And So it Began...

Whooo Weee! Been in the Great White North for 2 weeks now and still can't get over how beautiful it is. From the moment I arrived and celebrated Jacqueline's birthday at Chilkoot Charlies until today just sitting in my room enjoying my day off, I've loved every second of it. Not even the rainy days can get me down.

Upon arriving I had a few things on my tourist check list. Eat any and all native foods/dishes that Alaska had to offer. So far I've had reindeer sausage/pizza/burgers haha (love it and for those who don't know reindeer is just domesticated Caribou) I've had elk burger, Kale chips, fresh salmon from the grill, bison burgers, fiddle head chips (this peculiar plant in the fern family that must be eaten before it sprouts) as well as a whole slew of Alaskan beers of which the Alaskan Summer is my favorite brew. I even had the pleasure of having a margarita made with ice from a glacier in Prince William Sound. Not worth the price flavor wise haha but the experience was worth it. I hope still to pick up some cooking skills, see the Northern Lights, hear some wolves/ arctic coyotes howling at the moon... see the moon for that matter haha, this 15 hours of sun is strange and yet awesome! Considering day time drinking is one of my new favorite hobbies. Most of all though I just want to take advantage of all the outdoor activities available while I'm here. Granted Corpus has a ton of outdoor activities as well, it's just usually too darn hot to be motivated to do any of them. I find that my constant need to get in shape is often in direct conflict with my love for food. Ah such is life I suppose.

So let's talk more about the 26 glacier cruise I took in Prince William Sound. To get to the area of departure me and a few roommates (Jeremy, Kat, Kara and Nicole who I will be describing in later posts) had to drive through the longest tunnel in America (or at least it was, I heard Boston may have built a longer one now) 2 1/2 miles through a mountain to get to Whittier, where the weather is always shittier or so I'm told. Whittier is a small town, honestly more like a village if I had to be honest with about 150-200 residents who all live in one giant building... yep. that's right. One building!!! This building is smaller than the Galleria in Houston, Texas to put some perspective on the matter. Apparently at one time the town was maintained by the army with two buildings in which everyone lived but when it came time for the military men to leave they offered the people one building to live in and the other now remains nothing but broken down remnants of a time long passed. It all looks very Jurassic Park. Anyway we arrived in Whittier where the weather was fairly nice (not raining and about 40 degrees with partly cloudy skies, that's pretty darn perfect for Alaskan spring weather) and we grabbed a few cups of coffee and the Lazy Otter before boarding the tour boat. "You Otter Try the Coffee" haha. The boat was a roomie two stories of carpeted dinning area along with a smaller third story observation deck. Complete with indoor bar; not too shabby. The tour itself was a 6 hour calm ride through PWS through several fjords of glaciers. We saw mountain goats way up in the most dangerous looking cliffs just grazing on grass with out any fear. There were otters by the hundreds just floating on their backs and lounging on icebergs curiously lifting their heads as we sailed by. We stopped at Surprise Glacier where we were able to witness immense chunks of the glacier plummeting into the icy depths below with loud crashes heard from several hundred feet away. Finally as we were returning back to land, glacier margaritas in hand trying to protect ourselves from wind burn (which I just learned existed haha) we caught a quick glimpse of a Humpback Whale! It was brief and yet beautiful. The whale only submerged to blow but that's all I needed to see to send me into a frenzy. I'm hungry for more, but I'm patient. An attribute I've been working to perfect for quite sometime now.

Perhaps now you'd like to know a little bit about where I'm working and living for the summer? The Alaska Wild Life Conservation Center is one of Alaska's most visited attractions, in fact I recently heard it was the most visited, but that could be area bias hehe. Anyway we (I can say that now being a part of this great project) are a non-profit conservation center that sits on 200 acres of land in Portage Valley. We are part of a town so tiny that it was completely destroyed in a 1969 earthquake (9.1 on the rector scale I believe). The center takes in orphaned, abandoned, injured and over populated animals from around Alaska. This summer alone we've bottle raised two Musk Ox (Walter and Hammond) who were born late winter and were at risk of freezing to death as well as a baby moose (Sullivan) who had been abandoned and attacked by dogs! While he is the most difficult to care for he is also my favorite. Something about his enormous ears and adorable face remind me of Marley which just melts my heart when I see him. Here at the center we have 4 brown bear (one Grizzly, and 3 coastal brown bears. All Grizzly are brown bears but not all brown bears are Grizzly) Hugo, Joe Boxer, Patron and Toguka (pronounced To-Go-Kuh). 2 black bear, Ully and Kuma as well as 3 grown moose. Jack the oldest moose of 4 years now can be seen in several movies including Into the Wild :) Gilly and Nelson are our two younger adult moose and they all loooove bananas! We have two Lynx, two Great Horned Owls (Hooty and Snappy haha) as well as one Bald Eagle Adonis who is incredible to see and really awesome to feed. Jewelie is our Sitka Black-tailed deer and she is just the sweetest animal here. There is also Snickers the porcupine who is something of the Justin Bieber of Alaska. Snickers the man, the porcupine (click it to see the little dude, and yes I have pet him with out gloves and hand fed him, he really is like a dog). We have Elk, Reindeer (not Caribou because they are domesticated for the most part now) Musk Oxen and the crown jewel of the center Wood Bison! We hope to raise about 150 Wood Bison in Captivity and release them in three areas far North of Alaska where their traditional stomping grounds used to be in groups of 50 or so and observe if they can sustain themselves. The Wood Bison had been extinct in Alaska by the late 1900s and wasn't until about 2004 did anyone begin to think to bring them back. Ours came from a small group in Canada. Since I arrived I've seen (not the actual birthing process) over 20 bison babies born. The first bison to be born since their extinction was in 2005 right here at the center. Larger than the Plains Bison of the lower 48 they are the largest terrestrial mammal of North America and they are a sight to see my friends. I'm actually planning on getting a tattoo of my rendition of one in honor of being able to run with them.

Finally I want to talk about the incredible bike rides I've been on while here. First with Jac through the Knowles Coastal Trail in Anchorage which was a rather difficult up and down hill ride through thick woods along the beach. Saw wild moose and several water fowl. Then yesterday I took a 12 mile bike ride from the center to Portage Lake. We biked a steady pace through the Chugach National Forest with snow capped mountains on either side of us. The streams were fast moving and the water was exactly the same color of Gatorade Icy Glacier Freeze (my favorite flavor). Just as I and another roommate Kate wanted so badly to turn back because our bikes were hanging on by their last threads the others urged us to keep going and then a short 3 minutes later we had arrived! Though very much frozen the lake was beautiful. We threw black stones onto the water and laughed as it made a nose much like breaking glass once it hit the thin ice. Well I must be off, going into Girdwood to send off some mail. Yep even the nearest post office is a good 20 minute drive to another town haha.

 Stay Frosty Friends!

Every New Beginning Comes from Some Other Beginning's End

The last Sports and the City I posted was the final column I'd ever be writing for the Island Waves. Such a bitter sweet moment. On the plus side Sports and the City is my column so I'll be keeping it up on my blog, so never fear my adoring fans haha.

I finally made it to the Great White North known as Alaska. The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is more amazing than I imagined. I fall deeper in love with the place everyday. So considering I'll be here all summer I'll be simply talking about my time here but have no fear, I will also try and throw in a few events I know about going on in Corpus. Just because I'm not at home doesn't mean I won't be keeping up with my city. I stay steady reppin' the 361 y'all ;)

Updates coming soon, I promise!

Write to Feel Right, You Just Might

Every year starts the same way. You walk in the classroom the first day, pick up a syllabus and see the learning objective for that course. Until recently my only course objectives have always only been to pass. As far as studying goes, I rank at the bottom of the competitor curve. When a competitive athlete trains they always train with the mentality of getting better, improving their abilities or reaching a certain goal. With this logic in mind I started using the same reasoning in the classroom.

            At the professional and at some higher education establishments, athletes are required (or at least encouraged) to keep a journal. This journal gives the athletes a place to set goals, reflect, grapple with issues, keep track of training issues and record results. The journal can be used for anything really, but it is meant to help the athlete keep the mind clear and ultimately a goal in focus. Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling used to be seen writing in his journal between innings while tennis pro Serena Williams uses her journal as a motivational focus tool.

            In my International Marketing class I began to think about these journals and as I wrote down notes during the lecture I began also taking note of my questions on certain topics as well as general comments about my feelings on the topics of the lecture. I found that it was way less nerve racking to attend office hours with these questions and comments prepared and way more helpful. While some of you maybe thinking, “wow, this girl is just figuring that out?!” I hope a good majority of you are feeling inspired to change up your own learning objectives.

            I read over a few athlete journal prompts and decided to tweak them for students willing to give it a try.

-What do you dislike about yourself as a student and why?

- Think back to a time when you failed or performed poorly on a test you were sure you’d do well on. Describe your feelings.

-What is your favorite place to study and why?

- Why can this statement hold true: “Some days, doing poorly is the most important result that could happen.”

-What is a good student?

-If you were to apply for a job that would build your career for your adult life, why would that employer hire you? What do you have to offer as of right now? Given more time what could you offer in the future?

            Take one or all of these prompts, answer them at the beginning of your notebook and look back on them throughout the year or keep them in mind as you strive to progress throughout the school year.  I can’t say if they will help you, but they certainly couldn’t hurt.

A Fan of a Different Color

Being an athlete resembles a lot of what being an ancient gladiator used to be minus the slavery and life or death situations of course. What I mean is, like some gladiators, athletes volunteer to compete for the honor and glory that comes with winning and also for the enjoyment of sports fans everywhere. While the competitors and the stakes have changed quite a bit, the fans haven’t changed much at all. Fans worldwide are still known for going crazy in the stands but also going above and beyond when it comes to supporting their team. So it’s no wonder why an athlete would be willing to put their reputation and their body on the line for the admiration received from fans. However at the end of the day the greatest fans we all share are our best friends and family.

            In Japan, fans go berserk over baseball.  The longest game ever played in Japan was between the Chiba Lotte Marines and Chunichi Dragons, which lasted 5 hours and 43 minutes. That’s almost 6 hours of fans cheering and slamming plastic clapping sticks together. Once the game had ended the fans even stuck around for the post game interview with the MVPs instead of booking it for the parking lot.

            Just about anywhere you find soccer you’ll find football hooligans. A hooligan is someone who belongs to a firm or type of fan-based gang that supports a soccer team by any means necessary. Firms have been known to riot when things don’t go well for their team. In some instances stadium walls have collapsed, cops have had to use tear gas and water cannons on the rioters and people have been killed.

            American NBA and NFL fans alike are perhaps best known for their painted faces, intense headgear (ranging from a ten inch afro to a giant cheese slice) and willingness to camp outside a stadium for days just to get choice seats.

            So sure, fans that are willing to listen to you for half of their waking day are great. Fans willing to die or face Mother Nature’s harshest weather just to support you are pretty great also. But the greatest fans of all are the ones who remember when you cried after Mufasa was trampled by that stampede of wildebeest. The fans that took you out for pizza even when you didn’t win. The fans you called at 3 a.m. for anything, whether it was motivation, consoling or a bailout. Our best friends and families have been the rowdiest bunch of hooligans we’ve had the honor of growing up with. So here is to the fans that will still think we are heroes, win or lose. 

Second Best Still Beats the Rest

Now that summer is almost here, many of us Islanders are bracing ourselves for impact with summer 2012. Whether that means signing up for summer sessions, packing for internships or taking that dive into the “real world” by graduating, we will all be competing for a top spot somewhere. I myself will be trading my sandals and shorts for hiking boots and subzero pants for an internship in Alaska. However this wasn’t the only internship I had applied for in the Great White North or in the World for that matter. The whole process made me wonder just when do you decide to throw in the towel?

            My favorite example has to be Olympic figure skater, Michelle Kwan. She began seriously training when she was eight years old with her sister. By the time Kwan was ten she had financially crippled her family in order to pay for skating coaches and rink time. At the age of 13 Kwan competed as an alternate in the 94’ Winter Olympics taking home 8^th place. Then competed in 98’ Winter Olympics only to be awarded the silver. Finally when all of America thought the 02’ Winter Olympics would be her year, Kwan is robbed and settles with the bronze. By the time the 06’ Olympics rolled around Kwan faced one set back after another and ultimately said “Joi gin” (goodbye in Cantonese) to life at the Olympic level.

            Before you stop reading and start assuming I left you with a terrible underdog story think of it like this, Kwan not only made several multi-million dollar endorsement deals in the years she spent figure skating but also got the opportunity to travel around the world, appear in several movies and TV series (like the Simpsons) and she’s also probably the only figure skater you can name (if you can name others you probably aren’t from South Texas).

            But perhaps a simpler tale of relentless underdogs would be that of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, Notre Dame’s 1975 defensive end. After two years at a private college trying to prove he was fighting Irish material, Rudy was accepted on his fourth try in 1974. Another grueling year later he makes the practice squad and literally the last opportunity he would ever get to play for Notre Dame is given to him his senior year the final play against Georgia Tech where he manages to sack the quarterback and is to this day only one of two players to ever be carried off the Notre Dame football field.

            So you see Islanders, it’s not always whether you are the “best” or finish in first place that counts, sometimes it’s all about who’s going to remember you when you aren’t on top. What stories will people tell when you aren’t around? If this is your last play, you better make it count. 

Don't Stress Success

In life we are always competing for something always striving to be the best, to be first. Some want to be the first to start a trend, others want to make the best grades and some of us just want to show the world we made it through college without needing to be institutionalized. However when it comes to sports competitions the athlete always has a set of rules when going up against their competitors. So I wonder, in the competition known as college life, are there any rules when it comes to being successful?

Student-athletes make sacrifices to play their sport. They abide by rules, give up their free time for practice and games, forgo time with friends, miss out on school breaks, and sometimes miss class due to their athletic schedules all in hopes of being a top competitor. To gain the privilege of being a student-athlete, they must follow rules and regulations because once that athletic uniform is worn they not only represent themselves but their team, their sport and their school.

I was surfing the Internet at the usual ungodly wee hours of the morning and stumbled upon a video of Arnold Schwarzenegger during his Mr. Universe years. I’d like to share Schwarzenegger’s six rules for success. 1. Trust yourself no matter what anyone else thinks. 2. Break the rules, not the law. It is impossible to be a maverick if you don’t think outside the box. 3. Don’t be afraid to fail; you can’t be paralyzed by fear because you have to push yourself. 4. Don’t listen to the naysayers, people are always going to say you can’t but those people don’t matter. 5. Work your butt off. You sleep 6 hours a day, that gives you 18 hours left and if you sleep longer than 6 hours, I’d recommend sleeping faster. There is always someone getting better or smarter out there, remember that. 6. A very important rule, give back. Whatever path you take in life you must remember to give something back to your community, your successors and your country.

Now that we are in college the guidelines that govern our lives are completely up to us. You aren’t always going to win but that doesn’t mean you aren’t always going to learn something. Now is the time to do something just to say you did it and I’m not talking about breaking the law either.

It took my entire adolescent life to realize there is no such thing as “the best” there is only current record holders. With that in mind begin writing your rules for success today. My first rule to surviving college and beyond is simple- breath. 

Lead Me to Fresh Water and I Will Drink

After reading book one of the Hunger Games, it’s evident that a good mentor can make the difference between life and death. The story is about a sort of battle royal that occurs each year for the enjoyment of a country. As children are chosen for these murder Olympics they are allowed mentoring from a past survivor, from their district, for the games. Unfortunately the protagonist’s mentor is a lousy drunk. That’s how life goes though, sometimes you’ll get a mentor that teaches you to “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee” and sometimes you’ll get a mentor who shows you everything not to be.

One of my favorite relationships between mentor and mentee is the one shared between Bob Bowman and Michael Phelps. Bowman has been sculpting Phelps into a world-champion gold medalist since he was 11 years old. Videos of training sessions I’ve seen with the two show Bowman being paternal, adversarial, and an inspirational friend to Phelps.  In a 2008 interview with ESPN Bowman said, “I like to keep the pressure up, when someone is that good you have to push them, not until they break just until they are giving you their best.”

Of course some leaders look to achieve a goal and lose sight of the mentees they are supposed to help reach that goal. In 1992 Hollywood gave us The Mighty Ducks. Hot shot lawyer Gordon Bombay is sentenced to community service in coaching one of the worst little league hockey teams ever. Bombay finally realizes he needs to earn the respect of the team and learns how to reach the kids on their own level. Bombay shows taking on a leadership role, like mentor, requires not only time but also dedication. The whole point is to teach your successor to one day be as good as, if not better than, you.

Seeing as we are all trying to grow up we no longer look for paternal mentors and those of us not involved in sports aren’t looking for someone to be adversarial about how we live our lives but what we are all looking for in a leader and mentor is inspiration. A breath of fresh air when our collegiate lives become stagnant. When the long hours put into physically challenging our bodies no longer seems to be paying off we need motivation. When all the hours spent studying and reading and writing have our brains the consistency of Play-Doh we need inspiration. When every good idea we have has been shot down and no one seems to be listening we need consolation. They say, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink,” but a great leader knows the path you lead the horse must leave it so thirsty it wouldn’t think twice about taking a drink of whatever is presented.