~:[CH15 - Day 257]:~ No Pearl, No Problem

 
~:[CH15 - Day 257]:~ No Pearl, No Problem

Enjoying the cheaper prices abroad, I indulged just a bit and it didn't hurt the wallet at all. However, as stated many times before, the good food paled in comparison to the enjoyable moments I had throughout the day. I actually had an easier morning as I got to catch up on some work. I headed out with a lighter load than most days and ran some errands. As I did, I saw a Pokemon snack and decided to play the game. "Let's get a snack," I thought. Well, 200 yen later, the pile of all the prizes came tumbling down into the prize shoot. Just over $1 netted me 13 bottled drinks and ten Pokemon cookie snacks. Good news, the prizes; bad news, my light load was no longer. I lugged around the bag to a locker near my final meeting, knowing it would be the smartest place to leave it. I finished up what I had to before my meeting as I enjoyed our dinner even more, knowing I got a break from the "workout." We laughed as I shared the story of my winnings. I didn't end up with a pearl in my oyster, but the gem of the day was the connections and quality time I spent both in my meetings and ending with my friends. I closed it all out with a memorable evening and although my body was sore, my heart was once again full, leaving me with a treasure that nobody could ever take away.

~:[CH15 - Day 256]:~ Celebrating Together

 
~:[CH15 - Day 256]:~ Celebrating Together

My scheduled got a little switched around with an event being canceled. It allowed me to move a meeting earlier in the day so I didn't have such a tight schedule later in the day. It was nice. Although I had a heavy load to lift through the day because of everything I needed for various moments, it was worth it. After a meeting that turned our well, I had a few moments to wander, before I headed out to the evening event. It was a birthday celebration performance and what I like about idols is that they create an event where they can celebrate together. You see the love and energy they put into these performances, as they are doing if for someone they love and appreciate. There was so much good energy in the crowds as while I wasn't tasked with anything specific for this event, I still enjoyed the celebration and captured so many wonderful moments. It's challenging when in these special moments you turn around and don't have anyone cheering you on, so I do hope that we surround ourselves with amazing people who will be there for us when we celebrate moments such as these, as well as in moments that can be tough to bear. I hope it's also a reminder to make an effort to be that person for someone else, especially when we know, there are few who are there for them when it matters most.  I sat back a bit and enjoyed the energy and truly know that she had an amazing birthday celebration, one she'll remember forever, knowing it all happened because of those who were alongside her in this very moment - celebrating together.

~:[CH15 - Day 255]:~ When the Light Shines

 
~:[CH15 - Day 255]:~ When the Light Shines

I love working with artists who bring hope and joy to others. I worked with two who did it in their own ways. I was a bit crazy to think this schedule would work out, but I trekked a bit over three hours out to Chofu before crossing back over four hours to Shibuya. It was a challenging day, but in the end, it worked out. Even amongst the shadows casts inside the train in Chofu, one artists lit up the moment. Her always cheerful and energetic energy was shared with all those in attendance. It was also great to see her family supporting her during the performance amongst the many fans there. It was a bit of a challenge finding the right spot in a limited space, but there were many moments when the light shone just right and made a moment magical. I guess that's life. We'll have to work and weaver ourselves through various shadows cast in our lives, but those moments when the light shines in our life are magical. They stand out compared to those other moments and truly are incredible. I always hope that this light is everlasting, however, I know that the challenging moments are also awaiting. As I trekked back to Shibuya, it was strange that the contrasting view was casts, a performance themes "After Tears." I think that darkness in life helps us appreciate the shining light and when the tears flow, it also helps us bring more meaning to the happiness that follows in life. Sometimes the sadness lingers, but at some point, the hope for better things brings sunshine into our lives. I was once again exhausted, but filled with joy and hope that the light of the world would shine on my path ahead. Even when shadows were cast and challenging moments required me to endure, the hope of what shined ahead and I hope that this perseverance could continue as I trekked on this journey ahead. I've endured the ups and downs in life and I only hope that these experiences will help me to continue to appreciate the light that shines like it did today. 

~:[CH15 - Day 254]:~ Nice Meeting You

 
~:[CH15 - Day 254]:~ Nice Meeting You

I had a bunch of meetings lineup right away. I enjoyed meeting people from various field from stylists to designers and more. We enjoyed good food and conversation. For those I knew, it was nice to reconnect and for those who I just met, it was great to learn more about them. As we chatted, the topic of 9/11 came up, which was a bit of a surprise to me while I was abroad. A little sadness entered as I thought about all the lives that changed. It reminded me of just how fragile life can be and how something so sturdy can be gone in an instant. I guess that's why I cherish these opportunities to meet people. I genuinely want to make connections and memories and I was able to do that today. You never know what life will throw at you on any given day, so cherish each moment. Disasters, pain, and suffering will happen, but no matter what happens in your life, keep building and focusing on surrounding yourself with people that will help you build (or rebuild) a world you want to see. From the ashes of 9/11 came many stories of heroism amongst the tragedy, connection amongst the lost, and hope amongst the pain, as it serves as a reminder that we can endure, especially when we do it together. 

~:[CH15 - Day 253]:~ Simply Enjoy

 
~:[CH15 - Day 253]:~ Simply Enjoy

I tried to finish up some work, but ran out of time, as I headed out. Instead of worrying about the pile of work, I tried to simply enjoy the break I had. It was kind of nice being restricted from doing things as I finished up what I could do, they used the rest of the time to search through the choices of food available. I grabbed my meal and then headed on my way, wondering what adventures awaited ahead. I know the worry of things that need to be taken care of will swirl around in my mind, however, they'll just have to wait as there's not much I can do about it now. Enjoy your here and now, but sometimes it takes your inability to do something to help you realize how much you truly needed a little delay in your schedule. While I will hit the ground running, at least I was able to hit pause for just a moment before the sprint ahead. 

~:[CH15 - Day 252]:~ A Little Heated

 ~:[CH15 - Day 252]:~ A Little Heated

By 6am, we were already at the park setting up. The gate to the park wasn't open yet. It's a lot different than our previous league, but it was nice to work with someone to setup since I don't have to carry the full load of work. However, with a super conference can sometimes come super problems. With the heat climbing much higher than anticipated, we already knew that we probably couldn't make it through all the races, at least not without adjustments. The coaches met and we seemed to be on the same wavelength, trying to figure out what the combine when another coach comes in and says, "we're not chaning the schedule." We looked at each other thinking, "what?" He called his admin over who said the same thing. At the very least, we could have run the varsity teams first, instead we started as normal, then they tried to combine races at the last minute to try to get the races done. I was pretty heated. It may have simply been the heat, but over ten coaches were ready and willing to make the change so we could get the main races done. We devised a plan based on common sense after a coach went over the projected timeline for the heat index. A majority of the coaches seemed to be on board, yet a single coach stopped it. It got dismissed, only for them to try and revert back to a similar plan that we proposed earlier. It wasn't a great start to the new conference. While we cannot control the weather, we can control our plan to prepare for the worst. We can think of ways to solve what's ahead of us and often, we can come across something that works. However, we will also come across those who try to get in the way, who can get you a little heated as they impede progress or at least how much progress you're capable under the given circumstances. Do what you can, but at the end of the day, you may have just go back to the drawing board and find a way to maneuver around those obstacles. Life is a puzzle, but not just any puzzle. It tends to change all the time, ever being the same. As time passes, sometimes it gets easier, but often, a new wrinkle is thrown in to throw us off. When that wrinkle comes, iron it out. Take some time to assess and figure it out before you figure out your next steps and often, you'll find yourself a litlte more clear headed and ready to face what's ahead. Who knows what will help next meet, but all I know is, we left today knowing we need to step up a bit more to overcome those who may simply be there to make it harder for us all. Wish us luck!

~:[CH15 - Day 251]:~ Final Prep

 

~:[CH15 - Day 251]:~ Final Prep

In a new conference, it feels a little weird getting ready for our race tomorrow. Very little info and also not as much work today. With other coaches taking the brunt of the work, I no longer have piles and piles of work, however, there are still things to do. It also keeps me out of the loop a bit, so at times it's a little unnerving as I don't always know what is going on. Regardless, I can still prep my athletes by going over the course and various race strategies. The benefit of 6th period is there is an opportunity to meet with them and go over things. With a lot of other things going on that I'm getting ready for, this was one of many things that would lead me to this late night, trying to squeeze everything in. Let's hope I'm ready as tomorrow is a new experience and you never can predict how these types of moments will go. Wish me luck!

~:[CH15 - Day 250]:~ Setting the Bar

 
~:[CH15 - Day 250]:~ Setting the Bar

It was a recovery day today. I sorted through my files and transferred what I needed to,. I began catching up on work that I hadn't gotten to. I even had a little time to rest. I truly was exhausted. However, as I thought about the concert from last night, I was blown away with the idea that this group is in the middle of a tour when they traveled to so many places and sold our stadiums like they did tonight. Others have come before them in these types of arenas, but the scale of what they did and the enthusiasm behind it, is something that I haven't seen. I definitely enjoyed the beautiful visuals of the stage and the amazing performances, but what I liked most is that it made me think of how I can push myself to raise the bar on my own goals. How can I do something on another level and raise the bar? How do I keep excelling and never settle without becoming too exhausted? Where do I find that balance? There are a lot of questions as you journey to improve yourself and push yourself, but if you want to set the bar, it doesn't come without the risks. Even if you're not aiming too high, trust in yourself and allow yourself to authentically be yourself while pushing forward to pursuing excellence. When you do what you love, it seems to be a lot easier to put in the time and effort to chase after your dreams. 

~:[CH15 - Day 249]:~ Truly Magical

 

~:[CH15 - Day 249]:~ Truly Magical

It was incredible to see my former athlete on stage. As a freshman he was quite. We did our best to make him apart of our team and he always came along, even if he hadn't found his voice yet. Fast forward to today and he spoke on stage in front of an entire ballroom of people. Not only did he give a speech today, he became a teacher who lectures in front of his students regularly, having to do something that wasn't easy for him not long ago. There was a lot of talk of overcoming obstacles and boundaries and I was touched by his words. Watching him dance on the dance floor later on, reminded me of our dance unit we held during PE years and years ago. It was a nostalgic moment, but also one that reminded me about the magic of our roles as educators. While we often use our meetings to talk about data, there is no data that can measure our ultimate reach. Learning how to score well on a standardized test to help our school's data, pales in comparison to see the growth of a student. I'm not saying it's not important, but there are many more measures to success than what we are looking at today. For those with students who haven't entered high school yet, I think it's definitely a valid point to consider. Where will they thrive the most? To see students thrive is what I hope for and something I have to remind myself of daily. I often veer of track with the stress of everything weighing down, but I must remember that in order for the magic to happen, I must fulfil my role and help provide the experiences these students need to help them find their voice. Congrats on your truly beautiful and magical union!

~:[CH15 - Day 248]:~ Community

 
~:[CH15 - Day 248]:~ Community

The moment we begin eating, I smile. We made it. Every year, getting to the finish line is the key goal at the Great Cow Run. For the athletes, they want to pass in the fastest time. For me, I want to get through it with minimal issues. As I look around, I am so grateful for all those who make this work. I see the parents who come year after year, the coaches and athletes who do their part, and the alumni and other supporters who show up year after year. This year, I had a few groups of alumni sign up and they ended up coming up clutch in making the meet work. It's also nice when you have to do very little instructing on the day of, as everyone takes on their role and moves forward. It takes a community to make things work and I am truly grateful to have our ohana. It's always nice to see everyone year after year and I am truly appreciative that they simply show up. At the end of the day, I smiled knowing we had crossed the finish line and it was only because of the community who uplifted me along the way. Thank you again for helping us maintain this wonderful event.