Tempe!

So, I got the official invitation to join the Varsity Openweight Team at Winter Training Camp in Tempe, Arizona! Katie and Yaz had each talked to me a couple weeks ago, so I knew I was going, but it's still really cool to have the official invitation! Only three other walk-ons were invited!

I will be home December 13 - 26, then will fly back to school on the 26th to meet up with the team, then we fly to Arizona the 27th and are there over New Year's and move back into school January 4th, just in time to get settled before classes start the 6th.

I'm really sad to have to miss nearly half of my winter break at home with my family and friends, but at the same time I cannot contain my excitement at training in Tempe and being a Varsity D-1 athlete! Coming from Viborg, SD and never having been a really exceptional athlete makes it almost hard to comprehend being on a varsity team at the college that has won 14 consecutive Director's Cups (meaning we have the best college athletic program in the country).

( Water + Boathouse floor ) * Early Morning = Possible Disaster

So...I almost bit it this morning, big time! And with Al and Katie looking right at me too! Just a warning, when carrying oars in-house (or the boat) walk very very slowly and almost shuffle your feet!

Anyway, besides the fact that I almost died this morning - and almost caught a HUGE crab at practice yesterday afternoon - I am loving crew! The early morning stink - especially when you're up 'til midnight working on IHUM papers - but the girls are great, the coaches are fun, and you can't beat being in an eight on the Bay as the sun comes up.

I can't wait for our first race on the 2nd!

Everything's Better On Ice

As I sit on my common room floor with a giant ice pack on my knee, I realized I had the perfect opportunity to reflect on my past week.

Classes are difficult, but that's to be expected here. I really enjoy them, but they are pretty intense. My first IHUM paper is due Wednesday!

Our floor has been gradually spreading the plague...everyone is getting the first cold of the year, including two of my suitemates. Hopefully this round is about over...

Last Friday Mikayla and I saw the Stanford Boathouse for the first time when we watched practice and had a team cookout with all three Stanford crew teams. It's technically in Redwood City, only about fifteen minutes away from campus, only a couple years old, and has everything a rower could possibly need for a workout...or slumber party! haha. And I can't forget V's favorite part, there is always peanut butter and jelly in the kitchen :)
Our second time at the boathouse was this morning...six o'clock this morning... :S The five walk-on rower and one walk-on coxswain were at practice this morning, mainly to learn the ins-and-outs of the boats and the boathouse. We did a little rowing on the dock but didn't have enough time to actually push out and row in the bay :( It's happening tomorrow afternoon though!

Okay, enough rambling - plus I'm done icing - so it's time for "shower power" now!

One down...

The first week of classes at Stanford is almost done! And boy, has it been a long week! It took me until about Thursday to actually get my classes all figured out and get my schedule made, but I think I've got everything sorted out now! I'm in the "Journeys" IHUM with Tobias Wolff with two lectures and two sections every week. I'm also taking calculus 41 with three lectures and two sections per week. My hardest class this quarter will probably end up being Comm 162: Analysis of Presidential Campaigns. As far as I know, I'm the only freshman in the class and there is one sophomore and the rest are upperclassmen and grad students! The lectures are really interesting - so far, at least! - but they run from 9:00 - 10:50 on Monday and Wednesday mornings, ick! And that's pretty much it as far as classes go...

The only other thing of any real significance is that I've started crew workouts! As of right now I'm just working out in the walk-on/try-out class from 12-1 every day, but I'm hoping to be on the water Tuesday! After the first day I had some crazy blisters on my hands, but they're getting better already, yay!
The team BBQ is this afternoon as soon as the girls get out of the water at the boathouse, so I can't wait!

Physical...

I'll just start this off by saying that Stanford takes care of its athletes...

The women's crew team had our NCAA compliance meeting Friday and I am through all the formalities of being on a D1 TEAM! We have our own gyms and doctors and massage therapists and all kinds of stuff, not to mention being sponsored by Nike! The sports medicine center is incredible, and we're encouraged to go there any time we have any problems, even if they're not sports-related!

Also, we had our team physical this morning as a part of the mass physicals for all the sports teams not already in session. Our team's appointment was for 10:45, so Mikayla and I and most of the team were there around 10:30...we didn't get in the doors until after 12:00! Once we got inside we had to fill out all kinds of paperwork, then in the next gym we had our height, weight, and blood pressure checked, then we moved into another gym and had our vision checked. After that we went downstairs and had our body fat percentage checked and had an EKG. Next everyone was looked at individually by an orthopedic doctor (and my knee was cleared! Mikayla has to do PT with the team doctor though...) then I had a heart echo done (I actually got to see my heart!), and then I met with a medical doctor to talk about my medical history. Yay, cleared for everything! And it only took until 2:30 in the afternoon! haha.

Roble Love!

I love Stanford! My dorm is called Roble (Oak Tree in Spanish, fitting I know!). I'm in the "C" wing on second floor in a quad with three amazing girls! Roble is the largest, oldest, and BEST dorm on campus with around 300 students, 160 of whom are freshmen.

My roommate is Nina from Hermosa Beach, California, a cute, short, Asian that is SO much fun! The other two suitemates are Nicole from Sweden and Mikayla from upstate New York. Nicole has all the boys chasing her, being the tall, thin, European and all. Mikayla and I are becoming fast friends, bonding over our shared gym-ratness.

Speaking of Mikayla and I being gym rats, we sat down with a couple of the crew coaches today and basically walked on to the team already! We are going to the team NCAA compliance meeting Friday and the physical Sunday and possibly the teambuilding trip Saturday...and none of the other walk ons will know anything til Monday and/or Tuesday! I can't wait! I'm getting so pumped now, and having Mikayla to share in the fun, frustration, excitement, and pain will make everything so much better!

I love it here! I'm so excited to meet with my advisor Friday to plan out my schedule and get going with this year, it's going to be great! I have one class and an already color-coded planner, so I'm well on my way! Our suitemate shopping excursion is going to be Saturday before the football game, so after that we will really be ready to start school!

Airport thoughts...

Right now I’m sitting at my gate in the Denver airport and finally have a little time to think and digest the past few days and the ones to come.

It seems like each of the past few days has held a difficult goodbye: Saturday to Chelsea after spending the evening together at the races; Sunday to Mom, Jay, and Tori after having lived with them all summer; Monday to my high school teachers and coaches, Grandma Rist, and Ali; and this morning to my dad. One would think that I’d be getting better at this with each goodbye, but every one is still heart wrenching. I’ve always been very independent, but it’s hard for me to comprehend right now that I won’t see any of these people again until, most likely, December.

On the packing front, well, I’m done! Or at least I think I am…I have boxes packed up at both my mom’s house and my dad’s house ready to be shipped to me after I arrive, but I still feel like I’m missing something. I also have some shopping to do when I get settled in - and not the fun kind of shopping! A bicycle, refrigerator, and groceries…not quite the most exciting shopping list for my first few days in a new city, but I guess I’ll adjust J

Even through all the complaining and anxiety, I can’t wait to get to campus! Moving in to my dorm room, meeting my roommates, seeing Nathaniel and my other Stanford friends, meeting new people, and starting this adventure are all just a few hours away from me now!

Before I actually get to school, I just want to thank all my friends and family for everything this summer in preparing for this transition. Also, to my new(er) friends, it has been so great getting to know you and hanging out with you this summer and I miss you all so much!