Well I made it.
Today is my first day of summer. I am officially done with Junior year and I am oh so pleased to be able to type that. They told me junior year was the hardest year and boy did it kick my butt, but I made it through and that right there is a reason for rejoicing.
So I know you are all dying to know what I did to celebrate (because that was obviously what you were thinking). Well, I'll tell you.
Yesterday following the assembly we were released into a hot smelly cafeteria to write notes to everyone we know in expensive books. We did that until 4ish and following that what did I do? I spent the evening with some of my new absolute favorite people.
No, not my high school friends.
My new young women leaders! (and Lauren and Raegan)
I just want to give a shout out to my new leaders because I absolutely adore them. Even though I don't know them very well yet I love them all dearly. As I enter this summer I enter my final year in the young womens program. This is the final stretch and I am so glad I get to spend it with these wonderful leaders. This final year is going to be FANTASTIC!
Now I need to shift this post to a new topic.
That topic is tumbling. I wrote last month about how I took the silver medal at state championships, thus qualifying me to compete at my fourth national championships in Louisville, Kentucky. I have competed at the last three national championships in San Antonio, Texas; Long Beach, California; and Kansas City, Missouri. I have had such a great opportunity handed to me and I am so thankful for each of these opportunities to compete. They were all truly wonderful.
Now, it breaks my heart and tears come to my eyes as I write this, but I will not be competing in Louisville, Kentucky this summer.
Although I am hitting a high point in my tumbling and am finally at the level I want to be, I feel my heart pulling in a different direction. My heart is being pulled to Palmyra, New York for EFY. I feel that this is the experience I need to have this summer. And because I am saving for a mission and for college I don't have the funds to do both trips.
I realize that this was most likely my final chance to compete at a National Championships due to the fact that the next time Nationals comes around I will be about two months from a mission, and because I do not plan on returning to compete in this sport when I come home. My heart breaks to think that I will not be a part of the Flipside nationals team this year, but I would like to say that I am SO proud of my team mates who will be a part of it in years to come.
And with that I need to thank my coaches. My wonderful, amazing, fantastic coaches; Stephanie in particular. I hit a point last year where I didn't know how long I wanted to continue in this sport. I have been at the same level for 4 years and was starting to lose my drive. Nobody knew about this except for my teammate Teri and we only discussed it a few times when nobody else was around. However, Stephanie was the one person who pulled me through it. Stephanie was the only person who could motivate me to try when all of my own motivation was gone. With this new found motivation I was able to work harder than I ever had before.
At State when I came to talk go my coaches following the awards ceremony Stephanie gave me one of the biggest hug I have ever gotten from one of my coaches. It was a hug of congratulations. Something I am not used to getting. And the words that my other coach, Jill said to me are still ringing in my head, that
"I finally pulled through when mattered most". This was something I have been trying to do for years.
I finally did it.
Now, hearing this you would think that I would be all for competing at Nationals, however, like I said, my heart (and my money) is being pulled to Palmyra and I am oh so happy about it. I seriously can't handle how excited I am for this experience. It is going to be amazing.
Now by resigning my spot on the Flipside Nationals team I am in no way quitting tumbling. I promise to continue to work just as hard as I was before. I also promise to support those who will be competing with the best of my ability. After all, I am still on the team and I still call them team mates. I know you will all do fantastic and I will be the first one to text you after they compete to see how you did.
With the fact that I am no longer competing at Nationals I am now free to work other things besides passes, thus giving me the opportunity to work towards moving up to the next level. I have competed four long years of level 8 and now, for the first time, I have the opportunity to work towards moving up to level 9. This is the new goal. I can't wait to work at it.
So with that my heart is open to the future. I like the way my life is headed and I can't wait for these new opportunities. I can't wait for EFY with the magnificent Raegan, and I can't wait for this last year as a power tumbler. I also can't wait for this last year as a high schooler.
The future is bright and I can't wait to dance into the sunset.
This song is exactly how I feel right now. I love it.
feel my sunlight
p.s. That was seriously one of the hardest posts I have ever had to write. I love my team so much.
p.s.s. Even though I am not going to Nationals I am still going to be doing fundraisers for EFY. My New York Trip will actually cost more than my Nationals trip would have so Ill need any help I can get. And I am doing a little bit of a different fundraiser this year. Instead of fat boys and pizza cards I will be selling up cycled furniture and other home decor stuff. More on that to come.
p.s.s.s. Shout out to all my friends who graduate today! You guys rock!
