Dear Betsy: A Goodbye

Dear Betsy the Blue Explorer,
 First of all thank you! Thank you for the endless memories that you gave me over the years, thank you for sticking with me even when I forgot about an oil change or let a leaky tire go for too long, thank you for being my traveling tack trunk and closet and thank you for in the end protecting me.
 The first time you saved me was when you saved me from the possibility of having to drive the Bonneville aka the "old dead man's car." I was so terrified that when I went to start driving that son of a gun would start up but instead I was lucky enough to get you. You dealt with me when I learned to drive in North Carolina and then when we moved up to Maryland you got me through my driving test, of course I was shaking the entire time. You let me pack tons of people into you...sometimes not on seats. You trustingly went off roading, climbed ridiculous hills and trucked through snow so that I never missed a day at the barn. When proms and homecomings came around there was never a question which car we would take. The years of high school were great and window chalk filled but then it was off to college.
 Yep, you even trucked it down to Virginia Intermont. You were my traveling piece of home and sometimes my only escape. When snow came to the "south" you never flinched, instead we picked up all of the "southerners" and went sledding while the rest of town bundled up in there "snowed in" apartments. When there was a stray dog on the side of the road, you perched yourself on a crazy road while I coaxed Marmalade into the car and off we went. Then when graduation approached you took me to every single job interview...yes there were many 3 point turns and sketchy gas stations along the way. Thank you for dealing with my awful sense of direction!!
 After college you traveled all over while I attempted to find my dream job. Then when no other car would get Mike and I through a winter trip up north, you somehow sucked it up and made the trip up to New Jersey with no problems. When snow and ice came down to Georgia you made it to the barn like it was nothing. Then last night when that car came flying through the intersection, right through their red light, you faithfully took the impact like a tank.
 With over 218,000 miles of memories spanning from North Carolina to Maryland to Virginia to Maryland again to Pennsylvania to West Virginia to New Jersey to Georgia, there certainly won't be another Betsy.
Love,
Me

Just one of the Bristol snow storms that Betsy trucked me through.

Missed opportunities: My note to all the dreamers

Teaching and coaching at the collegiate level has taught me many many things. One thing in particular that has continued to repeat itself to me is that the world is full of missed opportunities. Now I don't mean the opportunities that we miss because we didn't see them in front of us, I mean the opportunities that we refuse to see or maybe we are too afraid to jump out and grab them.

If I could say one thing to this upcoming generation (yep that makes me feel old) I would say to make your dreams happen! Yes, I know that we have all heard that exact line in a graduation speech or read it in a self help book but honestly think about your dreams. Have you made those dreams happen? If you haven't think about why not, you have to honestly think about why you didn't make them happen. 

I also want to tell all of my students to not be afraid to let your dreams change! Sometimes we get tunnel vision on what we want to achieve and we forget to look around and see the other things that bring us joy. If your end goal changes, that's ok!

Now I have had many of my students come into my office and tell me all about their hopes and dreams for after graduation. They come in with amazing plans and opportunities and yep, you guessed it they change their minds all the time about what to do. I love that they have so many opportunities and I encourage them to explore each and every opportunity. Often times the ones that seem like the greatest opportunity tend to be the ones that they are the most scared of taking. Sometimes you just have to swallow that fear and jump, who knows it could be the greatest thing you've ever done!

Working at an all women's college has opened my eyes to another side of missed opportunities. I hope and pray that Mike and I's relationship can serve as some kind of reminder to my students that you can reach for your dreams, you can have a career and you can have love. So many times I watch girls with amazing dreams push them aside from fear that they can't have it all. But you know what I think, actually what I believe? I believe that anyone who you are in a relationship with should support your dreams, they should encourage you to take chances that will allow you to grow as a person, they should celebrate with you when you are offered something amazing as a result of your hardwork...and the flip side of this? You should do the same for your significant other! 

Love should be about growing together, not forcing each other to stay the exact same way that you were when you met. Call me crazy that I think growing in my dreams with someone by my side that supports me is way better than waving goodbye to opportunities. I feel so lucky and blessed that Mike is so insanely supportive of me! If someone doesn't share in your joy of your dreams, there is someone else out there for you, someone who will share in your excitement!

Sometimes you have to be your own biggest fan.

Sometimes chasing your dream will be really hard or lonely.

Sometimes no one else will "get" your dream.

Sometimes you'll hit a fork in the road of your dreams.

Sometimes your dreams will change.

But God will always be there, not just sometimes, all the time.

So follow your dreams, take the path that your heart leads you down because sometimes you might just get what you've always wanted or even better you might find exactly what God has in store for you.

And along the way don't forget to look around and thank all of the people who are rooting you on and supporting your dreams. I know I owe a huge thank you to Mike but also to my parents. My parents may not have understood my dreams when I was going through college but they supported me. But even more importantly they showed me what a truly supportive relationship looks like. Both of my parents made compromises to support the dreams of the other, they made equal compromises! They showed me that hard work pays off and if you work hard enough and follow your heart you can have love and your dreams. 

Love y'all!!

If things get tough on your path remember you always have someone to turn to :)