So, I finally made my move to Kansas, and I am loving it. I remember sitting on my couch in Michigan at 6am on Friday and thinking, "I can't believe I'm going to go through with this." It's crazy the things we do when we step out in faith. I chose to consider training at Kansas State University after receiving great advice from a dear friend, Nicole Forrester. The final decision came after lots and lots of prayer. For those who are unawares, I was going to stop competing after USA's in June and go straight into a coaching opportunity. God, however, had other plans for me. I believe He was sending me a sign when He allowed me to qualify for World's. Taking this sign into account, I started praying and contacting people about the right place to train post-collegiately. Everything pointed to K-State, so here I am.
Patty (my sister, Patrice) and I made the 13 hour trip on Friday and got into Kansas around 7:30pm. I am living with a lady I found on craigslist. Don't worry, I did my research, and she is really nice. I really think God put us together. I'm learning a lot from her, and I hope to shed some of the wisdom I gained in my experiences on her. Patty and I went exploring on Saturday and tried to get a feel for the campus and town. Everything is so close, and I love it. The track is a 4min drive from my house while all my shopping is about 5 min. Glorious!! On Sunday, we checked out this church called University Christian Church. We were debating between that one and another church with an older crowd. I am so glad we chose to go to the one we did because it was just what I needed. They did the Lifehouse "Everything" skit during service, and it was fabulous. The message was about not trying to do hard things on your own and really utilizing the strength of our Savior. This spoke to me because my move has been a bit stressful for the simple problem of making money and finding a job that is flexible around my practice schedule. I've been freaking out because my search attempts have not been successful. In reality, I need to chill out and know that God will provide for me. I know my God has placed me in Kansas to advance His kingdom, and I know that He will provide for all my needs. Thanks God! (prayers to help me remember this are always appreciated).
As far as practice goes, I love everything. I have morning lifts and afternoon workouts, so the day is quite spread out which I like. Everyone on the team is very friendly, and there are high class multi eventers to train with, so it's always win-win. Another thing that I am absolutely in love with is that there are a lot of assistant coaches, so there is never a time when you would train alone. They are also extremely accommodating and understand your schedule and the need to have to have a side job (this helped me calm down a bit about my job situation). While I miss my Michigan family, I know that this is a much better fit for me at this point in my career. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting a decathlete Moritz Cleve, and he was so nice. He kinda took me under his wing, and we worked out together--so fun! He's just getting back into it too, so it's nice to have someone else in as much pain as me, lol. Today is my active rest day, so I took my roommate's dog for a walk and will do some yoga later. My body is loving it!
So, yeah...that about covers my new move. Yay God and the plans He has for me!
