No One is Invincible, Wear a Helmet.

So a few weeks ago after not qualifying for small boat nationals, I was pretty bummed out. Yeah it wasn't on my list of major goals for the year, but it was still something we worked hard for. That next week, while the ones who had were taking a break to recover, Lukas and I decided not to. I wanted to challenge myself, push myself, and he was the perfect teammate to do that with. We rarely do anything out of the ordinary training wise so I thought creating a little triathlon challenge would be fun. 12km row, 20km bike, and 8km run. For the people who do traditional triathlons, don't laugh, we aren't used to it... Check out the video here!

After I posted that video, my cousin Skip, who has been training a lot on his mountain bike, called me out BIG TIME on not wearing a helmet. I sort of felt dumb, realized I should, and bought one. Now let me put this into context: I have been riding my bike since day one of being in France. I take the exact same route to go to school and back almost every day. I'm comfortable riding alongside cars, but I'm always aware of my surroundings. I've also never had an accident...don't ask me to knock on wood, it's too late!

Two days after getting my new helmet, I was riding to class, a little late but what's new, right before 8 a.m. As I was passing my old elementary school, my side of the street was clear, no cars ahead. I did see a delivery truck stop in the road on the opposite side with its warning lights on. Aware, I kept pedaling and looked out for any cars coming around. Then the driver stepped out close to his truck, took a few steps toward the back, waved thank you/sorry to the cars he was blocking and darted across the street at the last moment without looking right, which happened to be right in front me. I didn't even have enough time to touch my breaks, I tried to react by swerving a little, but I just hit him full speed. After that moment, which felt like I just got rocked by an NFL player, I remember just laying there in the middle the street on my back. I had flipped over my bike at an angle that made me land on my hip, knee, and elbow. I remember thinking "Well damn, I'm not going to be able to seat race this weekend..." But I got up, people who had watched it happen rushed to see if I was ok and the delivery guy limped over to the side walk. I told the people I was ok, which in their mind apparently meant they could leave, even though they were witnesses, since it was rush hour. Luckily, others were calling the firemen. Once I made sure that the other guy wasn't dying, I then collected myself, and thought, "Damn! I'm happy I had that helmet." I'm not going to lie, I love riding around town with no helmet, but when you are cruising around 30km/hr (18.6mi/hr) and something happens, you want to be wearing a helmet.

Yes, cars and other motor vehicles are dangerous on the road. Unless you ride yourself or you are conscious of others, there are some real idiots out there who will cut you off, break on you, or even come up and run you off the road. But to me, pedestrians are the worse. They cross the street without looking and on cycling lanes unaware of how dangerous their movements are. For example, we were riding a few weekends ago on an outdoor public cycling track and while we were waiting for our group, people were playing in the middle of the track, letting their children run around and kick the ball. I don't know if you have ever seen a Sunday peloton pass by, but it's no joke. So please wear a helmet and above all, be aware of yourself and the people around you, it could spare a life.

Much love.

Our Last Day

Who am I? Who do I want to be? How do I get there?

I vividly remember sitting in a chair with a bunch of green around me listening to Armen Keteyian ask us those three questions.

At that very moment, with so many around me, I felt completely alone. I felt naked, even with a suit and robe on. My mind was running in a perpetual state of anxiety.

I've lived in different countries, different cities, and done a million things most people will never get to experience, but I was still not sure who I was. I knew I was a rower and that I was a good student, but I didn't know for sure what represented me. Then the other day, it was my birthday, and I was submerged in love and happiness by my friends and family. That's when I saw as I took a step back that I have touched so many people in a positive way without trying. In no way is this an egocentric thought, but rather a fulfilling one. Knowing that I have been someone they could count on, work with, laugh with, is who I believe I am today.

But back to that gigantic church full of educated people. For that past year, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, the only thing that kept me motivated was rowing and training. That's when I took an insane risk. I decided to not take the GRE, move to France away from my friends and girlfriend, and start a Master degree. I didn't even know if I was accepted until July 8th, which would have really been a slap in the face if I wasn't, knowing I had no back up plan. Through the last two years, I have been clearing out a path that makes me happy. Finally, two years later, I am a lot closer to knowing who I want to be. Professionally at least! But all that can change quickly, which is why I work on multiple projects in different areas to stay fulfilled and keep motivated. The rest is just a long work in process.

So how I do I get there? I asked myself as I get ready to stand up from my seat and get in line for my diploma. Frankly, I have no idea, but I do believe that no matter what your choices are, they aren't set in stone, which gives you the liberty to do whatever you want. I told myself to work hard and seek knowledge from the best who were around me so that I could become better than they'll ever be. If I don't get there one day, I'll just simply go back to the first two question and ask myself "who am I and what I do I want to be?"

Today was the last time I sat down with my classmates, drinking crappy coffee, whining about class and papers, and laughing as the two hour classes stretched on. Thank you for helping me when I needed it and forging a family of friends.

Much love.