Two Years - Part I

Two years. I knew it would go by fast, it's just weird to be living and experiencing the end of it now.

About three years ago was around the time that I decided to bite the bullet and actually go back to school. I had been thinking about graduate school for quite some time and I had even taken a test prep class a couple of years prior when I first considered a return to school. Although, I never took the test until a few years later. But as the years would pass by so quickly yet nothing seemed to change, I finally realized that time would continually to fly by and nothing would continue to change unless I did something different.

Now, two years later and an MBA to add to my resume, I am a masters graduate of business. The accomplishment feels great. It was an extremely involved, busy and demanding two years, but it was also rewarding, memorable and a lot of fun. I feel I am a stronger, more confident person and I feel more focused on my goals and desires. I went into graduate school with the hopes of coming out a better person, having a stronger assurance of what I want in my future, of course, more knowledgeable, and even, more brave. I feel like I have accomplished all of that and I feel very satisfied in what I have done. I had a really great experience with some amazing people and I think I am a better person because of it.

Warsaw Sports Marketing Center Class of 2010

At graduation in June, all of my family came to Eugene for a visit. Everyone was there and it became the family vacation we don't take too often.


I took them to all of the "hot spots" in Eugene, which lasted about half of a day, then ventured outside of town and went to Silver Springs State Park just off Interstate 5. In just a short hike, visitors can see 10 waterfalls. The biggest is the first one on the south end and you can hike right underneath it!





Since graduation, I have been pretty busy trying to enjoy what summer time I could. In the process I have been looking for a job, and not knowing when or where I would end up working, I have just been enjoying the free time. I haven't been too anxious to return to work. We all know what the daily grind is like...so I have been doing other stuff to pass the time.

To start off, I had a birthday! It was pretty chill this year and I spent it with my family. Denise and Kimball made me THE BEST cupcakes ever, an army of penguins! Their penguinness made eating them even more fun!




Then after the kids went to bed, we went and saw a pretty awesome film made by one of Denise's friends, "Best Worst Movie". I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and unique documentary. The best characters just can't be written!

After my birthday, I returned to Eugene to move out of my apartment. As always, moving presents itself with key opportunities to really purge and literally, clean house. Case in point: On my wall I have a poster of the opera "Madam Butterfly". I think it is a beautiful poster of a vintage print of the famous, but tragic, Puccini opera. I have it on my wall because at one point in my mom's singing career, she played the part of the geisha, Madame Butterfly in a performance of the opera. I have it because it is almost like a tribute to my mom and her amazing voice. Funny thing is, my mom hates the poster. Each time she has visited my apt, which is twice, she has chastised me every time she has seen the poster. I know, it doesn't really make sense. I have the poster up because it is a memory of my mom. My mom hates the poster because of the opera's story and always tells me take it down. Why? Not for any other reason than this (best spoken in the words of my mom): "Miliam. This why you not married. This opera terrible opera. Very sad. Her husband leave her and she kill herself. Bad poster. You throw away."

It never really made sense to me, but after so many lectures from her, I finally decided to get rid of it. And she better be right. I am expecting wedding bells any day now. Any day now, mom...



I fit all of my stuff in a storage bin and as of now, it's all sitting on a storage lot somewhere in Eugene, waiting to be delivered to me in my new place of residence. Likely Seattle.

After packing everything up, I stayed in Eugene for a week or so working on a couple of local track events, then I finally left for good. Eugene, I will miss you, but only a little bit. Probably like less than 1%.

I headed to where the sun shines almost everyday and found myself in San Diego and Los Angeles with friends and family. I ate tacos at the best fish taco joint in town, South Beach Bar & Grille. Rode bikes around Coronado Island with Rachel and our friend, Susan. Hiked and walked along the beach at Torrey Pines State Park in Del Mar. And spent the day at the beach in La Jolla. SoCal is wonderful for so many reasons.






In my next post, I'll highlight what I did after SoCal: Colorado, Wyoming and South Dakota. In that order.