Every year as we creep closer to the Holidays I focus my lens of thought beyond Christmas and onto the start of the new year. While everyone else in the world is busy having dreams of a wonderful Christmas, I’m reflecting on the year that is about to conclude. I like to compare and contrast my life and take a second remember where I was a year ago and where I want to be a year from now. It’s funny how New Years is such a clear time marker in my life. There are other important days of the year that I could stop to think about then and now, but it’s always New Years. There are never deep philosophical thoughts surrounding any other day in the year, it’s just this time of the year that does it to me. It’s a combination of the leftover thought processes of Thanksgiving and what I am “thankful for” and the sentimentality that is Christmas time. So in honor of this time of the year and my focused lens on New Years I present you with the best changes in my life that occurred in 2011.
1. My apartment. I know, not a very “deep” way to start the list, but let me explain. This time last year I was living in the worst apartment possible. It was tiny, dirty, and in a sketchy area. I hated being at home. I hated trying to study with the sounds of red neck drug addict neighbors seeping through the walls. I hated waking up in that place. I hated it. Thank goodness, this summer I was presented with the opportunity to move into a better place. It’s close to campus, it’s close to downtown, and it’s perfect for me. The previous tenants were my very good friend Rachele and her husband Matt so the transition into the apartment was smooth and painless (thanks to help from a certain minion and mini minion). From the day I moved in, until right now, this apartment has become one of my favorite places to be in the world. It’s small and simple and perfect for me. It’s the first apartment I always wanted. I feel happy here and the entrance being surrounded by Cedar trees makes me feel secure. I have no idea how long my life will be in this apartment, but I’m loving the seconds I spend here. The change of apartments was definitely one of the best things that occurred this year and helped shape events that followed the move.
1. My apartment. I know, not a very “deep” way to start the list, but let me explain. This time last year I was living in the worst apartment possible. It was tiny, dirty, and in a sketchy area. I hated being at home. I hated trying to study with the sounds of red neck drug addict neighbors seeping through the walls. I hated waking up in that place. I hated it. Thank goodness, this summer I was presented with the opportunity to move into a better place. It’s close to campus, it’s close to downtown, and it’s perfect for me. The previous tenants were my very good friend Rachele and her husband Matt so the transition into the apartment was smooth and painless (thanks to help from a certain minion and mini minion). From the day I moved in, until right now, this apartment has become one of my favorite places to be in the world. It’s small and simple and perfect for me. It’s the first apartment I always wanted. I feel happy here and the entrance being surrounded by Cedar trees makes me feel secure. I have no idea how long my life will be in this apartment, but I’m loving the seconds I spend here. The change of apartments was definitely one of the best things that occurred this year and helped shape events that followed the move.
2. When this year started I felt really lonely. I was about to lose a lot of classmates when graduation was said and done last year. However, a lot of those “classmates” meant more to me than I can ever explain. They were the last of the people that I had met my first year here, my last connection to that experience of being a freshmen at college for the first time. So, with those people gone from my day to day life I wasn’t sure how this year was going to go. I wasn’t sure that I would ever feel as connected to this place as I did before all those people left. I knew I had some amazing friends to come back to (I’ll get to that later), but I just couldn’t imagine my life as a Laker without those people. But, one of the biggest elements of college is that cycle of meeting people, sharing experiences, and then saying goodbye. That’s how you filter out the real friends, if you still have a connection with them after the inevitable goodbye. Some of the people I said “goodbye” to are still in my life. We still talk and catch up and I still store a little piece of them in the middle of my heart. But distance is the most evil thing in the world when you love and miss someone and it’s the distance that makes you lonely. But, I’m not lonely. I met new people. I made new connections. Some connections stronger than I had with the people I lost. This year my classes presented me with new faces, new personalities, and new possibilities for connections. Usually I avoid using names in these things, but Brian, you are one of those people my classes allowed me to meet and I thank the universe for that. Your personality is the perfect compliment to mine and all the laughter we’ve shared has made this semester bearable in times I thought I’d sink. You’re like a brother to me and you know how important “brothers” are to me. That same class also presented me with another person that was a safety net for me. Dillon, my little Babyface. Sometimes you pissed me off so much I wanted to punch you and other time just making eye contact with you helped me function. There were those moments where things got too heavy for me and I was on the brink of madness, but that’s when you’d catch my eye and bring me back down to Earth. You have the innate ability to ground me to Earth when I’m two steps away from blasting off. Thanks for keeping me here on my home planet. You have a beautiful heart. And, finally, to the two girls I knew before this year, but never knew meant so much to me until now. In alphabetical order, Allie and Billie. Allie, you’ve also been a life saver, and a pillar to lean on in moments of weakness. I feel like I know you better now than I ever have and I am so happy about that. Not only are you funny, smart, and gorgeous, you’re a beautiful soul. Billie, oh Billie, I’ve had so many classes with you, and worked in so many com groups with you, but the other day walking out of class I was struck with this heavy sadness knowing my class time with you has ended after this semester. You’ve been such a bright spot in all my classes, you’re so adorably funny, amazingly smart, and just so freaking beautiful. It’s been a pleasure being a com major with you.
3. The minions. Yeah, you guys, I know you’re reading this. You’ve been one of the best changes in my life, not just this year. It was sometime in late 2010 that I finally turned around and we haven’t looked back since. You guys have been two of the best friends I have ever made. We’ve shared so many experiences together and the ones we didn’t actually experience with each other we’ve shared so openly it feels as if we were there when it happened. I love you guys so much that love doesn’t even seem like a strong enough word to use here. Sometimes you drive me crazy, sometimes I want to run you over with my car, and sometimes you make me so happy my face hurts from smiling. Our friendship is real. It’s not perfect and there are some things we will never agree on. But what we can agree on is that we love laker hockey and we laker love each other.
4. If I look back to early 2011 there is one change that stands out amongst the blur that was my life between Christmas break and the end of Spring semester was. Ok, maybe it wasn’t a change per say, but it was an experience and a connection that means the world to me. I’m talking about my connection with Chewy and his family. I got to watch Chewy play for my lakers for four years but then I had to say goodbye. I had to be here and be a fan without him on the ice and that scared the hell out of me. Then, you top the loss of him from the ice with the loss of his family from the stands and I felt lost. I was blessed in 2011 to form and solidify such an amazing connection to #23 and his family. I didn’t just look forward to seeing Chewy on the ice, I looked forward to seeing his Mom and girlfriend in the lobby. Chewy’s Mom is the best connection I’ve ever made through this hockey team. She was always so kind and so full of love and her spirit was something I cherished having in my life. Graduation took these people from my “weekend to weekend” life but they didn’t leave. I still hear from my old Captain every once in a while and it means the world to me and though I don’t talk to Sue much, I hope she knows I think of her every weekend and she’s always at the games, because I carry her and her family with me in my heart.
5. Finally, the best change in 2011. The boys. Not, not my nephews, the other ones. My Laker boys. This team is on fire this year. This has been the best year at the Taffy I have ever had. The end of last year’s season in early 2011 was a blast, first round playoff victory over the Buckeyes is my favorite hockey memory ever, and I once met Sean Avery at a hockey game. Of course, it all ended second round against Notre Dame and then I had to say goodbye to 7 guys I’ve loved watching for 4 years. But we all moved on and in October this season started, and all of a sudden things started falling into place. The boys started playing the hockey I knew they could play, they were being the players I believed they could be, and the freshmen class came in with the right drive and talent. We’ve beat teams no one (but me) ever thought we would and we’ve shown the CCHA what Laker Hockey is all about. There have at times been moments of weakness, a rough defeat, but the boys have always bounced back. I am so very proud of this team and everything they are doing. I am so very happy to be a fan of this team and be able to experience what this year has been for my boys and my school. If they continue to play the way they have been this season, continue to be the team I always believed they could, then there is nothing stopping them from heading to Detroit and taking home the last CCHA championship ever.
I’m sure there are a million more amazing things that have happened to me this year. I know I’ve experienced countless changes because that’s what life is for a 20 something girl, a series of changes leading into a sense of permanence. However, these changes, these people, they’re the ones that stood out. The safety of my apartment, the new friends that have changed my life for the better, and the experience that was Rick Schofield and his family. I’m sure all the changes that occurred in 2011 that I’ve loved so much will continue shift and mold in 2012. So here’s to the past and the moments that last and here’s to the future and the experiences I endure. I Laker Love you all.
3. The minions. Yeah, you guys, I know you’re reading this. You’ve been one of the best changes in my life, not just this year. It was sometime in late 2010 that I finally turned around and we haven’t looked back since. You guys have been two of the best friends I have ever made. We’ve shared so many experiences together and the ones we didn’t actually experience with each other we’ve shared so openly it feels as if we were there when it happened. I love you guys so much that love doesn’t even seem like a strong enough word to use here. Sometimes you drive me crazy, sometimes I want to run you over with my car, and sometimes you make me so happy my face hurts from smiling. Our friendship is real. It’s not perfect and there are some things we will never agree on. But what we can agree on is that we love laker hockey and we laker love each other.
4. If I look back to early 2011 there is one change that stands out amongst the blur that was my life between Christmas break and the end of Spring semester was. Ok, maybe it wasn’t a change per say, but it was an experience and a connection that means the world to me. I’m talking about my connection with Chewy and his family. I got to watch Chewy play for my lakers for four years but then I had to say goodbye. I had to be here and be a fan without him on the ice and that scared the hell out of me. Then, you top the loss of him from the ice with the loss of his family from the stands and I felt lost. I was blessed in 2011 to form and solidify such an amazing connection to #23 and his family. I didn’t just look forward to seeing Chewy on the ice, I looked forward to seeing his Mom and girlfriend in the lobby. Chewy’s Mom is the best connection I’ve ever made through this hockey team. She was always so kind and so full of love and her spirit was something I cherished having in my life. Graduation took these people from my “weekend to weekend” life but they didn’t leave. I still hear from my old Captain every once in a while and it means the world to me and though I don’t talk to Sue much, I hope she knows I think of her every weekend and she’s always at the games, because I carry her and her family with me in my heart.
5. Finally, the best change in 2011. The boys. Not, not my nephews, the other ones. My Laker boys. This team is on fire this year. This has been the best year at the Taffy I have ever had. The end of last year’s season in early 2011 was a blast, first round playoff victory over the Buckeyes is my favorite hockey memory ever, and I once met Sean Avery at a hockey game. Of course, it all ended second round against Notre Dame and then I had to say goodbye to 7 guys I’ve loved watching for 4 years. But we all moved on and in October this season started, and all of a sudden things started falling into place. The boys started playing the hockey I knew they could play, they were being the players I believed they could be, and the freshmen class came in with the right drive and talent. We’ve beat teams no one (but me) ever thought we would and we’ve shown the CCHA what Laker Hockey is all about. There have at times been moments of weakness, a rough defeat, but the boys have always bounced back. I am so very proud of this team and everything they are doing. I am so very happy to be a fan of this team and be able to experience what this year has been for my boys and my school. If they continue to play the way they have been this season, continue to be the team I always believed they could, then there is nothing stopping them from heading to Detroit and taking home the last CCHA championship ever.
I’m sure there are a million more amazing things that have happened to me this year. I know I’ve experienced countless changes because that’s what life is for a 20 something girl, a series of changes leading into a sense of permanence. However, these changes, these people, they’re the ones that stood out. The safety of my apartment, the new friends that have changed my life for the better, and the experience that was Rick Schofield and his family. I’m sure all the changes that occurred in 2011 that I’ve loved so much will continue shift and mold in 2012. So here’s to the past and the moments that last and here’s to the future and the experiences I endure. I Laker Love you all.
