My Hotwheels

This post has been created just for you Mistie :) Mistie "tagged" me last week and the 1st question is What were you doing 10 years ago? As I thought about this question, my mind began racing! 10 years ago sounds like such a long time ago and yet when I think about the things I was doing then, it seems like yesterday! Unfortunately it did allow me to think, look in the mirror, and then to recognize just how old I really am becoming :( Now, those of you who know me real well, know that when I get an idea in my mind...there is no changing it or telling what may just come of it...hehehe...which is how the following post came about! The ladies over at Inkley's may be sick of me but I had fun doing this...pulling out my box of organized pics, scanning them, and putting them onto a disk.
So to answer the first question...10 years ago I began my first year back east attending Southern Virginia College. I was 21, had attended other local college's but could not pass up the chance to attend once I had received an athletic scholarship playing for the Woman's Soccer team. As hard as it was, I packed up my parent's minivan, hopped in for an adventure with my Dad and my brother's, and headed across the country.
This is a pic of Tiffany Dunn and Keriann Wall. They played Soccer with me as well as befriended me right from the start!

Me...playing soccer :) If you did not know me pre-accident, I bet this is weird to see me but here I am! This is proof that it was not all made up :) #22

There I am front and center...I mean front and right:)

This is a picture of the field in Asheville, North Carolina...

Our team won the NSCAA National Championship...once again, here I am front and left this time...

Nancy Baxter, Audrey Young, Becca ?, me, and Tiffany

Here we are before a guy's ball game...our "boy's" played too! :)

My scholarship was to play soccer but through a series of events, I was able to "walk on" and play for the Woman's Basketball team. This is a pic of yours truly and Nancy Baxter. Nancy and I were tied at the hip and we pulled off a way that we were also able to become roomates! hehehe Our "boys", now her husband, also were best-friends so that just added to the trickery!

For a tournament, we were able to go down and play on the same court that Michael Jordan played on so here I am sporting my hooooot, plaid pants!

This was taken before our end of the year dance...I was sooooo tan because we had just gotten back from a trip to Florida :) PROMISE!

Coach Mike Harmon, who is still the Head Basketball coach, me, Nancy, and Coach Deidre Dryden who was the Head Soccer coach

These were taken after our Athletic Banquet. I was so proud of myself that night because I was awarded the "Most Improved Athlete" award. I had worked my a** off, never complaining, and so it really meant so much to me and was just an added pat on the back :) Positive recognition, right?!? This is me and Sabre...

As we were on our way down to Kansas, where our playoff's were, we got out in the middle of the gas station parking lot, cranked the music, and had an 80's dance off ! I won since I was the oldest player on the team :( and speaking of, the nick name that I was given was "Sexy Grandma" :)

The girl between Nancy and I is Brittany Romito. She was tough and solid and had a temper like no other. I used to just do things to piss her off so that we could see it! One day during a road trip, driving in the practice van I flew from the first row bench to the third row bench so I could punch her! No lie and I have those who can prove it :)

For the last guy's home game...Nancy and I decided to dress up as cheerleader's for our "boys". We had fun doing it even though it was soooo obnoxious :) hehehe

For Spring Break, we all, and I mean all, went to Destin, Florida to stay at Spencer Kimball's beach house. Such a fun break and we were able to squeeze it between practice's and game's!

This is Nancy and I being daring as usual :)

Going on the wave runner in the ocean is completely different than going on a wave runner in Lake Powell! You get going and if you hit one of those huge ocean waves, you are done for!

Look how tan I was....

I had the opportunity to attend a semester in Italy studying Art History. The best investment that my parents ;) made for me by far! I was worried since none of "our group" friends were able to go that I was going to be a total loner?!? That summer I learned once again how horrible and untrue stereotypes can be. Since I was an "athlete", I was "this way" and since they were "not", they were "this way"...SO NOT TRUE! Really, I had so much in commen and so much fun with these girls. Girls that I would never have thought that I would be friends with or share these experiences with...it was a summer that I will never forget. Not only were we mature at times, but we also were immature and obnoxious...the best way to be!

When in Rome.....

Me, just hanging out in my Southern Virginia ball shirt....

Trying to impersonate this sign....retards, I know!

This is in the city of Asisi which is a city which stands out among the rest. That top left window is our hotel room window and we are in the main square. This city is famous for "St. Peter's Basilica" and was your typical "hill town" and I loved it!

I love this picture...

The most random and oddest event happened as I was crossing the street to go back to our hotel (which you can see in the background and that is our hotel room window) I looked at this man and thought "He looks just like Bob Gilmour" who had been our bishop back in Toronto, Canada. "He looks like Darren Gilmour" who had been my serious crush of all time growing up! Sure enough, in the city of Florence, I ran into a family who I had not seen for6 years! Funny huh?

Every morning they brought us breakfast and if you looked out that window, right in front of us, and I mean right there across the street, is "The Duomo" and there were still ancient "fresco's" on the wall of our hotel room! I remember thinking of who else and what else had gone on in this room over time...hmmmm?

Another one of my favorite pictures...Florence, Italy...The reflection is perfect...

Ms Barbara Crawford...She is, by far, my most favorite professor. She began teaching at Southern Virginia back when it was an all girls academy. She stayed on teaching and lived in Lexington, Virginia. Her husband was Italian and she was a romantic who loved what she taught. She was a wonderful artist and was in galleries all over the east coast but she loved teaching Art History.

This is one of my favorite pictures in Venice....

I remember thinking that this guy looked kind of like an "Italian Adam Sandler". He was pretty comical and played right into it....

...and then he began to attack me! I was laughing so hard! Now I really do think he is hoooot!

Getting ready to get on the train to head to Milan. We were such tourist retards! I just have to laugh! That's all I can do....

As we were going on one of our adventures, we ran into some missionaries! They told us where the local ward met so that we could go. It did not matter that we didn't understand one word of that meeting because the feeling was so reverent and comforting! I wonder why?!?

....and you can not go to the "Leaning Tower of Pisa" and not do this picture like the rest of the world! It's too hard to pass up!

So, that is pretty much what I was doing 10 years ago, even if you could care less, there you have it. One of the best year's of my life! To end the "tag" off right, I will finish doing it!