Lost Bucketlist

While cleaning and reorganizing what is still packed I found my old bucket list. I must say I have completed a few of these things but I wish I remembered when I wrote it because some of the things are ridiculous.

1. Run a marathon-Completed
2. Skinny dip- Completed
3. Make a cheesecake by scratch- somewhat???  Don't really know why this was on there
4. Have an awesome running story to tell like maybe find a dead body while running. OK this sounds a little messed up I'm not going to lie. Maybe find someone that needs help and save their life might be a little more like it!!
5. Travel the world-Mmmm the states I can say I've been to most states and 3 different countries
6. Get married start a family
7. Own a corvette!
8. Own a house
9. Get a dachshund-Completed
10. Have a conversation with a complete stranger on a train, bus, cab- Completed
11. Become a great cross country/track coach-Still in progress
12. Graduate college-Completed
13. Skydive
14. Go mountain climbing
15. Cliff jump


There were more but these I just found pretty awesome. Well maybe I won't complete my whole bucket list but slowly accomplishing it. Some are just weird. I thought it was amusing.

You have one life so let's pretend we are running out of time

TRAVELING TO MARATHON: So I just got back from my marathon trip in Eugene. I figured it was going to be a trip to find myself and it sort of was to an extent. My trip didn't start off the best, my flight was 7 hours delayed. (Note: I don't recommend flying Spirit Airlines). But I decided I wasn't going to let this bother me. I'm an impatient person and when plans change it frustrates me easy but I figured out of my control need to let it go. I met this pretty awesome traveling tattoo artist who told me  stories of living in Costa Rica and a hippy commune.7 hours gets you talking to everyone on your flight at 2am just a heads up.People are amazing and everyone has a unique story.

Finally, I arrive in Eugene dead tired but really wanted to go to Hayward to watch World Jrs so my ticket wouldn't go to waste. Even on 3 hours of sleep I was full of adrenaline just stepping on campus. The cultures that were all around me warming up and the different languages was just overwhelming. It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience seeing a international track meet at historic Hayward Field even if I had to suffer watching Japan win the 10k race walk in 38 mins. Of course what would a trip for a runner be without going to see Pre's rock and his trails. His rock was definitely not what they make it out to be it was kind of out in the middle of nowhere in a neighborhood kind of hard to find actually, but I found it.

DAY BEFORE MARATHON: The day before the marathon I found out some awful news that I would have to move out where I'm staying at by the end of the month. I have no job so it's was kind of frightful to think about and that I would be losing someone in the process. I tried not to think about it too much but it was in the back of my mind.

MARATHON DAY: Didn't get much sleep the night before due to nerves but woke up feeling fresh and ready to go. I started out with the 3:35 group but felt amazing so moved up to the 3:25 group ran with them for about 10 miles then started rolling. Of course I thought hey I'm running like a bad ass right now might as well run 7:30 pace even though I'm not halfway done. By mile 20 I hit that damn wall that I had been dreading. I could not lift my knees up anymore for a decent stride. This is when you experience the spirit of the marathon.
Running camaraderie. I met a girl from Texas who helped me for a mile or two. I met another girl who was struggling as well and we kept pulling each other. We ended up finishing near each other and hugged after and thanked each other for not giving up!! I ran with a guy from Chicago who has ran 20 marathons and kept telling me work the tangents, don't run more then you have to!  I ran with a guy from Eugene who didn't do more the 8 miles to prepare for this but he worked with my pace to help me for the last mile. It was an overwhelming emotional 10k. I was struggling but each and everyone of those "guardian angels" helped me work that course to feel the crowd and the announcer say my name as I crossed the finish line of Hayward Field. Crying after that last step and receiving my medal by our military just gave me intense chills that no one would be able to take away from me.

FINDING MYSELF: I think in a way I learned how to depend on people. I never ask for help I'm pretty independent but at that point I'm thankful for everyone that helped me. I think I need to not be afraid to ask for help sometimes when I'm completely lost and suffering. I also learned through the trip that anything can change in a moment. Live life like you are running out of time. Stop making plans, they don't stick. Stop trying to figure out the future. My life has gone a 180 in a year you can't predict anything. I learned that sometimes you just need to let go. It may be hard but it might be for the best. I learned that you must be able to tell people things that you are afraid of. Open up let people in. You never know when you might not be able to tell them what you are really feeling.

Till Next time,

Alice

Failure is not an option.

As a recent graduate I can speak for all of us out there that the job market these days just sucks. I decided after obtaining my BA that I would go get my masters since now a days a basic degree is not good enough. Sad but true. So I go onto getting my masters as well as 2 years experience in the field I want to have a long term career in (coaching) as well as what I got my BA in (athletic training). 

Most jobs I've been applying to include: 

Must have degree - Check

Must have 1-2 experience in related field-Check

Title IX encouraged to apply- Ok I've applied 

Masters Preferred-Check

The process goes as followed, I apply to a job I have the qualifications for. Sometimes I overachieve and reach for a D1 school. You never know. I did have a interview for one, it can happen. But I try to stay with something that's not too out of my league. Then you either get a email or call for a interview, or a rejection email. Once having a interview I usually feel pretty good about it. I may get too attached to it thinking I may get the job. I think that's why I get too disappointed, I need to not to get too attached to it. It's a lot less heart breaking that way. 

So what happens when you meet all the requirements, have a decent interview but it comes down to you and one other person and you just don't get it? What am I doing wrong? I know patience! I know it will come, but bills have to be paid. It's a hard life out there for the recent graduates, or anyone struggling to find a job. Rejection after rejection, makes you feel like a failure. Failure is hard to accept but I'm starting to look at it as it wasn't the right opportunity for me. Something better is out there, may take a while to find but I will find it. I'm ready for the place that's ready to see what I can do make their program better. The other places are just missing out. I'm ready for that place to give me that chance like William Penn did when I was struggling to find a job. Just one chance is all I need! One opportunity. It will come. I promise I won't blow that chance!

Till Next time, 

Alice Ross

Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move, and nothing will be impossible to you. Matthew 17:20 

Jumping off that diving board

I have always had a love and a yearning to travel. Maybe its because by the time I was 6 I had lived in 4 different states and every summer up until I was 15 I would have to jump on a plane and spend 7 weeks in a different state. You would think at that point I wouldn't like traveling. I enjoy learning different cultures, seeing nature, meeting people, and just having a story to tell one day. But in all actuality my view of the world is small, my experiences are nowhere near what they could be  or wish them to be.

I admire my friends who are brave to just jump on that train or plane with the money they have in their back pocket and travel to India, Australia or anywhere that their heart desired. One of my good friends just got back from traveling the World. He lived with monks, he didn't shower for 6 weeks ( ok a little disgusting but he was living), he met lady boys (hah), he played with the elephants, embraced living and meeting wonderful people. The stories he told me made me realize how little I've actually seen of the world.  I admire the ones who take a leap of faith and move halfway across the country hoping to start over. It takes a special type of person a brave one to leave everything familiar behind and just take a chance and have adventures.

I'm not saying I want to travel the world, of course one day that would be amazing if I ever grew the balls and the money to do so and left my career behind to do it.  The point of this I think we need to surround ourselves with people who will challenge us, help us take those little risks. If we stay with familiar to long we don't grow we don't develop. It's comforting yes, but is it really living experiencing life. I want to be pushed by my friends, family, strangers to try something new, challenge me. Force me to get up and jump, scream, fly, whatever it may be. I believe we need to find people in our lives that will push us to want to be better, to want to challenge us, to want to help us find that adventure in life. Stop being in that comfort zone and just leap into the depth of the unknown. It can be scary but it's what can make us whole.

It's like jumping off the diving board, your scared, your friends are down below cheering you on. You can't back out because you've already climbed all the way up and don't want to look like a wimp. You place your toes on the edge of the board, look back at one of your friends for reassurance. They nod at you that it will be ok. Then you jump, free falling, its a rush of adrenaline. You land submerging yourself in that cold water. When you come up for air, your friends are right there cheering you on. Your glad you jumped, experienced the thrill. You surrounded yourself with people who will challenge you.


Till Next Time,

Alice

Pieces to a Puzzle

I'm sure most of you have completed or helped someone complete a puzzle. It's not always easy to figure out depending on how many pieces, and the difficulty level. First you have to get all the edges and then sort all the same color pieces and so on and so forth. I like to relate my life to a puzzle right now. I believe my live is still in the box and is quite a difficult one to figure out. I sometimes find that there is a piece missing for the border.

I'm at a point where I'm barely beginning my puzzle but I would like to know that all my pieces are there. I just got back from visiting family and got to thinking about regrets. My parents are divorced so visited both sets of grandparents. I got to wondering what really happened between my parents and anybody really that gets divorced, I know there are many reasons to divorce. Do my parents or anyone divorced ever regret marrying? How do you fall out of love so easily with being with someone for years? Its interesting isn't it love? Do they regret falling out of love, do they regret being with each other for so long and then suddenly its over? These are interesting questions of life.

I try to live life with no regrets, yes there a few mistakes I wish I could change or have done differently but that's life. As I think about my puzzle and all the pieces I have. Ive given people in my life my pieces. I've invest a lot in my relationships, friendships, family,and acquaintances. Everyone I've met has a piece of me with them. And I have a piece of everyone I've met. Isn't it neat that people walk in and out of your life everyday and somehow you have interacted a piece of you will be with them and them with you. I guess something I regret well not really regret  but the way I treat people. I like to think I'm a fairly decent human being I'd give you the shirt off my back if you needed it but sometimes I don't think I'm fair to everyone. I know I can't save the world but I like to think if I really wanted to I could make a difference. Maybe one day.

 Do what is right is what we are taught. What if the right thing isn't what you think it is? When doing a puzzle there are tricky pieces that fool you to make you think it's the right piece. What if the wrong thing is what is really right? I think I listen to my head more then my heart a lot of time. People say follow your gut instinct I don't always. I think your heart is right I need to listen to my heart. I like to think I go after what I really want but if that was the case I wouldn't be sitting on my couch binge watching Netflix, applying for jobs on a daily basis I'd be doing anything in my power trying to find my path, finish my puzzle. I need to focus on what I want what makes me a whole rather then sitting in this box waiting to be completed.

Sorry random very random thoughts this past couple of days. If you stopped reading a long time ago I don't blame you. But if you did read all the way and have your puzzle completed I could use some words of advice. Follow my heart, make some wrong turns, mistakes along the way and go after what I  want, try to do me.

Till Next Time,

Alice