So much has happened this year, and it is crraaazzy to look back at
everything. I usually don’t celebrate
the new year too much-as many previous years have almost blend together
seamlessly in my mind, but this year has definitely stood out more than
others. Here are some of the BIG
highlights from my year:
1. Last swim as a
collegiate athlete
Swimming had always been a huge part of my life, and after
12 years it was hard to believe this journey had ended. I had experienced the
joy of success as well as the pain of failure. Through it all, I know that God
has used swimming to challenge, discipline, and grow me in so many ways. Honestly, I was ready to be done-it was physically breaking me down more than I
could bear much longer. Even though it
hurt, a part of me will always miss this sport.
2. Being in Justine’s Wedding
I met Justine during orientation week at Asbury. We happened to be in the same TAG group-or
else we probably never would have
met! Over my entire 4 years at Asbury,
we always did things together (with
Anna too-JAK forever!!). We would have
“Say Yes to the Dress” marathons and traveled together for Spring breaks. Before entering Asbury I prayed that God
would provide amazing friendships for me there, and He was so faithful! To stand by her side on this special day was SUCH an
honor!
3. PR in Half-Ironman
This past summer I decided to do a new race in July-the
Ironman 70.3 Muncie. I really enjoyed
the course if only the run wasn’t so
hilly! I did not PR in the swim,
bike, or the run BUT I had a solid performance in each leg to PR in the overall
race. It is always nice to see your hard
work pay off. I placed higher than ever
before at an Mdot event (3rd in my age group)! Maybe it was that
trip to the beauty salon across the
street from my hotel the day before-yep, those are my priorities…what “true
athletes” do before a big race haha!
4. First Marathon
This was my “What Just Happened?” moment of the year! As I’ve posted before, this marathon was not
exactly planned for. My workouts were
determined by “how difficult my 5th period Spanish class was.” Sometimes I would go to the Legacy Trail in
Lexington on the weekends-long path, lots of hills, no traffic, free water
stops J
Anyway, running the race felt great…almost too
good…maybe I didn’t run as fast as I could have haha! I’m still not sure if
marathons are in my future or if I will go to Boston in 2017, but at least I
can cross “run a marathon” off my bucket list!
5. Teaching in Quito
I was told that I would have the opportunity to teach in
Quito early in the year, and in October it was finally time to board the
plane. The overall experience was
amazing! The school and the kids were so
awesome! It was great to be a part of
another culture-sometimes I think we get so used to the way things are that we
forget about the diversity that exists in the world. It was a completely different way of life,
and I will use my experiences abroad to help me in the future.
6. Graduating Asbury
WOW! Four and a half
years is a looonngg time, and sometimes you think “this will never end” and
then you finish and can’t believe how fast it went. I remember worrying about my choice to go to
Asbury, but it was one of the best decision I ‘ve ever made-and I am confident
that God led me there for a reason! It
is an amazing school with amazing people, and I will miss it so much! But much like swimming, I am ready to move on. Not in the sense of “get me out of here!!!”
but more in the calm sense of knowing “the time is right and I am prepared.”
I know that 2015 was a BIG year, but given that I JUST
graduated, I am fairly confident that 2016 will have a lot in store for me as
well. Surprisingly, I am at peace with
the “I have no clue what my life will look like in a year” because I have grown
to trust God more with the unknown because HE knows.
Prayers and blessings in the coming year!
