~:[CH13 - Day 121]:~ Keeping Things in Order

 
~:[CH13 - Day 121]:~ Keeping Things in Order

There's always something to organize. On my list of to-do's, my list of things to organize ranges from clothes to school materials to pictures and more. It's an endless cycle of things I need to do and it can be exhausting to think about. When you think about a mountain, it feels impossible to scale, but when you look at the step in front of you, you don't think much about it. When we want to avoid the stress and chaos of life, I think it's best if we break it down into smaller chunks. We wouldn't try to eat a hamburger in single bite, therefore, why do we try to take on these difficult tasks all at once. As I move from task to task, I keep it manageable so I can keep thinks in order and avoid stressing myself off. I take frequent mental breaks and find ways to keep myself motivated and happy. Yes, work can be a grind, but it can also be a lot easier when we take it all piece by piece. 

~:[CH13 - Day 120]:~ Togetherness

 
~:[CH13 - Day 120]:~ Togetherness

There's something about just being together that brings people together. In cross country, we hold a number of events and while they don't always know each other, the more time they spend together, the closer they become. It's true that not everyone will get along, but being in close proximity of people increases your chances of connecting. It's always nice to stake a step back and observe the students together and see them interact. After months preparing and a week in New York, you could see the connections they made over the course of this stretch in order to find the bonds that they have. In my own life, the ones I spend the most time with tend to be those in my inner circle of what I am doing. It's hard because I always want to connect with those who I hold dear in my heart, but often times because of my schedule, it's limited to those within close proximity. It's great to be able to form stronger bonds with those I see regularly, at the same time, it makes me realize that I have to make a greater effort to reach out to those who I don't see as much to ensure that we can also maintain our bonds despite our distance. As the night closed, it was fun to see the team together one last time as they joked around and ran around the shopping plaza before calling it a night. There was plenty of reason to celebrate, as they were recognized one final time for their wonderful efforts to reach this goal they aimed for. Congratulations to the Nationals 2024 delegation from Japan and the Republic of Korea on your accomplishments! 

~:[CH13 - Day 119]:~ On the Scenic Route

 
~:[CH13 - Day 119]:~ On the Scenic Route

 I used to be one of those kids who always tried to be the fastest to do something. I wanted to finish my homework first, learn a skill first, or even attain something first. I am not sure why I was always in a rush, but over time, I learned that while moving so quickly, I missed a lot along the way. When typing directions into Google Maps, it often gives you the fastest route, but is it the route you want to go? I often change it up and find a way to go the route I want to go; oftentimes the scenic route. I discovered in life that we often miss these beautiful moments when we preoccupy ourselves with trying to make everything happen so quickly. Even when we are not trying to be first, sometimes when we are often so focused on a goal, we miss out on opportunities that may have taken us to where we want to go or others that would have opened our eyes to new beauties and wonders to explore. In our lives, just remember that there is no one single route to where we want to go. Life is full of detours and also, life allows us to travel at our own pace. Even when that pace is not one that we ourselves want to go be going, roll down the window and enjoy the scenic route your on. Shake things up and force some of the things you want to happen, but also don't worry if things don't pan out, rather that having tunnel vision focused on your destination, look out and soak in the beauty of the route you're on. Eventually you'll find your way to your destination or a destination that is destined for you, but don't be afraid not toss Google Maps out the window and follow your own path to discover what lies out there on this path unknown. Maybe, just maybe, it'll be a path that brings you to a place better than you could have ever imagined. 

~:[CH13 - Day 118]:~ Finding Neverland

 
~:[CH13 - Day 118]:~ Finding Neverland

A moment can only ruin your day if you allow it. In the challenges of a given day, you have the choice to allow that moment to determine how your day is perceived or in many cases, you can allow yourself to focus on what you can control. It's true that in many cases, you have a right to be upset, angry and resentful, but acting on those emotions or allowing them to fill  your mind will keep you from progressing. The overwhelming tides of life push us downward as we drown in work, stress, and frustration. However, in some cases, we have the power to overcome it. While we may not need to find Neverland, we can find ways to find joy in our days and take ourselves to a place that is far away from the world that overwhelms us. No, it's not a fantasy world. The things we need to find joy are around us; sometimes right next to us. We just have to clear space in our minds of all that overwhelms us to see all that will bring the happiness we see. Whether creativity, imagination or something simple and precious, there are many things that will help takes us to that Neverland which will allow us to feel free. Life is already challenging enough, so let's not make it harder on ourselves, instead, let's release all that that hold us down so we can truly soar to places we only wished we could be in the past. Let's find our own Neverland, a place where we can truly live, love and find the joy that will bring us happiness. We deserve it and I think we can all find it, if we just believe that a place like Neverland can actually exist in our life. 

~:[CH13 - Day 117]:~ A Little Change in Pace

 
~:[CH13 - Day 117]:~ A Little Change in Pace

It felt a little weird knowing that I wouldn't have too large of a group for practice. For distance, I was left with three runners, plus two 4x400m teams. We had a short meeting for CIF, then we headed off to Bopomofo, something different than usual. It's nice when the pace of things changes as it kind of feels new and refreshing. Most times, I prefer a fast-paced and jam-packed day, however, it is nice to hit the slo-mo button and find yourself seeing life at a different pace. I bought lunch for my family and then headed out to a catch up dinner after practice. It felt nice to be able to relax, albeit briefly. I ventured home to finalize our entries for CIF and then relaxed a bit, as I cleaned up around the house. I still have a lot to do, but with this change of pace, I'll finally be able to find some free time to do the things I didn't have time to do in the past. 

~:[CH13 - Day 116]:~ Shining Under the Lights

 
~:[CH13 - Day 116]:~ Shining Under the Lights

There was a lot of chaos today, but most of it wasn't about our team. There were issues here and there that I had to deal with, which is not typical of league finals. My job as a meet manager is typically focusing on everything before a meet and rarely, during. Regardless, I still got to enjoy watching many of my athletes give their all, as they were shining under the lights. We had many excel and surpass our projections as they closed out their final race of the season. While a solid group of athletes advanced to CIF, tonight we also say farewell to many of our seniors. With each meet, the number of athletes shrinks and tonight is where we lose the most athletes during the season. It's always a bittersweet moment as we celebrate all the work these seniors did, but also are left with a bit of sadness as tonight is their last night. For many, tomorrow, they will face the strange reality of finishing up after sixth period, as they figure out to do with the extra time they usually spend working hard at school. For a few others, however, they will still attempt to keep their focus from another week longer, as they aim at giving their best performance so that they can extend their season even longer. No matter what happens down the line, however, I know that today, they all shined so brightly under the stadium lights. Congratulations on amazing season! 

~:[CH13 - Day 115]:~ The Second Round

 
~:[CH13 - Day 115]:~ The Second Round

I went to see another performance of Sweeney Todd. The casts were divided into two groups and today was the first performance of the Pie Cast. I truly enjoyed seeing the musical for a second time. The feel was different, yet it was also familiar which allowed me to be able to prepare for the changes in lighting. When doing things for a second time, I think we all can admit that it allows us to prepare for what's to come. However, while we may be able to predict most of what will happen, there are variables that will arise that change how things play out. I enjoy watching musicals again to see the smaller details I missed or the differences in how a performer will execute a certain line or action. They did a beautiful job with this production and I am glad I had the opportunity to be there for both casts. As dark as the plot and storyline of this musical is, these students definitely shined on stage. 

~:[CH13 - Day 114]:~ Framing

 
~:[CH13 - Day 114]:~ Framing

For those who are unaware, I do a lot of photography in Japan. I spent some time there covering events, planning, and also collaborating with various artists while there. During my time there, I came across another photographer. The first reason his page caught my eye was that his name was Junya Watanabe (reference to a song). Of course, secondly, it was because of the last name and his initials JW; the same as mine. It was great to finally connect in Japan at one of his shows and see his wonderful work. He recently release a book and I was glad to received his second print. When thinking about photography, when we are behind the lens, we need to frame our photos the way we think is most pleasing. We crop out what we don't want in our photos to give us the best image possible. If we Zoom in too far, we're stuck with what we have, but when we take a step back, we can later crop that photo. Life is kind of like photography. We have a choice to frame our view of life the way we want. Frame each moment in our lives as best as we can and while life doesn't have a photoshop that we can crop everything out we don't find pleasing, there are opportunities where we can crop things out and move forward and frame our lives the way we want. While some times it's unavoidable, many times, we have the power to change how our lives our and all it takes is a little bit of cropping. Keep our perspectives wide and then focus in on the things we want and the direction we want to go. As I continue my journeys working with photography around the world, I hope that at the end of the day, the photographs I take reflect a world that I want to share with the world. I hope that instead of making what others find beautiful, I find the image that I want for myself, as at the end of the day, others may have an opinion of what they say, but only I have to walk down this road that is my life. 

~:[CH13 - Day 113]:~ To My Seniors, With Love

 

~:[CH13 - Day 113]:~ To My Seniors, With Love

It was less than 12 hours after I got back from the airport when I had to head to league prelims. The turnaround was quite challenging, yet the day went so smoothly. The day was even better as my seniors organized their senior night at league prelims. Even when we had a home meet, we've never had a senior night, but we had a number of wonderful individuals who stepped up to the plate so that seniors could enjoy themselves. I always appreciate the seniors who make it this far as it's not easy to give up so much time to do something like this, but they do and it pays dividends. The seniors have given so much to this program and it will definitely be hard to see them leave, but as they do, I hope that they understand all the opportunities that await them. While the road ahead is long and arduous, they are fully capable of facing it head on and being able to find their way to the paradise in which they seek. The world will show them the highs and lows, however, I am confident that they'll be ready to handle it, especially if they face it on together. There was a bit of sadness within as we closed out the evening, of course, the throwers relay at the end of the meet, made the day even more special. Yes, my mind and body are beginning to rebel as I write this post, still yet, I am excited to be able to express my thanks to my seniors for all that they've given to this program while I only gave you intervals, hill repeats and fifteen pushups. Sending my deepest thanks, with love, Coach Watanabe.

~:[CH13 - Day 112]:~ Lost in the Whirlwind

 
~:[CH13 - Day 112]:~ Lost in the Whirlwind

After driving from Lexington to Cincinnati, I boarded a plane to Chicago and met up with an alum in the city, We grab lunch, went to a game at Wrigley field, and watch the second half of the Clippers game before I headed back to the airport for the last leg of the trip. Of course, my mind must have been elsewhere as demonstrated through my restaurant etiquette, as I forgot to leave a tip despite the great service. I realized it when I was already driving away. While my mind was clear enough to figure out a solution, I could tell that this weekend was quite demanding and that I needed a rest. I rested well on the plane as I knocked out after a beautiful impacted weekend. With league finals on my mind, I am not sure if I ever was able to truly relax, still yet, looking back, I can't say that it wasn't a wonderful time. My mind was lost in a whirlwind, yet I still landed in a few locations where I got to enjoy such beautiful moments that can never be replaced. When I got home, I headed straight to the computer and began planning and printing for tomorrow's race. While my head may have been lost in the whirlwind, I could feel that my heart was soaking in all of these precious moments. I never want to travel to four states in a single day again, however, I would also not a change a thing if I had to do it all again.