Yesterday, while working at the movie theatre, I saw a very good high school friend that I probably haven’t talked to since graduation. We struck up a conversation about college and our changed lives. I was surprised by how much we had to talk about. I was even more surprised that she had had a similar first semester, despite the fact that we chose very different schools.
She was one of my best friends on my high school track team. Needless to say, both of our high school experiences revolved heavily around sports. The one significant difference in our first semesters was that she had not even been able to play a club sport because of an injury, while I had been fortunate enough to be able to continue running as a varsity athlete.
Running on the Cross Country team became a big commitment for me. And I did have a few moments where I wondered if I could really devote enough time to academics while on a varsity sport. Yesterday, my friend reminded me why I not only love running, but I need running.
She told me how difficult it had been for her to go from a small high school where she played a sport every season to doing nothing. It had been a challenge for her to manage her time properly and meet people with similar interests. She jokingly claimed that she felt the freshmen fifteen creeping up on her. But she was serious when she told me how much she missed running and playing soccer with her high school friends. She said it felt just plain wrong to have no practice and no races.
And I realized then how lucky I am to be at a college where I can continue to run competitively. Because running is what I love. It’s something I never want to give up. Running has brought me amazing friends and opportunities. It makes me feel healthy and happy. Running is worth the time commitment.
Without running, I think I would feel lost. Without knowing it, my friend made me so thankful for the life I have at Wellesley.
And on that note, I can’t wait for Track season;) I dream of hurdles.
Happy New Year to all! May the stress of college applications be ebbing.