The Good Ole Days

 You hear it time and time again. 

"These are the best days of your life"

"You will blink and it will be over"

"These are the days you will miss" 

"You can't get the time back"

The cliches are endless. 

I will be the first to admit I am not great at emotions or sharing my feelings. I tend to try and avoid them, and while I have gotten better at them I am nowhere near an open book. However, at times my ability to open up and share is through writing, it is my outlet. 

Four years ago on a Monday night in late February, I made the greatest decision of my life, with the help of family and friends. I became a polar bear, I decided to call Ada, Ohio my home for the next four years. (I have now been able to stretch it to five) I knew I was making a good decision academically, I felt strong about the athletics, but not even I could have predicted how amazing a decision it would be. 

The athletics, the academics they are great, but they fall flat in comparison to the people the village of Ada has blessed me with. I have been given the most amazing people that I know will be with me for the rest of my life.

As the time winds down, I know that my time in Ada and the people I have been surrounded with for the past four years is coming to a close. And only one emotion comes to mind, Love. 

I love this place, I love these people. Ada provided me with the most amazing college experience imaginable and with everything I have been through the ups and downs I would make the same decision time and time again. 

I will never be able to express how much MY people mean to me. They know who they are. They know the impact they have had on me, and if they don't, this is their post. Their appreciation post. 

I have grown so much over the past four years and it is because of the support system and love I am surrounded by day in and day out. 

I have brothers for the rest of my life, football, soccer, and tennis players plus countless others that will always be down to steal a street sign, drink beer in a blizzard, or give me a hug when I lose a high school football coach. 

I have sisters for the rest of my life, basketball, softball, and volleyball players both active and retired that will always be there to listen till 4am, get a SODA from McDonald's, or take an ice cream trip. 

I have my people. I have a home that will never go anywhere because it is my people. They will never know everything they have done for me because I am still learning to share those emotions but I do know one word, Love. 

I love you all, my brothers and sisters for life that no matter where we go, we will be there for each other. 

For me art is an amazing expression of emotion, specifically, I have fallen in love with tattoos, especially ones that tell a story. 

And for those of you that may not be up to date on my human canvas status, I now have two that express my story of home, and the importance of the people I have met in every stop I have made. 

One that I received today with four of my brothers that will be with me till the day that I die.

6*1*5 (Our address here in Ada, Ohio for the past year) 

VI-Six brothers

I- One House

V- Five guys to be there for it all

My other tattoo that I received a little while back expresses the journey I have been on and how I will carry it in every step I take moving forward. I have been blessed to live in a lot of amazing places, with amazing communities and support systems, filled with Love. Communities that I will never take for granted with people that have made me, me. I will carry them with me, forever and all the lessons they have taught me, with all the love they have given me.