Wow … Janurary 2011. Still sounds weird and I don't think my feelings about the year that was 2010 have quite settled … I think 5 year chunks are more my style of 'new-years resolutions' haha.Christmas time was a great two week period for our family! For the first time in a VERY long time our immediate family was in the same country for longer than 3 days and we had a blast just having a full house again (my mom forgot about how much toilet paper 12 people can use up in one week haha). We were definitely busy, but in a good way. Sean and Suzanne came with Cassie and Emma all the way from Florida, so we took the opportunity to get some traditional Canadian Holiday traditions it! Toboganning was defiantly the highlight for me :). Tyler and Grace came from Ireland, after snow delays they made sure everyone was ready for a 'relaxing' break - warm drinks the head liner!
The Serbian crew came home to some much needed Canadian comforts, aka Canadian beef steaks for Dad and 'nornal' cooking ingredients for Mom haha. Everyone made a trek out to Ottawa to visit the family there. Again we took advantage of the fact that we were all in the same country for once and just caught up and enjoyed the company - great food as usual :). Than we had an all-family New Years, with the Manitobans making there way out to us. Great food and drinks, again! I also had the opportunity to catch up with a few friends and see what everyone was up to. Including a night out in Ancaster, which felt like an unplanned high-school reunion … very interesting haha.
But before I have even had time to consider all that has happened and/or changed in the last 3 weeks, I'm back to the weekly grind of feeling like time is flying and just wanting to get through the next 7 days - but I'm sure this is life for must people :).
A quick update on me …
My time is Serbia came to a decision making end - school or work/'ball'. Knowing that the basketball situation wasn't the best for me I had to take the opportunity to get some school done. So I'm back in Canada, at school in Winnipeg. Happy about it? Well I'm excited to continue to work on my degree and get more school behind me, but this full course load thing is a foreign concept to me (I know lazy athletes eh haha…) so it's going to be a challenging semester - but a rewarding one.
I also find myself unable to give up my passion of basketball at a high level, so I'm helping with the University program. This has been a much harder transition that I could imagine, but I knew that it was going to be apart of coming back to a program that I had invested so much of my time in. I'm really excited to be back with the girls again and be around them everyday, bring some energy to the team and obviously improving my coaching skills.
Although I am back to 'old-stomping' grounds, I feel like my experience changed me. Some need energy, uncomfortable experiences and fresh perspective, I hope will help me shape a 'new-stomping' ground. Not that the old one was bad, but for me life is dynamic and I don't want to settle into a pattern of 'normalcy'. Life is too short and I want to enjoy it :).
So for now I'm challenging myself with school, learning the challenges and demands of coaching, continuing to train and be active, development my professional out look on work and enjoy the evolution of friendships with friends and family.
I'm so grateful for all the friends and family that gave me the unconditional support and guidance as I 'transitioned with travel' and went on questionable adventures haha … another great reminder of all the incredible people that I'm lucky enough to know.
Although it may be late, I wish everyone a happy and satisfying 2011!
"Gratitude is an art of painting adversity into a lovely picture with memories of the heart" JS
Mich
