I thought I'd start off my first post of 2014 with letting you know about something I love to do: try new things. I make it a goal to do at least one new thing every year. It can be something simple to trying a new way of cooking to travel and anything and everything in between. I thought I'd share some of my previous firsts and make some goals for 2014:
2008 - Decided to start ski racing at the age of 14 (WAY too late in other's minds). I started at Wildcat Mountain in Pinkham Notch, NH, just starting racing with the oldest kids in the program. I had my ass absolutely handed to me by everyone in the program, including the 8-year-olds. I came home after the first day and cried, but I stuck with it through that year in the program, and two years of racing for a regional team, and became a solid middle-of-the-pack USSA skier. Deciding to ski race was one of the best decisions I've ever made, and it has made me love the sport so much more, and I even coached ski racing for two years before I came to college.
2009 - I played in the Babe Ruth Softball World Series. But to be honest, I barely played. I broke my radius and ulna about three days after getting the call that I was on the team that was going to the Series, but I still participated in fundraising. One of the things I'm the most proud of was when I got bored sitting on the bench with a broken arm, I borrowed one of my coaches leftie gloves (I usually catch with my left hand, and this glove goes on the right hand) and learned to field and throw using only my right hand. I was outwardly told by my coaches at the end of the year that I had really impressed them, and that moment will stick with me for the rest of my life.
2010 - I went on my first Habitat for Humanity trip. I and 55 of my high school classmates and teachers DROVE (Yes, drove. It was about 34 hours) from Concord, NH to Slidell, LA (just North of New Orleans) to volunteer for a week with Habitat. If you want more info on my work with Habitat, just read the past posts about my trip in December. :)
2011 - I skied in Colorado for the first time and went to New York City for the first time. Both were absolutely phenomenal experiences I had with close family and friends. Skiing in Colorado (and visiting colleges) cemented my decision to move out here for school, which is one of the best decisions I've ever made, with the friends I have and the beautiful part of the country I live in. I also went to NYC for the first and second times within a month of each other. The second time, I was able to experience the "Occupy Wall Street" phenom in its height, just after leaving a private tour of the floor of the NYSE, which was very eye-opening into the division of the classes in America.
2012 - I WENT GREEK. I went through recruitment because my dad was Greek, and I never thought I'd love it as much as I do. I am so thankful to have a family and a home away from home, and I wouldn't replace these girls for the world.
2013 - A bunch of firsts happened for me last year. I ran my first 5K, the Hot Chocolate 5K, which happened to be on my 20th birthday, and I had some of my sorority sisters come run it with me to celebrate my 20th, and to eat a bunch of chocolate after the race. Also, I traveled to California for the first time during my Spring Break to whitewater kayak for the first time. It was a phenomenal experience, but if I can be honest, whitewater kayaking terrifies me. Which is exactly why I try to do it. There is nothing that puts into context better your mortality than when you flip a kayak and hit your head in a big rapid. Being in love with something that scares you is a complicated relationship, but one I'm glad I have. And I also went snow kayaking for the first time, which apparently is a thing, and I LOVE IT. The event I was at, Kayaks on Snow, was featured in the 2013 Warren Miller film, Ticket2Ride. Now that was a great "first".
2014 - Who knows? I've just applied to study abroad in either Zanzibar, Israel, or Thailand, so we'll see what develops!
I highly encourage everyone to try at least one new thing every year, you never know what could happen!
Thanks for reading!
Kim
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