I thought I would share with you some of the sights of my holiday season. Enjoy!
Here is a gingerbread man gallery. I have had my friends, their children, and my co-workers decorate these little foam designs to hang in my office. I enjoy their company, even if some are peering over my shoulder.
Sometimes a girl just wants to write her blog. My sincere apologies for the long delay between posts, but I am learning to accept there are only so many hours in a day, and sleeping less is not a viable option. Now on to the post:
Two weekends ago, I traveled to Winston-Salem to run the Mistletoe Half Marathon. It was a beautiful weekend for a race, and I am happy to report that I placed third in my age group, 98/1100+ overall, and ran a PR (personal record/best). But what has me smiling most is remembering the sense of belonging and connection I felt while spending time with friends. In fact, the opportunity to reconnect is what convinced me to run the race.
I signed up shortly after the Old Guns and Young Ones (OGYO) were victorious at the Southern Odyssey Relay. I knew several of my teammates would participate in the Mistletoe, and I already missed their round-the-clock company. I must also give credit to OGYO Captain and All Around Superstar Paige, who sent me her Mistletoe training schedule and inspired me to create one of my own. But there is something more both the OGYO and Mistletoe participants share that holds an even greater gravity: our connection with Eagle’s Nest.
Whether they were campers, counselors, parents of campers, or camp staff, all had heard the mission “Experiential education for young people promoting the natural world and the betterment of human character” and had seen the transformative power of time on 43 Hart Road. My first summer there was as a counselor in 2010. I remember feeling uncertain where I would belong, but Eagle’s Nest-ers talk more about community than anyone else I know, and they are adept at creating a place for each individual to participate and to shine. With encouragement and friendship, they helped me to find my niche. Now two years later, I would like to report that my niche has become a second home. As a Nest-er, I share the values of connection, community, and leadership, and I believe the sense of home is universal for my teammates and racing compatriots. Our bond is exceptional and extends far beyond PRs and finish lines. Driving home from the Mistletoe, I smiled the whole way.
In the same way I have learned time limits us, I have also learned that as we walk (or run) down our respective paths, we look for the people and groups we can call “ours.” The Eagle’s Nest community is one of the most welcoming, supportive, and rewarding communities I have had the privilege to join, and if I am being deeply honest, the people of the community are more like extended family. So yes, the weekend was in part about a race, but in a much bigger sense, it was about a community I cherish.
Alicia, one of my best friends, my Big Sister in fact, came to visit me last weekend, and we had a marvelous time!
It took no small feat to get her here – after having to reschedule around a prior commitment, then a day-of delay at the airport causing her to have to change flights. Thankfully good fortune prevailed and we were reunited after 10 months of being apart!
Our first agenda item: Fall Crawl 2012. The afternoon was filled with friends, laughter, music, and drink, as any good bar crawl should be. I enjoyed introducing Alicia to many of my closest friends while we both pretended to be back in college. It was fun and carefree and ended with a delicious slice of pizza. How could we go wrong?
Ever ambitious, we rode the bus home to prepare for a Halloween party with my friends from graduate school. I went in my standby penguin costume while Alicia dawned a sheet to be my iceberg. (Apologies! No pictures were taken.) We enjoyed a brief time at the party, and Alicia met more of the people who shaped my time at Clemson. However, the crawl crawled up on us, and by nine, we were both ready to sleep.
The next day can be described by a single gerund: walking. After a tasty homemade breakfast, we made for campus. While others slept, we went on an extensive walking tour.
Alicia commented several times on the abundance of Tiger Paws and the Clemson name. I let her know this is the norm, we are a Clemson Family, and we take that commitment seriously. From years of Solid Orange and One Clemson, I have come to assume this is the standard on all college campuses. Having Alicia comment on it allowed me to realize that this is a special quality and not one to take trivially. As I write, I feel my Clemson Pride stir, something I will always cherish. Go Tigers!
Our next stop was Greenville. We thought we had a respectable Sunday lunch at 1 PM only to learn after that my car clock tricked us with the time change! With plenty of time, we took off on foot to explore Greenville. We saw Falls Park, open artist studies, many little shops , all the while chatting and catching up as though we did this every Sunday.
Eventually, we felt we had seen what was available, but still had some time left, so with spontaneous glee, we took off for the zoo. With childish excitement, we both shouted “Elephant!” as we approached the first exhibit. Then remembering our age, we took on an ever so slightly more restrained demeanor. Cats and primates and reptiles, oh my! My favorite exhibit was the giraffes where we could see baby Kiko, born less than a 14 days ago, on October 22.
We concluded the visit with a delicious treat at Spill the Beans and a short ride to the airport.
I miss you already Sis! Unicorns!
