would ride our bikes all around town racing each other down each street. In the winter we would tube and sled down my neighbor, Hazel's, yard. Nathan lived on a farm and had chicken and geese, so occasionally I got the chance to feed them and run around trying to catch the babies when they were born. Nathan always knew what to do to brighten my day and make me feel important in someone's life.
Today I look back and wish that one day I could relive those memories because they were one of the greatest treasures of my life. I don't really know where Nathan is anymore or what he is doing with his life, but I hope he is like me and sometimes looks back to see what a wonderful friendship him and I had.
Each and every day, Nathan would come pick me up before walking to the bus stop. He had his Wrangler jeans on and his flannel that he buttoned all the way up. I think back to these days with Nathan because these were the days where a true friend has actually been in my life. A true friend who cared, loved, and took care of me. We were each others shoulder to lean on when things got us down.
Nathan and I's adventures together were different than most. Zwingle obtained multiple "weird" people and we would gossip about how they were witches and such. One lady in particular was named Deborah. Her white cottage with a large, fenced-in yard fit her personality. She was full of life, but also a little crazy at the same time. She had mini horses, dogs, snakes, chickens, turtles, birds, and other creatures that scattered her yard and home. These animals were her family. Nathan and I would occasional go visit her and feed the animals, but other than that we would stay away.
Nathan and I would sometimes ride our bikes down to the post office where a creek streamed by under a bridge. We climbed down the broken rocks to get to the water and search for frogs, water bugs, snakes, and spiders. I was always too scared to touch them, but Nathan wouldn't mind. In the summertime, we would ride our bikes all around town racing each other down each street. In the winter we would tube and sled down my neighbor, Hazel's, yard. Nathan lived on a farm and had chicken and geese, so occasionally I got the chance to feed them and run around trying to catch the babies when they were born. Nathan always knew what to do to brighten my day and make me feel important in someone's life.
Today I look back and wish that one day I could relive those memories because they were one of the greatest treasures of my life. I don't really know where Nathan is anymore or what he is doing with his life, but I hope he is like me and sometimes looks back to see what a wonderful friendship him and I had.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Steve Jobs's Commencement Speech
I was so interested when reading this short passage from Steve Jobs. He seems like a real inspiration and people would think someone so successful never went through such a traumatic college experience as Steve did. Many people probably don't know that he was a college drop out or the fact that his biological parents were going to give him up for adoption. His drive and willingness to stay patient and humble through his rough patches in life makes him a true inspiration. I also really enjoyed the fact that he shared 3 stories and not made one long one. It kept things interesting and kept me wanting to read more. The fact that he got fired from Apple was incredible too because he just came up with something much better later, Pixar. His story was a true inspiration for all college students.
My family
To start off, my family is the utmost important thing in my life. My mother became my best friend at the start of my high school career and still is to this day. Her name is Jaime, spelt with the i before m. She is one of the strongest individuals I know and I look up to her so much. She is 37 years old and works with my stepdad within his own company. I've known my stepdad, Mike, for about 11 years and he has taken the spot of my dad ever since he came into my life. In January 2012, My mom and Mike got married and now we have a new addition to our family. Her name is Oksana Marii and she is the cutest thing I have ever seen. She will be one year old on the 28th and I wish I could celebrate with her on her birthday, but we have a cross country meet in Minnesota that weekend. I also have a 12 year old sister name Chloe. She has bright blond hair like me, but her luscious locks are curly and crazy. She is one to pick a fight and she knows how to press my buttons, but I will always love her to death. This makes up my wonderful family back home in Epworth and I can't wait to see them soon:)
Miles upon Miles
Traveling in a Dodge truck with my stepdad, Mike, in the driver's seat, I am looking across the mountains of the Rockies as we drive out of Denver, Colorado. We are headed on our way to pick up a Volkswagen GTI in California, but we made it into a vacation as well. Mike works on Volkswagens at his shop and owns his own company, so whenever I get the chance to travel with him, I jump on that opportunity. I love nature and just having the music up and the wind blowing through my hair as I roll the window down. I feel calm and myself once again. I miss these days.
These were the days where I felt nothing but the chill of the air. I felt no worries of my family, of my friends, of guys who would soon come in and out of my life. I felt no pain. As the sun goes down, I would set down my book and put my headphones in. I would sing along to Jack Johnson and stare outside my window wondering how God made this world so beautiful. Even though there was many moments of silence with Mike in the truck, It was never awkward because we both enjoyed the silence just as much.
When we finally arrived in California the next day, we drove into Yosemite National Park and received our permits to climb half dome that week. As we set up our tent and started a fire I started cooking dinner. The smell of the fire and the rustle of the trees swaying together reminded me why I love nature and traveling so much. It gave me a sense of understanding why I am here today. I hope one day I get to experience all these amazing feelings again.
These were the days where I felt nothing but the chill of the air. I felt no worries of my family, of my friends, of guys who would soon come in and out of my life. I felt no pain. As the sun goes down, I would set down my book and put my headphones in. I would sing along to Jack Johnson and stare outside my window wondering how God made this world so beautiful. Even though there was many moments of silence with Mike in the truck, It was never awkward because we both enjoyed the silence just as much.
When we finally arrived in California the next day, we drove into Yosemite National Park and received our permits to climb half dome that week. As we set up our tent and started a fire I started cooking dinner. The smell of the fire and the rustle of the trees swaying together reminded me why I love nature and traveling so much. It gave me a sense of understanding why I am here today. I hope one day I get to experience all these amazing feelings again.
Differences
The differences between college and high school are very extreme! First off, when you are still in high school and you hear about how in college you receive a ton of homework and you are stressed all the time. Well let me tell you, that is exactly what it is! Professors give you so much homework that you barely have time to sit and think sometimes. I barely have a social life because all I do is homework, study, read , and more reading. Second, in college you do get a lot more free time. Usually though, you would think you could take a nap or do something fun. Well you will be doing your homework so get ready. The thing I do enjoy about college though is take I don't have to spend 7 hours a day in a classroom like I did in high school. Yes I am doing homework, but in the comfort of my own dorm room or in the library with a cappuccino in my hand.
College is definitely a new experience, but a positive one at that. You get to work more individually on your homework, you get more freedom, you get quality mensa food you do not have to cook yourself! These are some of the many reasons why I love college more than high school.
College is definitely a new experience, but a positive one at that. You get to work more individually on your homework, you get more freedom, you get quality mensa food you do not have to cook yourself! These are some of the many reasons why I love college more than high school.
Mike Dilbeck's Convocation
When I first saw Mike Dilbeck and his topic of bullying I was thinking " Oh great another one of these speeches". I wasn't saying this in a bad way, but the fact that millions of thoughts flooded into my mind about my sister. My sister, Chloe, is 12 years old and full of life. She is energetic and fun loving. She has the biggest heart and loves to play with others. One thing Chloe struggles with is ADD. This is a big issue for her social life because she doesn't know how to properly communicate with other kids in an appropriate manner. If she sees some girl she wants to be friends with doing something bad, she will do it also.
I hate seeing people pick on my younger sister because I know deep inside she doesn't mean any harm . She is confused on how to socialize and she is scared to talk to people. When she shows her inner personality though she is so care-free and loving, but nobody ever gives her the chance. I hope she never has to go through the struggles of having no friends like I did my senior year when she reaches high school. I never want to see her in pain and feel the way I felt.
I hate seeing people pick on my younger sister because I know deep inside she doesn't mean any harm . She is confused on how to socialize and she is scared to talk to people. When she shows her inner personality though she is so care-free and loving, but nobody ever gives her the chance. I hope she never has to go through the struggles of having no friends like I did my senior year when she reaches high school. I never want to see her in pain and feel the way I felt.
Weekend Fun:)
Having two of my four classes on this past Friday being canceled, I finally received the opportunity to relax for a couple days and recoup from the stressful week. I woke up early for Religion 101 at 7:45 with Dr. Bouzard. Before class, my roommate, Jaclyn, and I went to breakfast in the Mensa. Usually right after Dr. Bouzard class I go straight to Social Work 101 at 9 a.m., but with class being canceled I planned on taking a nap. I was so happy already during the day that after my first class I was not even tired! I cleaned our whole room and reorganized everything. Our room is pretty nifty.
Later on in the day at 2:30, I had Oral Communications, but Friday we were suppose to meet in the library for a lesson by one of the librarians. That only took half an hour and then we were done! I walked over to the W to get ready for my run. Usually we have Friday practice, but because we did not have a meet this past weekend we have practice Sunday instead of Friday. My day on Friday also got extremely better because I was already at high mileage for the week so I only had to run four miles total that day! That is nothing for me anymore! I met Jaclyn in the locker room and her and I and a couple other teammates went on a nice easy run.
My Friday ended on a perfect note with a date with a guy I have been talking to lately. His name is Joshua and he is a sweetheart. We went to DQ for some ice cream then took a little walk around Waverly before our movie at 9:50. We went to the movie prisoners and it was exceptionally long, but it was definitely a thriller to see.
On Saturday, Jaclyn and I drove to Pocahontas to watch her sister, who is a sophomore in high school, run in a cross country meet. It was exciting to see high school races again, but the meet was smaller than what I was use to running in in high school. Afterwards, Jaclyn's mother, grandmother, and her and I went to Sport's Page where we ate these amazing Mexican chicken sandwiches. After that we drove to the apple orchard where Jaclyn and I split an apple dumpling and looked around at the gift shop in Fort Dodge.
We drove back around 4 and when we got back I went to Josh's to watch a movie and hang out. I ended up falling asleep because I was exhausted from the long day! I'm glad I got my full 8 hours of sleep this past night because today for practice we have a 5 mile tempo run and 6 400s on the course. It will be a challenge, but I can do anything I set my mind to :)
Later on in the day at 2:30, I had Oral Communications, but Friday we were suppose to meet in the library for a lesson by one of the librarians. That only took half an hour and then we were done! I walked over to the W to get ready for my run. Usually we have Friday practice, but because we did not have a meet this past weekend we have practice Sunday instead of Friday. My day on Friday also got extremely better because I was already at high mileage for the week so I only had to run four miles total that day! That is nothing for me anymore! I met Jaclyn in the locker room and her and I and a couple other teammates went on a nice easy run.
My Friday ended on a perfect note with a date with a guy I have been talking to lately. His name is Joshua and he is a sweetheart. We went to DQ for some ice cream then took a little walk around Waverly before our movie at 9:50. We went to the movie prisoners and it was exceptionally long, but it was definitely a thriller to see.
On Saturday, Jaclyn and I drove to Pocahontas to watch her sister, who is a sophomore in high school, run in a cross country meet. It was exciting to see high school races again, but the meet was smaller than what I was use to running in in high school. Afterwards, Jaclyn's mother, grandmother, and her and I went to Sport's Page where we ate these amazing Mexican chicken sandwiches. After that we drove to the apple orchard where Jaclyn and I split an apple dumpling and looked around at the gift shop in Fort Dodge.
We drove back around 4 and when we got back I went to Josh's to watch a movie and hang out. I ended up falling asleep because I was exhausted from the long day! I'm glad I got my full 8 hours of sleep this past night because today for practice we have a 5 mile tempo run and 6 400s on the course. It will be a challenge, but I can do anything I set my mind to :)
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