Sunday, June 13, 2010

That Dream Guy...What Did You Say His Name Was, Again?

So, I'm watching "Dear John" today on a Sunday afternoon, in between doing laundry and lunch, and as I'm watching, I'm thinking, "Could there ever be a guy out there for me like John?"

Well, inquiring minds want to know...really...

Every girl, in my opinion, has an ideal guy. For me, I've thought of that someone since middle school. Ha ha. Sad, isn't it? I think that in middle, or elementary school, you dream about a lot of things from the future. For example, when I was in 3rd grade, I thought that I would be training for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games for track & field, probably in the 400 and 800 meter run; and in order to get there, I would need to train at either a NCAA Division I or II athletic program in college beforehand. I knew that by the time I would be 25 years old and in prime time shape for the Olympics.

Fast-forward to nearly 15 years later...I did compete at a NCAA Division II athletic school, however, I'm probably not going to make it in any event for the Olympics.

Bottomline: I made a wish for the future, hoping that it would all come true...and it partially did, revealing to me a much better self-satisfying solution: Collegiate All-American. :-)

That eight-year-old inside me has another desire besides running and competing...a soul mate.

And that eight-year-old has said once before, "I think that he will be tall...'cause he has to be taller than me. That's how it works. And...with dark hair and dark brown eyes, with a very cute smile...and he has to be handsome!"

LOL Yeah, I think I said that before. But since then, I've thought more about what I want in a guy, aside from just appearance.

I want to find someone who is carefree and laid-back (to contrast with my uptight self)...Someone who can always make me smile and laugh...Someone who is very trusting...Someone who appreciates and encourages my active running (because I would like to run for the rest of my life)...Someone who pushes me to try new things and makes me see things in a different light...

...Someone who is NOT like my dad. LOL No offense to my dad.

Most importantly, I want to find someone who believes in Christ and respects my spirituality behind my Christian beliefs. It's difficult to find a guy like that.

And then there's a girl's dream of a wedding...when I was in ninth grade Sunday School class, our teacher asked us to draw what our future wedding dresses would look like...and I forget what I drew.

But I knew that I wanted to get married in 2015...at the minimum 2012. There's just something about the age of 25 for me. I don't know what it is. And the wedding could happen anytime in the fall...as long as there are preparations for it to be indoors if the weather turns to crap that day.

And the wedding would need to honor God in some way, shape or form. I would like all my closest members of the Slippery Rock women's cross-country and/or track to be there...maybe as bridesmaids.

Most importantly, I want my grandfather see me get married before he passes on. He's 86 right now...so, there's still time.

Whoever has my interest in the near to late future, I want them to respect everything that I have in life, and to be patient with me. I'm a bit of a crazy girl to work with. Hehe.

Alright. Laundry's done. Time to get groceries...and then time for a long run at Cook Forest State Park.

Until next time... ;-)

Sunday, June 6, 2010

First Entry! :-D

Hi everyone!

My name is Jaime Wright. I'm 23. And I'm attending Clarion University of Pa. for graduated school in the Mass Media Arts and Journalism program. I'm also a former collegiate student-athlete. I competed all four years at Slippery Rock University (Clarion's rival in sports) in women's cross-country and track & field, and the pinnacle of my career came in 2008 when I earned All-American honors in women's cross-country (on my home cross-country course in snowy weather!).

I am currently the graduate assistant coach for Clarion University's women's track & field/cross-country program...it's interesting. I'm not sure if I really, really like it, but I really want to stay in the competitive running circuit and it's fun to explore this coaching thing.

What else would you like to know about me? Oh, I'm from Maryland...and it's weird whenever I have to explain that part because I am constantly meeting people from Pennsylvania..western Pa. I don't know if I ever get tired to explaining...but I LOVE meeting new people, so I think it's all good. 8-)

Besides my name, location, age, school and major...what else is there to know about me?

I was diagnosed with pyloric stenosis ("narrowing of pylorus muscle") when I was 18 days old. A rare medical condition that builds tissue in this "open-and-close" valve in the digestive system. Yes, I still have the scar above my bellybutton..to the right. Ha ha.

I chipped my front tooth, and a sliver of my other front tooth during 5th grade basketball practice...and I was calm about it all when I got home (except for my parents). Ha...uh, ha.

My parents separated in 2000, and got divorced in 2001. In the same year (2001) my parents got their divorce, my closest relative EVER, my grandmother Dotty Albaugh Wright (dad's mom) passed away from cancer...and at the funeral, at 14, I saw my dad cry for, nearly, the first time. She was an amazing woman. She went to church with my grandfather nearly every Sunday...taught Sunday School for 20-some years, and had strong church relations. I feel that her death somewhat contributed to my path and interest with the church (We're not Catholic, by the way...Protestant.) because I decided to go to service with my grandfather while he was coping with the loneliness.

I started competitively running at age 8. Before that, I did little league t-ball...and so did everyone's kid in Thurmont, Md. Other parents noticed how much I loved to run around the bases at practice, and mentioned it to my mom. Finally, in 2nd grade, my mom met my P.E. teacher after parent-teacher conferences outside in the parking lot, and suggested to take me to the local track club practices to try track. It kind of came together like it was meant to be.

I ran my first 5k (for fun) at Gettysburg Area High School at the first annual Jesse Martin Memorial Run Bench and Run 5k...and I can't remember what time I got, but some people were impressed. I was 10 years old at the time.

Since age 8, I have done everything on the track...well, not quite. The 100 meter dash, 200 meter, 400 meter, 800 meter, 1500 (at age 9/10), 3000 meter (college); 5,000 meter (college); 10,000 meter (college); long jump (age 8 - high school); triple jump (high school).

I was really good at the 400 and 800 meter at 10 years old, then I excelled at distance in high school thanks to a few ridiculous "coaches" in high school. High school track and cross-country was ridiculous...I was running with the boys with barely any girls...and those girls were ones I couldn't really train with. And those boys gave me the worse time in the world! They could have cared less about me, detering my self-esteem. But guess what? I didn't stop running just because they tormented me.

Coach Paul DuBois mentioned Slippery Rock for the first time at one of my senior high school practices, and I was curious to know what that was. I was hooked when he mentioned that he knew the coach. At that time, I was already going through many colleges, typically from Pennsylvania that were NCAA Division II. Why?

Shippensburg. I credit Shippensburg University and Coach Steve Spence for the help I received through track & field/cross-country camps and finding out about Division II athletics. They ignited the fire!

Somehow, I narrowed my college search down to Slippery Rock University, Shippensburg University and Clarion University. Clarion, unfortunately, was taken out because the head coach (at the time) retired, and a new coach stepped in...but how was I to know if he was going to be promising? Slippery Rock seemed like a great school to attend because the head coach had his feet planted and was not going anywhere, plus he had incredible credibility and a great sense of humor. The school itself was beautiful and everyone seemed happy...like a family I wanted to be a part of. Shippensburg was closer to home, but did I really want? After Slippery Rock mentioned a tuition break for out-of-state students who had 3.0 GPA or above, I had to ask Shippensburg's admissions people and Coach Spence, but they seemed clueless as to what I was asking about.

So, Slippery Rock it was! I had the best four years there of my life. I went to so many places across the country thanks to SRU Head Coach John Papa, and I wonder if I would have traveled to Alaska without Papa? (probably not)

Now, I'm back at Clarion University, and I want to help this women's track/cross-country program. I want to be the ladies' reliable and encouraging resource...but I'm learning that that is not the case. There is so much to realize to learn!

I'll let you know more in my next entry...Clarion University and Clarion, Pa. ...the what capital of the world, again? ;-) (autumn leaf, for your information)

- Jaime W.