Any period of time longer than say one hour will have its share of ups and downs. Even the best of days will have their negative moments, but I can say, that even with some major lows in 2007, this year was my best year ever. There were numerous highs that far outweighed the major lows, both of which, if you are willing to continue reading, I will tell you about.
If at the end of 2006 I was to guess which way 2007 was going to end up, it really could have gone either way. The move to China was such a major undertaking, a dramatic change from what I knew there was no way to know which way it would end up. I can say, without question, the move to China was one of the best things I have ever done. The move from my comfort zone challenged me to try new things, get comfortable in sometimes uncomfortable situations, make do with what I had available, meet new people, appreciate what I had in my life and generally take advantage of life’s opportunities, never being content with the status quo.
Elizabeth Gilbert, in her memoir "Eat, Pray, Love" talks about how each place, each person, can be encapsulated in one word. She claims that Rome's word is sex while the Vatican's word is power. I was challenged to find a word to describe myself, the word that I finally settled on was experience. I am not content to be shown a picture of a place, I want to be there, experiencing it for myself. This has never been more true than in 2007. Maybe it was luck, but I was able to experience more of the world in 2007 than ever before. My experiences in China were well documented here so I will not go into too many details, however, I will say that the friends I made and the experiences that I had were far better than anything I expected prior to departure. The number one highlight of the trip was living in Beijing, experiencing all that city has to offer. I now think of Beijing as my own, with at least some knowledge of some “hidden” places, off of the tourist track. The other standout moments of the trip came from my experiences outside of Beijing, the new places I visited in Shanghai, and the city of Xi’an. While the Terra Cotta Warriors were a bit of a disappointment, the food and people of Xi’an more than made up for that. I am looking forward to my return to Beijing, I am certain that this time will be at least as rewarding as my first time as an ex-pat, perhaps more so since I will have less of a learning curve as I again immerse myself in a foreign culture.
While my time in Beijing certainly made for a great year, what really set this year apart was what occurred after I left China. The trip home was more than I could have hoped for. The people I met, the experiences I had and the places I visited were beautiful and memorable. The trip home was not without it’s low points though. A month of travel by yourself can make you lonely no matter how many people you encounter. The friendships made while traveling are generally temporary ones, lasting just as long as your paths are crossed, typically for a day or two. The necessity to remake friends becomes a bit tedious after a few days, much less almost a month. That said, I know that my experiences would have been greatly altered if I was traveling with someone else. Whether this alteration would have been for good or bad no one will ever know. The other low point was that my grandmother, Lois Jasperse passed away while I was on my way back home. While I know that she was suffering from poor healthy, a death is never easy to deal with, not being in the same country removes you even further from the grieving process.
When I got back to the State's, the run of great experiences continued. Coaching this fall went extremely well, capped by a Second Place finish at State Meet. I was also named Michigan D2 Coach of the Year, a unexpected honor to cap a very successful year. The finish to this swim season was the absolutely perfect way to end that chapter of my life, however, it also showed me how much coaching means to me. The relationships that I have formed through coaching have rarely been matched in my other endeavors. In part because of the success at the end of the year, I will be back next year to coach FHC again. Maybe it is a bit of hubris, to come back and try to match the success that we had this year will take a huge effort, but an effort that I feel is worth it. The finish to 2007 is icing on the cake, showing me that, even if it was not clear to me before, all of the time that I have spent on deck coaching has been worth it.
The year was capped off with yet another trip, this time over Thanksgiving to Costa Rica. This was my first time south of the U.S. and was very different than Europe and Asia. Our weather was a bit rainier than we expected though this may be foolish since it was the rainy season. The rain forest, volcano and wildlife we saw were impressive. This highlight for me, however, was learning how to surf. Drew, Em and I spent 2 hours on the Pacific Ocean waiting for the good waves. We were successful on a few and I cannot wait to go again. We did forget one major thing, sunscreen and spent the next week in pain. A lesson learned.
In December I got a phone call with more bad news, Michael Mowers was found dead in New Mexico. Michael was just 22 years old. I had spent a few nights at his place when I first returned to the U.S. and to hear that he was dead came as a total shock. There are still a lot of unanswered questions about the events surrounding his death, answers that may never be found.
This was a year unlike any other and with it come some favorite things. So without further ado, here are a few of my favorite things...2007 edition.
Best Album...Feist, The Reminder- This was the soundtrack of the second half of the year. The music is infectious, even if it is somewhat ruined now that she is the iPod girl. That said, the songs on this CD will forever have some very good memories associated with them. China and Brandy Alexander, Russia and the Park and State Meet and 1,2,3,4. This is an pop album that will remain on my frequently played list for quite some time.
Best Journey...Trans-Siberian- This trip is something that I have wanted to do for quite some time with a fair amount of expectation that went along with it. It did not disappoint. The six and a half days on the train were incredible, even with a bit of sickness. Time will only make the memories better. The sights, relaxation, food (or lack thereof) and people were what made this an unforgettable journey.
Bonus Prize...Trip home from Xi'an. Made for the best story and one of the most uncomfortable experiences in my life. That said, now that it is over I would not have wanted to do it any other way. Standing for 12 hours will never be forgotten.
Best Meal...Lamb Chuar and Paomo in Xi'an. Sitting in the Muslim Quarter on rickety plastic stools sharing great food and beer with Traci ranks as one of my all time top dining experiences. The evenings in Xi'an assured that I can never really enjoy American Chinese food. It just does not compare to the real stuff, whatever that may be.
Best Day...November 16th. Finals of State Meet. It will take a lot for another day to match the positive emotions of that day. Everything went right, a rare occurrence in Swimming or anything else for that matter. I am so proud of how the girl's swam.
Best Year...2007! I hope that 2008 is close to as memorable as 2007 has been. I will share with you that journey here. Wishing you a Happy New Year!
