A Tribute to Grandpa Lundy

This morning my mom got the call that she had been dreading for some time.  Her father (my grandfather) had passed away last night.  We are all grieving at this time, but we are joyful knowing that because of His faith in Jesus Christ, he is in Heaven worshiping his savior. 

Dear Grandpa,  

In the last few years, I’ve seen you suffer.  I’ve seen you lose hope.  I’ve seen you lose strength.  I’ve seen you say goodbye.  Goodbye to the house that brought you enjoyment.  Goodbye to your daughter and grandchildren who moved away.  Goodbye to the wife that was too far in her illness to remain living with you. 

My heart breaks, thinking of you and the man you were.  The husband you were, the father you were, the grandfather you were.  Selfishly, I wish you didn’t leave.  I wish you could have seen more of my life unfold.  The house I will live in.  The career path I’ll follow.  The man I will marry. 

But instead, I think back to my fondest memories that I will cherish forever.  The stories I’ll tell my kids one day.

I remember coming to your house in LaGrange Park, IL.  You always had Breyer’s Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.  You would scoop me a bowl and when I finished, you would always say, “Want some more?”  As a five year old, the notion that endless servings of ice cream were possible made you my superhero.  Then we would watch Mr. Rogers together and I would tell you that you looked exactly like him. You agreed!

And how could I forget going to your house by Lake Michigan every weekend in the summer?  You and Grandma took me to the beach, and I would make you play “guess that stroke” (I would swim a stroke and have them slap the water when they knew what it was hahaha!).  Then we would grill out and I would sit with you as we shucked corn on the patio.  

And how could I forget your coffee drinking habits that I have completely inherited from you? Whenever I went abroad, I would bring you back some coffee for you to enjoy.  When you were in the hospital, I would stop by Panera or Dunkin Donuts to bring you that cup o’ joe (with a pecan roll which I knew was your favorite!)

And how could I forget listening to you tell me stories about falling in love with Grandma?  Once, making a romantic dinner for you and Grandma to enjoy.  You got dressed up and danced together to the music we had playing.  I giggled and took pictures of you and Grandma holding hands and embracing.  When I thought of your marriage, I thought of true love. 

I will never forget Grandpa, I will never forget.

Even though we will never see each other again on this side of heaven, I have peace knowing that you are in a better place. You don’t have to suffer anymore, and every tear is being wiped from your eyes. 

I love you and I miss you. 

Your Granddaughter,

Kim

Plan God

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

Proverbs 16:9

(Warning: This post is up and down much like the emotional roller coaster called life. As I write, I process things. Yes, it is a little scattered, but this is just my heart. Follow if you can haha! Good luck-you'll need it!)
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The plan was simple, clear, straightforward.  I was going to graduate with my teaching degree in December, be a substitute from January until June, and then move out and apply for a full time classroom position for the 2016 school year staring in August.

If only life always went “according to plan”…

In January I ended up applying for a tutoring position for a private company that provides classes with the equestrian community/students. It was AMAZING in so many ways. I enjoyed it very much-probably more than I would have enjoyed substituting at local schools. I got to build great relationships with the students I taught, and my coworkers/bosses were awesome too! THEN the school year ended-yay for being a teacher with SUMMER BREAK! I started getting serious about applying for full time teaching positions.  I got my eligibility filed and transcripts as I attempted to get my ducks in a row (and anyone who knows me knows that I like my ducks “single file, facing front, no talking…OH WAIT, that’s how I like my STUDENTS to be ;) BUT THEN, I found an interesting international teaching job in which I would spend a few months abroad...But I was still hesitant to go away from the plan. 

And THEN my world was flipped upside down (quite literally actually) when I was hit by a car. 

July 1^st changed my life.   I’m still not sure the extent of the repercussions of the accident.  I JUST got my test results back to see what is wrong with my right shoulder.  My clavicle is fractured, the ligaments around the clavicle are sprained, and the rotator cuff is torn.  We are approaching the injury with non-surgical methods first (physical therapy and such) and going from there to make decisions about surgery. Being that this is all “accident related,” it’s not like I can decide in a few years that I’m having too many problems and would like to go through with the operation.  It wouldn’t be covered then.  Sooo it makes the decision a little harder feeling like there is more of a time limit.

Even a simple question like "How are you?" or "So what are you doing now?" is SO INCREDIBLY LOADED right now.  I have to start from the "Well..I did yada yada yada...and then I got hit by a car on my bike...and now my life is changing on a daily basis."  Last week I started going to dr appointments for my leg as well. I ignored it because my shoulder had more intense pain, but the discomfort in my leg has not gone away.  We still don't have results for that yet, but surgery might even be a possibility there too.  And that's why I'm living ONE day at a time and taking it all as it comes-becuase it KEEPS changing! 

I feel SO CONFUSED, LOST, HOPELESS.  Not knowing where your body’s needs will be in a few months is terrifying (in some ways I feel like a “ticking time bomb”…is this what pregos feel like?! Haha!).  If I don’t have surgery, this whole accident will just be a few months of doctor visits, therapy, and many phone calls (and DON'T underestimate these: Lately I'm spending more than 10 hours a week with drs and/or in PT  right now! Yesterday I was there from 2-5pm ). If I do have surgery, I won’t be able to use one of my arms for months…which KIND OF affects teaching abilities (I know, it's not impossible, BUT I know myself and my limits and this would NOT be a wise decision FOR ME.  I could have finished college in 4 years, but I did it in 4.5 years to keep my sanity. Could doesn't equal should.)

Many, SO many tears have been shed. I cry wishing this nightmare was over.  I cry b/c I have lost what I thought I had: control. I cry having SO many conversations about the accident.  I just don't want to talk about it all.the.time. but it has consumed my life. I'm trying to figure it ALL out.  Trying to make a decision about what to pursue without enough information to make a decision.  And being in education, this is CRUNCH time to the MAX as the school year starts. I need to decide NOW!! Like yesterday actually!  I want things to be VERY flexible…you know, in case I need to be out for a few months or have limited use of my arm like tutoring again or being a subsitute.  My previous bosses recently contacted me to ask if I would like to be on the team of teachers again, and  I have decided to tutor with hours that would allow me to go to PT daily.  I might (NOT going to say "plan to") do this for a few months until I make surgery decision(s). I also talked with a few teachers and looked into sub positions-possibly "long term" sub positions so I could teach the same students daily, but still have surgery if needed in a few months without worrying about a classroom while trying to recover. In this way, this might be the best time to have surgery as opposed to any time in the future if I had a full time job, family, etc.  It's hard to have "options" but it makes it easier in a way.  And for that (and parents that are helping me work through this all), I am incredibly thankful. 

I have mourned.  I still mourn.  Knowing that this year won’t look at all like I planned it to look.

Honestly, right now I need people to just listen and understand that I am trying to make the best decisions I can in this situation.  I need to take care of my body before I worry about my career. Those "plans" are on hold right now. Health has been the priority: going to doctor appointments, therapy, etc.  AND not stressing about it. I've handled anxiety with poor methods in the past, and I'm working on better methods this time. Lliterally, my blood pressure was through the roof during jury duty last week (grreeaaat timing on that one..NOT)!  My face was so flushed, and my chest had so much pressure I had to keep taking big breaths I thought I was going to pass out!)

And much like the Psalm 13 written by David, here is where my despair turns to hope. "How long must I have sorrow in my heart?" becomes "I will sing to the Lord." 

The other day, I was driving, thinking and crying about how MY plans have fallen apart, and it hit me: I make SO many plans in LIFE.  We ALL do.  We have plan A, plan B…all the way to plan double-z if you’re like me. BUT GOD HAS ONE PLAN. Period.  He doesn’t need a back-up plan.  This did not surprise him.  This is HIS plan for my life…even if it doesn’t make sense to me now…OR EVER. But His plan is ALWAYS the best plan.  And I can rest in Him knowing that!  So now, and for the rest of my life, I’m on “Plan God.”

The verse at the top of the page has been my favorite verse since I was 15.  At the time, it reminded me that I will have desires, and dreams, and hopes in life, and God will be along side me-guiding those desires, and dreams and hopes.  I don’t claim to be a theologian, but as I was driving, I realized that it’s not just about the things I MYSELF pursue-because man will pursue his plans, it’s also about the circumstances we encounter in life.  God is the true author of our story.  God is the one refining our faith through different “steps” in life.  I have a passion to teach.  I believe it is a calling. And God has given me the gifts and abilities to pursue that passion and follow His calling.  BUT how and when and where I end up teaching are all in His plan and His timing (and I could even add IF to the list-not to be morbid, but each day is a GIFT…getting hit by an SUV will remind you that in case you forgot).  I once heard a pastor say that we often write up our plans to God and then hand them to Him  (in prayer) and expect Him to sign off and approve so we can be on our way while believing that we are following him.  In reality, we need to be handing God a blank piece of paper, allowing Him to have complete and free reign over what is written.  Then HE hands it back to us and we can commit to following His plan.  WOW!  Seven years later this sermon has stuck with me.

Now it’s one thing to understand that this is all part of God’s plan, but it is another thing to continually thank Him and find gratitude in this situation.  When I was interviewed for the school newspaper as a Senior at Asbury and asked about my college swimming career, I was asked, “What is one thing you have learned about yourself during your time at Asbury?”  My response was: I’ve learned that the ONE thing I can control in life is my attitude. Over the past few years I’ve faced many challenges both in and out of the pool.  I can’t always control what happens, but I can control my response and attitude toward a situation.  How we react to a circumstance is a choice that we make (for the full article click here)

This is the peace and the joy God allows us to have that “transcends all understanding.”  The choice that we have to trust God with a joyful heart and a thankful spirit.  Even though my heart doesn’t always feel it, I have been THANKING God for this time of uncertainty and pain.  It allows me to experience His comfort in ways that I wouldn’t have without the trial.  It allows me to put my trust in Him when the ground I walk on is shaking.  It is NOT to make me a better version of myself, BUT instead, making me more like Christ. I KNOW that God is refining my faith because He loves me and He knows what's best for me.

When we first moved to FL, I was devastated. BUT God has been so faithful and when I look back and see how hard it has been (and still is) to adjust here, I hope that one day this will help me with the new students in my class.  The students that don’t know anyone or anything yet.  The ones that are trying to find their footing in a new place and are starting from scratch.  I will be able to relate to those students in ways that I would have never been able to before. I’ll have a different heart from those students then I would have had if my family was never relocated. I’ll “get it.” Even the ability to reach ONE student that I wouldn’t have been able to without experiencing the same struggle, I would move a hundred times over again. 

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3-5)

Right now, I’m going through some “growing pains” as my faith matures.  I’m learning to find comfort and rest in an uncomfortable position.  Patient endurance in the midst of pain-It’s basically what I train to do on a daily basis thanks to the lovely sport of triathlon…box o’ pain baby!...I mean, sitting on a bike saddle for 6+ hours is not the most comfortable of things..Who knew, right?!  I know, CRAZY :P  "Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional."  So, I'm learning to "dance in the rain." (And yes, the pic below could be me...my umbrella is PINK!)  And when I "go outside," I realize that the rain is really just a drizzle.  I am still SO INCREDIBLY BLESSED.  I have SO MUCH to be thankful for.  Yes, it's a hard time...a really hard time, BUT I still have the ONE thing that matters in LIFE: A relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Below are the lyrics to "Strangely Dim" by Francesca Battistelli.  Reminding me just to trust right now.  Not losing hope, not losing faith, not taking my eyes off Jesus, but instead CHOOSING to trust "PLAN GOD."

I've got all these plans piled up sky high

A thousand dreams on hold

And I don't know why,

I got a front row seat

To the longest wait

And I just can't see

Past the things I pray

Today

But when I fix my eyes on all that You are

Then every doubt I feel

Deep in my heart

Grows strangely dim

All my worries fade

And fall to the ground

Cause when I seek Your face

And don't look around

Any place I'm in

Grows strangely dim

Sometimes where I stand

On this narrow road

Is in a raging storm

Or a valley low

But oh oh oh oh oh oh

When I fix my eyes on all that You are

Then every doubt I feel

Deep in my heart

Grows strangely dim

All my worries fade

And fall to the ground

Cause when I seek Your face

And don't look around

Any place I'm in

Grows strangely dim

I don't know, I don't know

What tomorrow may hold

But I know, but I know

That You're holding it all

So no matter what may come

I'm gonna fix my eyes on all that You are

'Til every doubt I feel

Deep in my heart

Grows strangely dim

Let all my worries fade

And fall to the ground

I'm gonna seek Your face

And not look around

Til the place I'm in

Grows strangely, strangely, strangely dim.

When Bike Meets Car

…In the not so friendliest of ways!

The day started innocent enough. Just an 1.5 hour easy ride followed by 30 minutes of strength training.  That was the plan for the day.  I got up like I always do, getting my bike ready, filling my water bottle, and making sure my Garmin was started.

Things were going well.  My HR was staying around 130-right on target for an easy ride.  I had gone about 10 miles (about 1 loop around our neighborhood-the loop that I do multiple times a week for the past 3 years).  My mind drifting the way it does while on the bike.  Thinking about the wind and trying to guess how strong it is.  Playing my “event that year game” I made up in which I try to think of something that happened the “year” my watch beeps on for a 5 mile lap time (for example, if my 5 mile lap beeps at 17 minutes 36 seconds, I try to think of an event or something  that was happening in 1736.  In this year, Prince Klaas was convicted of organizing a slave conspiracy in Antigua (an Island) and was crucified by "breaking on the wheel," a horrific way to die. I love history haha, and this is how I (try to) keep my sanity on the bike.  Now you know…and now I’ve digressed. 

Anyway…I started to approach an intersection like the letter T (one road was a dead end into the intersection).  I was crossing the intersection and all of the sudden I saw a large figure in my peripheral vision.  

In a split second, I realized a car (driving on the road that was about to dead end at the intersection) was entering the intersection and about to turn as I was already crossing and riding by.  I was about to get T-boned, and my reaction did whatever it could to prevent the worst case scenario. The scariest moment is the moment when I knew that WE were going to be hit! (When you spend hours and hours on the bike, you become "WE" very quickly.  We got a flat.  We did not enjoy the wind today.. ha!)

All I know is that I tried to break and turn my bike left (not that there was anywhere to go) and the front wheel did start to go that direction-saving my baby from the main impact and putting my shoulder on the line for her like a good mama would (true tri bike love right there)!  But there was not enough time in that split second and soon I was feeling my right side SLAM against the SUV (it was like a diagonal hit >< if this makes sense).

Side note: I've looked at the garmin file and it is pretty obvious when the crash occurred.  Speed goes from 17.8 to 1.1 mph in 2 seconds and the HR spikes.  It it weird that I get a kick out of this?! Ha!

After the initial blow, I was just in shock.  The driver got out.  “Oh my gosh, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, oh my gosh, are you ok, this is my fault, I’m so sorry, what do you need, this is my fault, I didn't see you, I’m sorry, do you want water, oh my gosh, I don't know why I didn't see you, I'm so sorry, what do you need me to do, do you want to go here,  I’m so sorry.”

As you can imagine, my head wasn’t really “all there” at this moment.  I mean, SO MUCH is going through your head. And I have NO CLUE what you’re supposed to do in these situations.  Fortunately, the initial panic became “let’s go to the side and call the police.” (To be completely honest, I've fallen before and just got back on and rode through the pain, so I literally had a moment where I thought, "eh, I'll just pop her on the trainer after I get this police stuff done and finish my ride then. So my mind was definitely not functioning right. I AM CRAZY!!)

The police came and the ambulance came. I sat on the curb trying to give my statement…probably making no sense whatsoever. The paramedics took my vitals. 

And then I saw IT.  The stretcher.

Ohhh noooo, that is SO not happening, I thought.

They asked me what was hurting and how I was feeling.  I told them I’m feeling ok, except for my shoulder.  I wasn’t moving it, but it was throbbing. “Do you want to go to the emergency room?”

“What are my options?” I asked. (I'm NOT a decisive person EVER, so add some shell shock into the equation and I am HOPELESS!)

“Well, we can take you now, or you can go on your own for x-rays and such.  Insurance will be less if you don’t go to ER.”

“I think I’ll go on my own”

“Ok, we’ll drive you and your bike home. Let’s get you in the ambulance.”

I got home and the tears were a-flowin.’ I changed clothes (most painful thing evvvveerrrr!) and tried to get my hair up (also the most painful thing evvveerrrr!!).  The neighbor came over and drove me to get x-rays-which came back with NO BROKEN BONES.  HALLELUJAH!

Waking up Saturday (the day after being hit) was one of the most painful days of my life.  When I keep my right arm still, there is no pain, but some movements will cause sharp pain. Pain meds and ice to the max.  I’m one of those “cry through the pain” people, and crying is how I deal with the pain.  So yes, my eyes were very dry that day-especially since the fact that I WAS HIT BY A CAR actually sank in and the shell shock wore off.  Kind of traumatic to say the least!  AND as much as being hit is painful, it makes you exhausted.  Like I want to SLEEP. all. the. time. and. never. wake. up.

Did you think the story was about to end??!!  Guess what…it’s far from over!

As you probably imagine, the “fun” of filing insurance claims has begun.  AND it’s extra confusing since I was not in a car, but was hit by a car.  Not a typical car crash scenario.

AND did I mention that I am signed up for a Half Ironman 70.3 ONE week from the accident??  Been signed up since March, and they are not the easiest things to back out of…plus my training has been with this race in the focal point.  Now the decision becomes: Should I still race? I talked with my orthopedic and coach and we discussed a few things about it. 

First of all, if there is any chance that I will injure myself more, then I would absolutely NOT race.  I still have a few more months and races in this season, and I cannot sacrifice those goals for a less important race.  So then it becomes a matter of pain and ego.  Will it be too painful to race (specifically swim) and am I ok to race knowing that it won’t be my best?  These are the questions I needed to ask myself.  As much as I always want to do my best and go for a PR, my ego has taken plenty of beatings in the past (thanks to…cough, cough…swimming…cough, cough), so I’m not really all “bent out of shape” because my performance will suffer and my time will mostly likely be much slower. As far for the pain, that is my main concern.  On the one hand, half-ironmans are not easy anyway, and pain is the nature of the beast. BUT I’m concerned that the pain will be too great and I will be in sheer misery-mentally leaving an imprint that will make it hard to race in the future. 

Well, today (Tuesday), I went back to the doctor and explained where the sharp pain has remained (the other collision pain has subsided into just minor-well a minor in comparison-dull ache).  He said that normally he would tell someone to rest and come back in a week, but given my situation he doesn't think I would be in any danger of hurting myself further by racing and it is up to me to decide what I want to do and how much pain I can handle.  A torn labral is the suspect right now, and the doctor said, "if that's the case we are going to have to operate whether or not you race this weekend." (Insert "heart stop" moment here for even the mention of going under the knife). So I got in the pool to see if swimming was even a possibility and was able to swim....slowly...and painfully....like not pleasant at all, but I did it, so it looks like I'll be able to race this weekend (but I am continuing to let my body call the shots and if the morning of the race I am just not up for it, then I will not race-simple as that!). I have a follow-up when I return in a week and a half. 

Lu (short for Lucy if you didn't know) has her doctor appointment today too.  I've already called to see how she's doing.  She misses me too!  Such a good mom ;) 

To be honest, this week has been hard.  REAL HARD.  One of those, "God give me strength to get through each moment" HARD.  These are the times when we realize that our "strength" is so fragile, and it is really God's strength, not our strength, that has carried us through all along.  When things are going great, we begin to build confidence in ourselves, but God humbles us to bring us back to a reliance upon Him.   These next few weeks will continue to challenge me, and I am asking God to walk beside me through this trial and carry the burdens that overwhelm me right now.  No matter what, he is still God and He is still good. I'm just going one step at a time and crossing each bridge if and when I come to it.  Sound familiar?? STORY OF MY LIFE RIGHT NOW!

Here is a song ("Deeper" by Meredith Andrews) that has been on my heart ALL SEASON so far, and it is SO applicable to what I am going through right now.  Click here to listen to it!  And you SHOULD because it's really good!  

Please pray for continued healing and strength in the coming weeks!  

Never a Swammer

Once a swimmer, always a swimmer.

From the time I was born, something was very apparent to my parents- I LOVED the water.  One time when I was a baby, I had an ear infection while we were traveling on a plane, so my mom brought me to the bathroom to play with the water in the sink.  It was the only thing that would make me stop crying!  

My love affair with water continued as I took learn to swim lessons at a young age (although a bit apprehensive about entering the water when I would ask the instructor if the water was COLD…and I knew it would be COLD!). When I was five, my dad told someone that I was going to be a swimmer-because my personality was very "swimmer-like" (it takes a certain personality to stare at a black line for hours every day haha!).  And he was right! My parents never mentioned competitive swimming, but at the age of nine, I would ask to join the summer swim team. 

During summer swim team, I spent all day at the pool.  Mom would drop me off for morning summer swim team practice.  I was the only one to wear a watch to practice and everyone in my lane would ask me what time it was…even at a young age we were counting down the minutes haha!  When practice ended, my friends and I would have the rest of the day to stay at the pool and play together.  And believe me, we came up with some pretty craaazzzy  games-including “swim cap bowling”  in which we used shampoo bottles as pins and filled swim caps with water as the ball.  Sometimes we’d have a little too much fun and parents would send in lifeguards to find us.

In junior high I began swimming on a local club team.  It was a lot more intense than summer swimming, and I struggled to get through practice.  I went to high school swimming not even knowing what an “interval” was-because in club I never made them.  I just kept swimming and getting lapped and would stop when everyone stopped.  I remember 2 practices in these 2 years that I did not get lapped, and I was THRILLED! Obviously I was SHOOTING FOR THE STARS haha!

Oh, high school swimming.  You were my “golden years.”  By this time I had a solid group of swimmer friends and started to understand what the sport and being a part of a team was all about.  It’s crazy how close and how much fun a group of 85 girls could be!  These girls were the only ones who understood what we were all going through and how hard it was.  Yes, being in a lane with 13 people definitely didn’t help my stroke lengthen out, but it made me appreciate lanes with 3-4 people in college.  I did 3 events every meet-50 FR in the medley, 50 FR in the individual, and 50 FR in the FR relay.  Yes, the 50 FR was my clearly my event!

The college years of swimming are a bit tough to write about to be honest-they did not go the “way I thought they were supposed to.”  The wounds are still fresh-even 2 years later.  Being a girl who swam three 50 FRs in high school to swimming the 1650 was a HARD transition my first year.  But what I learned from being on a team with 85 people, IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU…IT’S ABOUT THE TEAM, and that’s where the team needed me to be.  I did well my first year, but after that my body struggled like never before (which is a WHOLE other story that would need a post of its own).  I would lie awake at night feeling my muscles “eating” themselves-the pain was so deep.  But even though my college swimming years were not “successful” in terms of performance, God used this to completely break me and my identity and forced me to find my identity in something so much bigger than MYSELF and MY abilities: JESUS.  For this reason I thank him for the failure, and I thank him for the pain.  It does NOT define me. My athletic accomplishments do not enhance or weaken my confidence if my hope is found in the ONE that has already overcome. 

When I swam my last event in college, I cried tears of relief to know the pain was finally over.  No part of me wanted to return to the sport that I had loved but had come to betray me in its final years.  I was physically done and emotionally spent.  It was time to throw in the towel…or so I thought. 

Sure I took a break.  I planned to continue the sport of triathlon after college-eh maybe a little marathon thrown in there (jury’s still out if that one is going to continue haha!).  Swimming is obviously a part of triathlon, so I found myself in the pool a few times a week (about 6,000 yds a week-basically 1 day of what practice used to be).  I swam with a Master’s (USMS) team while tri training the past few years and a few weeks ago, I did something I didn’t think I would ever do again.  

I SIGNED up for a USMS swim meet!!!

My expectations were low-I mean, I swim 6,000 yds a WEEK (basically nothing for a former competitive swimmer), and I’m training pretty hard right now for triathlon (I mean, a 15 mile run 2 days before a meet probably isn’t your best move if you want your legs to show up during the 100 FR). 

But you know what? I don’t care if I’m not the swimmer I used to be.  I don’t care if I’m not “fast.”  That’s NOT why I became a swimmer and that’s NOT why I stuck it out my final year in college.  I swim because it’s what I LOVE to do.  I swim because I enjoy being on a team and building relationships with others.  I swim because when I race, I choose to use the body that God has gifted me with to the best of my abilities and live the life He gave me to the fullest. It is really a celebration of HIM.

So this past weekend, I swam in my first LCM meet on the master’s swim team!  Was I “fast?” NO!  (BUT they were all automatic PR’s since I’ve never swam long course meters before…AND club records because the record board is blank for my age group haha!)  I had fun and it was definitely a different experience compared to all the swim meets I have been to in the past.  For one thing, you CHOOSE your events…Which means you can CHOOSE which ones you “accidently” miss haha!  And, you know how awesome it is to have a 71 year old come up to you after your race and tell you good job?!  Pretty cool!  I’m not the most competitive person you’ll ever meet, but it was fun to just dive off the block with zero pressure to JUST RACE.  It brings me back to the time when I just loved being in the water. Whether or not I swim more meets in the future, something about staring at that black line at the bottom will always be therapeutic.  If I get in the water every day or rarely, it will always feel like I'm "home." 

And that's why I will ALWAYS be a swimmer.  

  And now I leave you with some advice. If swimming is what you love, then it's really very simple: