Yeah, it's been quite a while since I last blogged. Lots of stuff has been going on in my life, so here we go.
We'll start with the Bemidji State side of my life. Spring break is coming up after this week, and for the first time in all of my college career I won't be going anywhere out of town. That's because there is an event this coming weekend that I've literally been waiting for four years for. I grew up a big University of Minnesota Golden Gophers hockey fan, and I remember watching them win both their national titles with my dad. Heck, I used to dream of playing for them even though I have never in my life played hockey. For a person who really only cared about hockey related to the Gophers, they were kind of a big deal. Then I decided to attend Bemidji State, and my allegiances changed instantly. Ever since that day, I've dreamed of the day the Golden Gophers would come up to Bemidji to play the Beavers.
Last winter I got to see the Beavers get that first win ever against the Gophers down in Minneapolis, but this is what I've been waiting for. This weekend it's the Gophers and the Beavers in Bemidji in the building that I helped get built. I have literally been waiting for this day, and now it is almost here. That place is going to be rocking like I've never seen it, and James Foster himself is coming back over to catch the action. The parents will also be up, so it should just be a crazy weekend all around.
Other than this excitement, this week should also see the Recalibration story arch of my life starting to come to an end. I've put together Senate's draft response and this Wednesday we will be debating it. It should be interesting and I hope that a lot of students come to voice their opinion. After this is done, it will be on to hearing people talk about the tobacco-free campus policy starting in April. I'm ready for the Recalibration discussion to be done as it has really been bogging down my mind for most of the semester.
I'm also putting together my plan to run for State Chair of MSUSA. I'm scared, nervous, but also excited for the idea of a campaign again. There are now two other great candidates running against me, but I plan on just putting my best foot forward, telling them my plans for the organization, then let them decide. If I get it, I don't have to worry about a job for the next year and I have a great opportunity. If I don't, I'll be ok knowing that I went for it and continue to contribute to MSUSA as an alumni. I'll definitely hit on my campaign in another blog spot soon.
Moving on to my favorite aspect of my life: skiing. The TrekNorth season has officially come to a close, and it was truly a season to remember. I went into coaching not really sure what to expect, and since I've been on the fence with staying in education or moving on to higher education for my career, my experience could have really pushed me either way. I definitely did not expect my decision to work with TrekNorth to be without a doubt one of the best decisions of my life. I had more fun than I could possibly imagine and discovered my passion for coaching and teaching kids. The kids I worked with are the best group of kids I've ever encountered. They all accepted me and made such a positive impact on my life.
The season's end was a powerful experience for me. The last day of practice was a little emotional for me especially not knowing when I would see all these kids again. I think I've really discovered not just what my passion in life is, but also the best location for that passion. I don't know where life will take me, but if I have the opportunity to return to TrekNorth, whether it be for coaching or maybe teaching, I will take it in a heartbeat. There's a lot of great memories from this season, and they will be ones that I cherish for the rest of my life.
Finally, the ski season has ended in all seriousness for me. The Minnesota Finlandia was by far one of the best races I've ever had. It was the first time I did a 50k skate race, the previous longest was the 35k Vasaloppet, and to end it in 7th place was phenomenal. I was also just 10 minutes from the leader, and it really inspires me to get better so that I can someday win one of those coveted axes. It was also great to see the TrekNorth kids have great days too across the races, especially Kaitlin taking 3rd overall in the women 50k! The week before at the Vasa, I was able to exorcise some demons and finally beat Torvi again. Finally, yesterday I skied the American Birkebeiner and had a pretty good race. It was a lot colder than I expected and my hands were in a bit of pain after from freezing and thawing a few times during the race. Though I improved from last year, I also realized that I am not where I know I can be. Ethan got 24th overall, which is phenomenal! At the same time, I look at him and see how I can better dedicate myself to getting better. It's going to be a long off season, but I'm going to come back next year better than I have ever been.
I think that's a good update for now. Definitely a lot going on in my life, but life just wouldn't be exciting, or dare I say "epic", if it wasn't for stuff like this.
