Back in August, when I first found out that I landed the job as a Walsh blogger, I told many of my friends and naturally they had no clue what that meant.  So once I explained what being a Walsh blogger was all about, many of them asked if I would write about them.  I would jokingly respond, “Only if you affect my life in some way throughout the semester, then maybe I’ll mention you.”  Obviously, I have been affected greatly by my friends and many of them have been mentioned in subtle ways.  You know who you are.  This past weekend was the weekend before finals so things were kind of quiet around these parts.  That was until Sunday rolled around and me and three of my youthful friends got the opportunity to sit high class in the upper dog pound at the Cleveland Browns game.  Yes, you read it right.  I said the Cleveland Browns!

                I was notified Saturday afternoon that four Browns tickets, owned by a faithful season ticket holder, were up for grabs.  I immediately jumped on the offer and never looked back.  Before I knew it, my friends and I were in the midst of orange and brown, barking and chest bumping with no control, and slowly starting to lose feeling in our fingers and toes because of the rain and cold.  Besides the temperature and lack of preparation on our part, my first experience at an NFL game was everything I wanted it to be.  I credit a lot of the success of this game (not the actual game) to the spur of the moment notice.  Sure it would have been nice knowing that I was going to the game a couple weeks before, but where’s the fun in that?  When my friend texted me about the tickets on Saturday, I realized I had plans Sunday night that would interfere with the game.  So instead of cancelling the tickets, I made a couple phone calls, and before I knew it, I had my Sunday event moved to Monday night.   Having that obstacle in my way just made having the tickets even sweeter.  Making room for unscheduled events should always be on the schedule.  Think about that one…

                Looking back on my college career and reviewing my random events lists, I could honestly say those were some of my greatest moments.  With this “on a whim” attitude, I was able to experience things that should have come with months of planning, but happened with three days or less of notice.  I attended my first concert, which was Crosby, Stills, and Nash, took a road trip to Florida, and even got to white water raft for the first time.  I guess that’s what makes college, college.

                Even though sometimes it may not feel like it, at this age we are free.  The way I see it, college is a wild card.  Anything goes.  Filling these four years with random experiences is what makes it memorable.  Don’t take this advice and go crazy, though.  Living this way requires some kind of common sense and reasoning.  It is all about using the power of this freedom and running with it in the right direction.  College is primetime for this type of behavior.  Use it while you have it.

I have to admit that sometimes starting a blog is like pulling teeth.  I know what I want to write for the most part, but I struggle on how to get there.  My usual cure for this stagnant stage in blog writing is to grab a little snack to get me in the writing mode.  Once that snack fails, I grab another one and another one until I finally come up with something to “engage my readers.”  Trust me; I don’t understand that logic either.  So before I finish a batch of my mom’s homemade cookies, I have decided to embrace my inability to engage my readers in a timely manner and just go with it.  I’m just trying to keep this blogging gig as real as possible.  Sorry for the lack of attention getter and smooth transition.  You win some, you lose some.

Since we began this relationship back in August, we have shared some great memories together; volleyball season, how to become fearless, and the art of playing.  I realize, though, that I have never sat down and given you a play-by-play of an actual day in the life of a college student.  So to make it up to you, I am going to send you through my day, including details not shared with you during your campus tour.  It’s nothing bad, I promise.  Again, just trying to keep things real.

It’s Monday morning and my alarm goes off at 8:45am, and just like that, it’s the start of a new week again.  I roll out of bed, which sometimes seems impossible, throw on some workout clothes, and make myself a hearty bowl of oatmeal.  I don’t know about you, but I always think I have more time than I actually do and am always rushing towards the end of my morning routine.  You’d think I would learn by now.  So once I get situated, I hop on my bike and take an eight minute bike ride to the North Canton YMCA to catch the 9:15am aerobics step class.  I belong to the Y back home and it’s nice to be able to go the Y in North Canton for a little change of scenery.  After I bike back, I grab a little snack to refuel and get myself ready for my anatomy class at 11:30am. 

If I’m feeling like Lance, I’ll jump on the bike again and ride it to class.  It is so much more efficient than walking, especially since I live off campus.  I am pretty confident in saying that I am one of five people who have a bike at Walsh.  I get the occasional stare or bike joke every now and then, but nothing too bad that makes me quit riding.  Around this time, I will usually get a text from a teammate regarding lunch at 12:30pm.  I can never pass up a quality post up session in the cafeteria, which has the potential of lasting over 90 minutes.  Once that wraps up, I will head over to the library and get some odds and ends done for school for about the next hour and a half.

Since volleyball is done, I have moved on to basketball.  I am now an 8^th grade girls coach at Glen Oak’s middle school and have practice commitments from about 3:30pm-6:00pm every night.  This is my first time coaching and I think I love it.  Definitely more goes into coaching than meets the eye.  Since it is Monday, I have my work study job in the weight room from 6:00pm-8:00pm.  Time goes pretty fast in there and I am able to get some homework done, while smelling the sweet aroma of sweat and metal.  Mmmm….nothing like it!

Now my day is on the down slope.  After work, I usually hit a wall (not literally) and pound food when I get back home.  It feels like days since I have eaten.  The day is not over yet, though.  Dodgeball season is in full swing and we usually compete around 10:00pm.  During the dead period between work and dodgeball, I come home to my roommates congregating in the living room talking, eating, and attempting homework.  A recap of the day will take place and we have a heck of a time just wasting time.  When dodgeball is over, that is my cue to shut it down.  I get ready for bed and end my night with an episode or two of Friends. 

 Each day has its own twists and turns and I appreciate them.  As a college student, I like to stay busy but enjoy a day of nothing every now and then.  I wonder what my Mondays will consist of next year this time.  Who knows what the future holds?  Now that’s a whole other blog.  So to stay on track, there you have it; my life as a Walsher.

I don’t know about you, but if it were possible, I would have bottled up this week’s weather so I could have it forever.  Now that I think about it that really wouldn’t accomplish anything except that I would have a really cool bottle with the perfect weather squeezed inside.  I think what I’m trying to say is that I want to put this week’s weather on repeat, cruise control if you will, for the rest of the fall season.  It just makes everything a little brighter.  I was even motivated to blog outside under a fully “autumnized” oak tree, until I remembered my laptop is so dependent on its power cord that one minute without connection is a guaranteed system failure.  I could have done it the old fashioned way and whipped out some paper and pencil, but that would just lead to counterproductive activity.  This means I would have gotten side tracked and took on the role of an aspiring artist, fully committed to capturing the fall scenery through sketching.  For those of you who haven’t seen my work, it’s close to awful.

 So with my artistic career on hold, I am currently in the library, perfectly posted for people watching.  Am I that person in the library who acts like they are writing a very serious research paper, sparingly looking up, acting like they are trying to figure out a mind blowing discovery, when really their only motive is to creep on fellow library-goers?  I think that would be a safe assumption.  So since I’m here, let’s have some fun with this.  I am basically going to give you an unofficial tour of Walsh’s library, in real life.

We’ll start on the first level.  There are two islands of computers that take up most of the floor and there is not one seat to spare.  There are people researching everything from giraffes in the circus (I’m serious) to global warming.  To my right is definitely a group project that is going nowhere fast.  You can always tell when a group rolls in the library because there is that look on their faces that suggest a forceful gathering.  Gotta love group projects!  This brings me to the solo workers.  I can confidently say that over half of these people have a facebook tab ready to go when they need a quick break from their tedious research.  Headphones are also pretty popular among this kind.  I always wonder what songs people are listening to that motivate them to write a paper.   I would assume something inspirational like Sarah McLachlan or Yanni. 

It is now time to jump to the second floor.  To be honest, it intimidates me.  Whenever I have venture up into those parts, I see the looks on people’s faces and it’s nothing but business.  People are in their own little nooks, reading books bigger than life, and highlighting words that I never knew existed.  I walk up there with a smile and I am immediately an outcast.  All I can say is when going up to the second floor, know what you want and make eye contact with no one.  There are also quiet rooms up there that are usually occupied by study groups.  I always see someone writing things on the dry erase board in there, but I’m still not sold that they are actually being productive.   I am being biased, though, since I am a first-floor kind of girl. 

My neck is starting to hurt from scanning the library at such a rapid rate.  This job is harder than it looks.  Since I have been posted here, my chair has been kicked, my hair has been stroked, and my outfit has been ridiculed.  That is what happens when half of my volleyball team decides to have a library session on the same night.  Should I return the favor?  Still debating.  I encourage everyone to take time to get acquainted with this library and learn of its hidden secrets.  Although it can’t be compared to Disney, it is still a magical place where educational dreams come true.

Whoa!  It has been too long since I sat myself down and fully committed to blogging.  Since this is kind of a relationship, I’m pretty sure you have been pondering the idea of breaking up with me and I don’t blame you.  I hate to admit it, but that’s all on me.  If there is one thing I learned in life, it’s communication and by the looks of this relationship, I am failing miserably in that department.  If this keeps up, I might as well buy a one way flight to Singlesville, which would be counterproductive in my blogging career.  So to make it up to you, I am going to lay it all out there.  I am going to fill you in so much on the past two weeks that you’re going to wish you never started reading in the first place (That’s a little extreme.  I promise to keep it light and informative). 

Ok, so here is how this is going to work.  When a group of my friends and I get together, we always start off our reunion session with everyone taking a turn, describing their life using certain categories.  These categories include anything from physically and emotionally to financially and romantically.  For this reunion session, I will fill you in on my life using the following categories:  emotionally, educationally, professionally, and subconsciously (I’m not really going to fill you in on my subconscious.  It just sounded cool and I like the movie Inception).  Let the relationship mending begin!

Emotionally.  If you didn’t know this already, it is my senior year.  This means there have been a lot of “lasts” popping up in my life lately.  This past week was senior night for volleyball and it was my last home match of the regular season.  We just traveled to Kentucky for a weekend tournament and it was my last overnight stay with my volleyball team.  Next semester I will be student teaching, so this is really my last semester with a normal college schedule.  I don’t like thinking this way, but it’s the truth.  Things are about to get different and I need to embrace the current moments and welcome the next.  It hasn’t hit me yet that volleyball is officially coming to an end, but once it does, my emotional state might take a turn to chocolate, tears, and cookie dough.

Educationally.  I recently just had a meeting with my advisor to finalize my spring semester and to verify that I was on the right track for graduation.  Everything seemed to be going smoothly until he looked over my transcripts.  I started to get a weird vibe from his facial expression and as he looked up at me he said, “What the heck are you doing taking Movement Education again this fall?”  My stomach dropped and my body went numb.  I was not convinced I had retaken this class until he circled the class on my transcript and informed me that I got an A in it last fall.  I didn’t think this was possible, but like they say, “Impossible things are happening every day.”  Once we straightened everything out, we got a good laugh and my advisor confidently confirmed that this was the dumbest thing he has ever seen.  Hard to argue that one; it was pretty dumb.  What brought me comfort, though, is the final page in Newsweek Magazine.  It is a blog titled, My Favorite Mistake, and famous people write about a mistake they made that was significant to their success later on in life.  Who knows?  Maybe this will be my favorite mistake?   Until then, it just goes down as one of the top 10 dumbest moments of my college career.  Ok, top five.

Professionally.  For the past two weeks, I have been doing my pre-student teaching at Oakwood Middle School, which is the middle school for Glen Oak High School.  One word: dodgeball.  Watching eight graders blast balls at each other reminds me why I want to be a physical educator.  It just makes sense.  Going from an elementary P.E. class to a middle school class is like night and day; two completely different ways of teaching.  During one of my observation days, a coaching opportunity came up, and after a couple of phone calls, I landed the job as an eighth grade girl’s basketball coach.  This week is tryouts and by Thursday I should have my team and get things rolling.  In a nutshell, I would say that professionally I am growing.

So there you have it!  For the stability and growth of our relationship, I have just given you the rundown of the past two weeks of my life from the good, the bad, and the flat out dumb.  Please don’t hold it against me that I took a class over for no reason and never realized it.  It can happen to anyone, right?  I hope the “LLY” game brought us closer together and our relationship is back on solid ground.  Don’t be ascared (afraid + scared) to use this game in your daily lives.  Get creative with your “LLY” words.  You’ll be shocked to see where it leads and what you will learn.

“Earth!  Fire!  Wind!  Water!  Heart!”  Together these five words created the base of my childhood television years and if you have any idea what I am talking about, my only hope is that you lifted your fist in the air, combining your powers to create the one and only Captain Planet.  For those of you who are beyond confused right now, Captain Planet and the Planeteers was a T.V. series that focused on the concept of saving the planet using these five essential elements.  As I was casually singing the theme song, I started to think about how different these five elements would be if Captain Planet was created in today’s world.  It might go something like this, “Food!  Internet!  iPhones!  Cable!  Beyonce!”  Hate to break it to you, Wind, but it doesn’t look like you’re making the cut this year.  Looking through this modern version of essential elements, it is safe to say that in my college world, food (with Beyonce at a close second), is the number one essential. 

As a veteran college student, I have eaten my fair share of food.  Freshman year began my love for the cafeteria.  My teammates and I were known for shutting that place down, which was both a blessing and a curse.  If we got paid for the number of hours we clocked in, we could have all retired at the end of the spring semester.  Sometimes we would post so long in the “caf” that multiple meals were eaten at one sitting.  Thankfully, the amount of laughter that went on usually canceled out most of our food intake (or at least that what we told ourselves).  As my sophomore year rolled around, the cafeteria tradition continued throughout the fall semester, but during the spring, things got a little different.  I exchanged my swipes for Euros and was arguably eating the best food my mouth has ever tasted.  Living in Italy for two months educated my taste buds on what it truly means to eat good food.  Life changing, I tell you.  Junior year is when my eating habits started to get what I call “creative.”  It was now my third year eating in the caf and although I hate to say it, things were getting stagnant.  This is when I started using my resources and creating something out of nothing.  For example, if I was craving French toast for brunch and they were serving eggs, I would toast a piece of bread, throw it in a bowl of eggs and drizzle maple syrup on top.  I couldn’t even tell the difference!  This theme carried itself throughout the year and opened my eyes to food combinations that I never thought were possible.

This now brings us to the present, my senior year.  As a commuter, I keep a balance between cafeteria eating and home eating.  Unfortunately, this means that I have to grow up a little and buy my own groceries.  I discovered that grocery shopping is an art.  It’s all about finding the right foods and prices that satisfy your cravings as well as your budget.  I learned that that is much harder than it sounds.  Finishing up the second month of school, I think I finally found my niche and it’s refreshing.  Helpful hint when grocery shopping:  buy foods that serve more than one purpose.  For example, corn flakes can obviously be used in milk, but also can add a crunch to yogurt and even top off oatmeal.  When you think smart, you get smart. 

College and food go together like peanut and jelly, Sony and Cher, Tom and Jerry, a horse and carriage, bacon and eggs, etc.  It is a duo that can do so much damage (the freshman 15), yet bring about so much greatness (friendship, combos, experience).    Who said the classroom is the only place for learning?  So next time you have a minute to spare, grab another apple or cookie and learn something new, whatever that may be.  Food is a powerful tool.  Use wisely.

I think we can all agree that people say a lot of things that don’t make sense.  One of my favorite non-sense-making lines is “I hate change.”  Obviously, everyone is entitled to their opinion and is allowed to hate what they want, but what’s the point?  I don’t know why, but I think of the quote that is said during sports, “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.”  That has nothing to do with change, but I feel like with the right word combinations, it can be twisted to make sense.  For example, “don’t hate change, hate the situation.”   That wasn’t that good, but you see where I’m going.  I’ll let you know if I come up with something better. 

This past week, change slithered its way into my routine and although not all of it was good, it kept me honest.  First of all, our volleyball team was going strong with a 14-0 winning streak.  Unfortunately, a little change crept into our record and we bought ourselves our first loss, now holding a record of 15-1.  Although the loss put a damper on the perfect season, it exposed our weaknesses that, until the loss, haven’t been properly addressed.  So with this loss came strategic and tactical changes to our defense that clearly showed an improvement in our play during our match on Saturday.  This just helped prove the line, sung by our favorite orphan that the sun really does come up tomorrow. 

Speaking of the sun, this heat wave that decided to strike threw my whole fall mindset out of whack and I didn’t mind it one bit.  At one point this week, I thought it was spring semester (minus the leaves changing) and school was about to let out.  Yeah, it was that serious.  So because of that mode I was in, I kind of put my normal routine on hold and made an extra effort to embrace the sun.  Let’s just say that the Grassy Knoll and I got pretty close this week.  For those of you not familiar with the Knoll, it is a large, grassy area in the middle of campus where playtime is encouraged. 

Around these parts, it doesn’t take much to get a crew together for ultimate postage in the Knoll.  So here is how it goes.  When classes are done for the day, naturally there is homework to do.  I contact some of my people to see if they want to have a homework session in the Knoll before volleyball practice.  Secretly, we all know not one ounce of homework will get done, but no one ever says it out loud.  It’s like pitching a no-hitter.  Once we haul all of our books to the Knoll, we pick the perfect location and set up camp.  One thing we can always count on is someone bringing a volleyball, soccer ball, or football (We are just asking for procrastination and unproductiveness when it comes to school work).   We will usually chit chat for a few minutes and then realize we need to play.  This is when the fun stuff starts!  Depending on the equipment, we will play boom, keep it up, or even set up the offensive line for our nonexistent football league that we all want to compete in.  Once this ends, the tumbling starts.  You name it and we attempt it; back flips, cartwheels, front hand springs, handstands, etc.  In a nutshell, these are the days I live for.  There is nothing like the art of play. 

So with the change of pace this week, I was able to get refocused and reenergized.  It came at the perfect time because I almost felt like I was getting into a rut, which is never good.  Next time you hear those Change-Haters preaching their hate, think about what it really means to change.  Change is what keeps us alive.  It’s what makes life, life.

Let me start off this blog by painting you a picture.  With my body bundled from head to toe in a classic, college sweatpants and hoodie style, I am nestled in the nook of a couch, casually sipping a cup of hot tea.  Random breezes of fall creep through the window, but before I feel the rush of cool, it picks up the scent of a burning pumpkin spice candle, and in unison, my senses are immediately overwhelmed with autumn.  As I sit here in total contentment, with September slipping through my fingers, I got to thinking about that special time of the month.  No, not that time of the month.  I’m talking about the end of the month.  For some reason, whenever a new month is upon us people start reflecting on time more than ever.  Seriously, though, how many times do you hear the phrase, “Can you believe (insert month here) is already here?” or “This month just flew by!”  It becomes the most common topic of conversation, next to the weather.

As September winds down, you can tell things are getting real.  Classes are officially overtaking your life, sport teams are bulking up their records, and you finally feel like you have developed some kind of routine during the week.  Personally, things are getting so real that I am now being referred to as Ms. Daltorio three times a week.  I am pre-student teaching now, which means during this semester I have to clock in 60 hours of school experience, which includes helping the students, assisting the teacher, and dare I say it, teaching.  My focus area is physical education and I will be certified to teach grades K-12.  Right now, I am at Taft Elementary, which you can assume is nothing but organized chaos.  When you thought you have seen it all, become a teacher.  I have been in the classroom now for three weeks and the stories I come home with are priceless.  These kids keep me young, I tell you.  Tomorrow I am teaching a first grade class a lesson on parachute.  To be honest, you can’t go wrong with a parachute.  It’s a guaranteed good time at any age (You better believe I’m hoping in that circle to play popcorn tomorrow).

So whatever your end-of-the-month ritual is, reflecting, recapping, stressing, or if you’re Green Day, just waking up, embrace the change and accept October’s challenge.  I can’t do too much for you when it comes to making your next month great, but I can tell you this.  Back in the 90s, when I was watching Nickelodeon, a commercial gave me advice that I will never forget.  I don’t know what they were trying to sell me, but the kids in the commercial said that if I want to have good luck for the month, the first words to come out of my mouth on the first of every month had to be “rabbit, rabbit.”  There is no scientific evidence that proves that this method is true, but hey, it can’t hurt.

Starting a new month is like a fun-size version of a new year.  A new month is just enough change to get your mind reorganized and refocused on what you have to do, without all the excessive hype and pressure.  We are given 11 mini new year’s and to waste them would really just be a waste.  So for the sake of the season, I give my best wishes to all of you as you fall into October!

After looking over my previous blog, I realized that I got a little carried away at the keyboard and you guys had some reading to do.  I couldn’t help it, though.  Once I get going on the topic of volleyball and friends, it’s hard to pump the breaks. The stories are endless!   So because of my extensive blogging, I vow to make this week’s blog short and sweet.  So, here it goes.

Just this past Sunday, one of my roommates and I were having a quality lunch together that consisted of mac ‘n cheese shells, oatmeal, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  As we sat there after our meal, talking about who knows what, I got the urge to have a “moment.”  These moments usually arise after a meal or during a quality post up session with all the girls.  So what exactly is a moment?   I assume you have all seen the Dove chocolate commercials that end with the line, “My Moment.   My Dove.”  Well, that’s basically what I mean when I say a “moment.”  I have a secret stash of Dove chocolate in my room and when the time is right, I rush to my secret hiding place and whip out the appropriate number of Dove chocolate.  I shuffle around the chocolates in my hands and have the person close their eyes and pick one.  This allows fate to take over and whatever the little message inside the chocolate says, that is what the person must follow.

So after my roommate, Bmo, closed her eyes and picked her fate, we were both ready for our moment.  As the rich, smooth taste of milk chocolate melted in our mouths, we began to exchange messages.  Bmo’s message read, “Buy flowers for yourself.”  I think Dove knew that wasn’t my fate because my current funds are not stable enough to accommodate random flower purchases.  Now it was my turn.  As I straightened out the foil, I got a nervous feeling in my stomach for no reason at all.  I took a deep breath and read the words, “Be fearless.”

I don’t know about you, but those words are about as real as it gets.  Be fearless.  So simple, yet so complex.  As I let my message sink in, I remembered reading an article about Taylor Swift and a quote she said about being fearless.  It was something along the lines of being fearless is not eliminating fear, but being terrified and doing it anyway.  I realized that regardless of what obstacle is in front of you, whether it is school, boys/girls, or sports, it can be conquered.  Fear is a state of mind.  I have no choice, since it is my fate, but to attack situations fearlessly.  I haven’t figured out exactly how to accomplish this, but I’m diving head first.  I suggest you jump on my back and do the same.

I have to stop now or I’ll make another connection and add three more paragraphs to this blog, which would break my “short and sweet” promise.  So with that being said, I wish you all the best in your fight to BE FEARLESS.

“Watch float serve.”  “It’s up, it’s up.”  “It’s deep.  In, in, in.”  “Yeah, yeah, yeah!”  BOOM!  “Heeyyyyy!!”  That is my version of a typical play in volleyball, from serve receive to the well anticipated kill.  This past weekend officially marked the start of the 2011 Walsh volleyball season!  We traveled to Madonna University, which is near Detroit, and it felt good to breathe healthy competition again. 

Earlier that morning when we loaded the bus, religiously following the rule, “If you’re not early, you’re late,” it was like riding a bike.  I had my bag strategically packed with volleyball gear on the left side and towels and toiletries to the right.  After three seasons of traveling, there are no excuses for an unorganized bag.  Each road trip has its own unique adventure, but for the most part there is a consistent routine.  When we first get on the bus, everyone looks fresh and has a certain readiness about them.  About five minutes in, we usually vote on a movie, which gets out of hand sometimes, and everyone settles in their seats, creating the perfect on-the-road bed.  As the movie plays, it’s not long before bodies start dropping.  It gets to the point where you can barely walk up and down the aisle without having to hurdle the legs of your not-so-short teammates. 

Now the next part is one of my favorite stages of the bus ride that I can never control:  the snacking.  Just when the movie is about to end, people start waking up and realizing that they haven’t eaten in over 90 minutes.  On our team, that’s a lifetime.  One person, whoever that naïve person is, gets up to grab themselves a banana and water.  Mistake.  Before they can even fully extend their legs out of the seat, the cries of 15 girls soon fill the bus.  “Hey!  While you’re up, can you grab me a water?”  “Yeah, make that two and bring back the pretzels while you’re at it.”  “Goldfish!  Goldfish!  Goldfish!”  “Ok, I got 6 waters and 5 bananas.  Who else needs something?”  “Right here!  I got two more waters!”  The next few minutes are a combination of the New York Stock Exchange, a country auction, and an elementary cafeteria.  I wish I could say this snacking stage only lasts for a moment, but unfortunately, that is wishful thinking.  In a nutshell, it’s not long before everyone is stuffed to their max and round two of sleeping and a movie takes place.  By the time the movie ends and unsuccessful attempts at studying are made, we finally arrive at our destination, looking about as rough as rough can be.  Once we get off the bus, though, regroup, take a look in the mirror, we are ready to go. 

This wasn’t the first time we have traveled to Madonna as a team.  We have competed there both my freshman and sophomore year.  As I entered the gym as a senior, I instantly was hit with memories from previous years.  I realized, though, that these memories did not consist of stats, records, or playing time.  They simply consisted of moments where laughter, friendship, and comradery were involved.  For example, when I walked over to get water during the game and drank from the Gatorade cups, I remember when my roommate and I “borrowed” at least three packs from Madonna for our dorm room.  Also, when I stood next to our volunteer assistant, who was once a former teammate, I had flashbacks of our 2008 season when we were on the bench, talking so deeply about life, that if someone asked us the score, we wouldn’t have a clue. 

It is moments like that that are remembered.  Sure it’s nice to win and no one in their right mind likes to lose, but when it’s all said and done, it’s those moments that stick with you the most.  Being part of a team in college is hands down one of the greatest parts about my Walsh experience.  I can confidently say that the friendships I have made are sticking with me until the end, whether I like it or not.  Just yesterday, I was reminded of the power of teammates, both on and off the court.  I was on the move all day and had a racing feeling in my head about all the things I needed to get done before next week.  I finally got home around 10:30pm to a living room filled not only with an overabundance of couches, but also my three roommates, all of which are volleyball players.  I grabbed some snackies (naturally) and posted up on one of the couches, ready to release the madness of my day.  We must have sat there for the next two hours just venting, laughing, pounding candy, and telling stories; productively wasting time as I like to call it.  It was just what the doctor ordered.  I was refreshed, a little full, and thankful for three teammates and friends that were just as committed to procrastination as I was. 

I can go on and on about my team, but I will spare you for now, but not for long.  They will be popping up again shortly.  Anyone who has been part of a team knows what I am talking about.  Even if you haven’t, I’m sure you can relate in some way.  There is nothing like it.  We have our home opener tonight so my volleyball juices are already flowing.  Until next time…peace, love, horses! 

*I know what I said about the importance of the moments and not so much the score, and I confidently stand by my words, but for the sake of the season, my teammates, and society, we went 3-0

Well, just like that Opening Week at Walsh has already come and gone.  For some reason syllabus week (that’s what all the cool kids call it) never fails to increase my blood pressure.  As soon as the professor starts going over the syllabus, my palms clam up, my heart beat increases at an unhealthy rate, and I begin breathing in and out of a brown paper bag, hoping that I make it through the classroom policies.  Ok, so maybe that is a little exaggerated, but you know what I’m saying.  There is something about those first days of classes that momentarily overwhelm your mind with an endless to-do list, putting your confident, organized, studious self all out of sync.  Don’t get too worried about it, though, because this frenzied state of mind is only a phase and in no time you will be back N’Sync (I couldn’t resist).

So with that being said, it is Labor Day weekend                !  I have never been able to fully embrace this weekend because in the past I would usually have a volleyball tournament somewhere in Indiana or Illinois.  It is kind of refreshing to have a free weekend in the fall.  I feel like a normal college student!  I decided to take advantage of this freedom and take the one hour road trip back home for a quick status check on the family.  This year is a little different because unlike previous years, I am the only one not living at home.  I am the fourth of five kids, ranging from ages 20-26, and because of school and job opportunities everyone is back under one roof.  I bet my parents didn’t see that coming.  Needless to say, everyone living at home makes me kind of jealous, but it really works to my advantage. It’s basically a one-stop-shop; I get to see all my family members without traveling over an hour, bringing laundry home isn’t as big as an issue because the laundry is already six people deep, and compared to my food situation at school, the kitchen is a very generous Giant Eagle.  What’s not to love about that?  Seriously, though, there is nothing like home.  Instantly when I walked in the house, I saw the usual treats on the counter (I did the usual scarf down to the treats on the counter), smelled the cinnamon from a burning Yankee Candle, and felt home.   Saturday is usually a hit-skip day at the Daltorio house, so there wasn’t anything too specific going on except college football, which I didn’t mind at all.  As Sunday rolls around, there is always the church and lunch routine—church in the morning followed by a dinner-styled lunch inspired by our Italian heritage—that gives us all a chance to preview the week ahead and just take a time out from our daily schedules. 

As I made my way back to school to kick start some homework and get ready for the week (it’s good to be optimistic, right?), I realized I have two, very different, but awesome homes.  For the past three years, Walsh has added another element to my life and has been there with me the whole way.  From professors and teammates to studying abroad and campus activities, Walsh has been nothing short of the perfect fit.  To be honest, though, I was not one of those stories that when I stepped on campus, I knew I was in the right place.  My relationship with Walsh definitely had some growing to do and now going into my fourth and final year, I realize how far we have come.  If it’s not love, it’s a lot like it. 

Once this weekend wraps up, it’s go time.  Our volleyball season will official start as we travel out to Michigan for a two day tournament and pre-student teaching will be taking off here shortly.  It was nice to have a mini-vacation, but I’m excited to get back to my Walsh ways and am anxious to see what this year brings.