Competitive

I've always known I was a competitive person. I've played sports most of my life from soccer, cross country, track/field, and just going out with my friends to play a game of tennis. Even in board games I am pretty competitive - I just hate to lose. I love getting into the game/sport that I am playing and totally immerse myself into it.

Healthy? Unhealthy? I like to think being competitive is healthy - it's what pushes us forward to make us want to do better, to succeed. Without a healthy dose of competition and being competitive it helps people accomplish dreams they would have never thought possible - without it, we would sit and wait for something to happen. I will admit though that some people go to great lengths to win, will backstab friends, and only focus on the prize - alienating themselves. This is definitely not okay, and I am definitely like this. Sometimes, not being the best is humbling and rewarding.

I am writing about this because this past weekend I went to two weddings on the same day with my friend Chris. At the first wedding, I caught the bouquet. At the second, I did not. But, what's funny is how into catching the bouquet I got. I was determined, and competitive, to get that bouquet. I do not believe in the whole, "If you catch the bouquet, you are the next to get married" deal, because if that was the case I would be long married, however I think it's fun how all the girls get into it. With this in mind, I thought I would share a picture on me being competitive and all the girls trying to catch the bouquet (but I get it!)!

My friends and I laugh at this picture because it just shows how competitive I get! I have the look of determination!!!

Packing and Moving

I hate packing/moving with a passion. Not only packing for small trips, but to pack up my entire life to more from one place to the next is one of my biggest dislikes of all time. What's worse is that in the past 4 years I have had to move essentially every 3-6 months (with one exception). Here is a list of all the places I have lived since moving to Reno in the Fall 2005:

1.) Fall '05: White Pine dorm
2.) Winter '05-'06: Las Vegas home/Phi Delta Theta fraternity house
3.) Spring '06: White Pine dorm
4.) Summer '06: Jenn Boyd and Ashley Connor's couch
6.) Fall '06: Tri Delta
7.) Winter '06-'07: Birk's basement
8.) Spring '07: Tri Delta/Birk's house
9.) Summer '07-Spring '08: Birk's and my house
10.) Summer '08: Justin's house/Las Vegas home
11.) Fall '08: Falmer/Paddock Field dorm, Brighton, UK
12.) Winter '08-'09: Las Vegas home
13.) Spring - Summer '09: Kelci's house
14.) Summer - Winter '09: Jackie's apartment

Holy smokes! I know I've lived in a ton of places since leaving Vegas, but this is ridiculous. I guess that's the life of a college student though. It will be nice to one day have a stable home that I will always be able to come to and not worry about moving.

Tonight, I'm packing up my room at Kelci's house and tomorrow moving into Jackie's apartment. It was fun while it lasted at Kelci's, but it's also time to move on. I'm excited for the adventures that Jackie and me will have. :-) We tend to have a pretty good time together.

My Goal

On December 6, 2009, I hope to be a part of the madness in this picture. My goal for the coming months is to participate in my first ever marathon - the Sacramento International Marathon. Scary? I think so. I'm actually terrified of running a marathon. I remember after I completed my half-marathon in May 2007 I couldn't imagine completing another 13.1 miles. I was in so much pain after the first 13.1 miles. Yet, something inside me keeping burning, keeps telling me that I can do it. I think it would be an amazing accomplishment in my life. It is an accomplishment that I can tell my children I've done.

I've talked to many people who have completed marathons about what to expect and how I can train to my fullest potential. The number one thing everyone tells me? It hurts. It's crazy how athletes compete knowing the pain that is going to ensue upon them. But, I guess that's kinda the glory in being active - pain makes you feel alive, and pain makes you feel like you accomplished something great. I'm currently signed up for marathon training class this upcoming fall semester. I'm excited and terrified.

This experience will be good for me to go through. I know the glory and accomplishment I feel after I complete my marathon will be unbelievable and incredible. I just need to stick to the goal at hand. Luckily, I have the support of my friends and family and they help me make anything possible.

Wish me luck!!

Blogging

So, I thought I might as well start a blog since many of my friends/family have done so. I'm hoping that it will give those people a chance whom I rarely see to have a glimpse into my life - what I'm doing, where I'm headed, updates on school, life, etc. I don't consider myself a good writer in any sense, but hopefully I will become one by the end of this 'experiment.' I think this blog will be a good way for me to express myself and thougtfully reflect on life; which is something I could do more of and be better at. As an elementary education major, one major component of learning and knowing how students have actively learned is through reflection - I figure I might as well be an active participant in something that I will one day have my students participate in. I hope that this blogging thing works out and I attain the goals I wish to get from it!