There are always things I am saying that I want to do once I finally have free time; however, I find that I always end up scrolling through my phone for hours on end or even just falling asleep. I figured that I could make a list for my blog this week, so that I can have something to hold myself accountable and maybe do something both relaxing and a little more productive than numbing my brain with random things on Instagram or Snapchat. So without further adieu, here is my spring break bucket list!

1. Deep clean my room: It has been pretty difficult to not throw clothes on my floor or leave office supplies all over my desk the past few weeks because of how school ramps up before Spring Break, so I would love to deep clean my room over break. This will allow me to have a clean space where I can both relax and do things that I enjoy without being stressed out by the fact that it looks like a tornado went through my living quarters. 

• Go shopping: I am getting really excited about the warmer weather and want to go shopping with my sisters or friends to buy some new clothes. After going to a private school for 8 years and wearing a uniform, it has been hard to build up an entire wardrobe from freshman to senior year. This is especially important since I will need enough clothes to take with me to go off to college next year. I mean it’s a good excuse to buy stuff, so I’m not complaining.  

• Watch TV Shows and Movies: I’ve been very deprived of sitting down for the sole purpose of watching a movie. Usually I just put something on in the background of doing school work or cleaning, but I never really get to pay attention and enjoy the movie itself. I’m planning on watching the Incredibles and Tangled. I also want to finish the 3rd season of Stranger Things (I’m a little late to the trend) before the 4th season comes out in the next few months. 

• Experiment with my Cricut Printer: I got one of the vinyl cut printers for Christmas and so far I’ve been able to personalize things like water bottles and make gifts for people that are super sentimental. I’m hoping to make a few more water bottles along with cards with the pen attachment. I love seeing how I can make so many different things with one tiny printer. I’m really looking forward to being creative on a project not related to school. 

• RUN: Outdoor track season starts right after break, so it is really important that I keep my training up. Some of my teammates are staying in town, so we are going to workout together to make it more fun. These practices usually end in some funny photos, which definitely has me excited. Some may dread having to keep up with a sport over break, but I personally find that it helps me stay on some sort of a schedule. Otherwise, I end up sleeping in until noon and feeling super groggy and unproductive. Plus it gives me an excuse to get Einstein’s bagels after, which is always a plus!

While I may be staying in Illinois for break, I definitely think I have my work cut out for me with all the things I want to do. Not to mention getting excited about all of the senior activities that are going to be flung at me sooner than I can imagine. I am so excited to make the most of this final Spring Break and year at North. It is definitely looking like it is going to be a blast! Happy Spring Break everyone! Stay safe and have fun!

For those of you who play a sport, you know what it’s like to have certain superstitions. Usually, it’s a certain granola bar you eat before a game or a lucky pair of socks, but I don’t think I’ve met an athlete that doesn’t have some sort of routine or superstition before a big competition. I know I definitely have my fair share of things I ALWAYS do the night before a track race. I realized that as my routine has changed throughout high school, so I thought I’d write about it for my blog this week. Here’s my night-before-a-race routine.

Team meeting: 

Obviously, we have the weekly team meeting where our coaches go over the meet schedule, what our goals are, and give some sort of inspirational speech; however, my favorite part of these meetings is what our team calls positive mental imagery. During this, we all lay on the floor in a comfortable position while one of the coaches reads through a guided visualization that rehearses the events in which we will compete. This helps us picture ourselves at our best so that we have something to turn back to during the race if something doesn’t go as planned. It allows us to slow down and remember all the hard work that we have put in, along with reminding ourselves that we are prepared to accomplish our targets and goals. I also love this part of the meeting because it forces me to slow down and remember all the things I have to be grateful for within the sport, even if things aren’t going one hundred percent my way.

Dinner:

Obviously after a long day of school and practice, I love coming home to, what we runners like to call, carbo-load (it’s basically just an excuse for us to eat a ton of pasta the night before a race so we have plenty of energy). This is where my specific routine begins. I always get spaghetti with parmesan-crusted chicken breast and a side of mac 

and cheese from Noodles and Company (by far the best pre-race meal out there. I highly recommend it). I usually eat this while watching some sort of Disney show or movie (if I don’t have homework to work on). I like something that’s light-hearted to help keep my nerves down.

Shower:

After some homework or TV, I like to take a warm shower to calm any nerves that I have. I usually listen to a playlist that has a bunch of throwback songs, so I can get excited for the race to come. 

Bed time:

Finally, I’ll pack all my stuff for the next day. This includes laying out my jersey, making sure my running shoes are packed, checking that all my spikes are screwed in correctly, and picking out what kind of braid I want to do in my hair the next morning. I have a hair tie with blue and orange ribbon on it that I have worn for every track and cross country race I have run in high school, which is definitely something I have to have before I race. Then, I head to bed and usually do a little more positive mental imagery to really solidify my vision for the next day to get ready for a good race!

Overall, I have come to love my pre-race routine as it helps keep me grounded and excited for an opportunity to push myself to accomplish new things, even if they make me nervous. Over the years, I have tweaked the routine to my liking, and I definitely plan on replicating it as I go onto compete in college. What are some of your athletic routines or superstitions before a competition?

How 2022 is going so far…

As we near the end of February, I  want to take some time to reflect on some of the amazing things that have taken place this year. While we are only 2 months in, I want to savor every last memory of my high school graduation year. With everything beginning to turn back to a state of normalcy, I still want to remember that everything is a gift so that I don’t take anything for granted. Without further ado, here is how my 2022 is going so far.

First up was a fun birthday celebration for my friend, Anna. We went to Chicago with one of our other 

friends for the night and had dinner at a nice restaurant that overlooked the city. It was really fun to dress up since we hadn’t really had the chance to this year. It was also amazing to see how Chicago looks at night because I had never actually been there when  it was dark. It was gorgeous and we got some super fun pictures! We also had some amazing donuts the following morning as well!

Moving on, track started and so far, I have had 2 meets. My friend Madeline and I love to take these funny headstand pictures after our races. This tradition started last season, so we thought we would bring it over to this year as well. I ran the 55 and 200 meter dashes at the first meet and the 400 meter dash at the second meet. I also long jumped at both. I was able to have a personal record in the 55 (7.84 seconds), which was around a tenth of a second faster than my previous time. This may not sound like a lot, but in sprint every last millisecond counts, so this was super exciting!

Another thing that was really awesome to take part in was the National Honor Society event that made valentines for all the staff at North. We made cards for each faculty member and tied small bags of candy to them as a little thank you for all the hard work the teachers, secretaries, and janitors do to keep our school running smoothly. We also did another event where NHS members could come and make origami figures that are put into lunches for senior citizens that can’t provide for themselves. It was super fun to get together with friends and other students to do something nice for the community, and I am definitely looking forward to more NHS events over the next few months.  

Finally, we had the senior fashion show. A bunch of businesses around the Chicago-land area allow nominated NNHS students to model their clothes in a fashion show that both honors the seniors and raises money for North through a raffle. I got to model the store, Peaches, which is a prom dress shop. My dress was a high-low mauve dress with a beaded top. It was so fun to wear! I also got to get my hair done in a fun up-do, with a bunch of other seniors. It was so fun to see how a small event like this can bring a senior class together. Everyone there was a leader of some sort of club or sport at North, so it was an amazing group of people to be around. 

I am super excited for all of the school activities that are to come with the end of the school year. I am excited to see what everyone is deciding to do with their future as they choose their next steps in education or the workforce. From what it looks like, 2022 is shaping up to be a pretty good year!