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| Day 1: My Birthday Party |
Day 1: #30daysofhappiness
The point of this #30daysofhappiness is to remind myself that the life I live is the best I could ever get, no matter what comes up. I am in the midst of 6 full weeks of competition and training very hard. Day 1 started off with my 26th birthday. I was lucky enough to have a huge party at Anne Greer's house and the cherry on the frosting was having my dad with me to celebrate. On day 1, I am happy for my family and friends that I am blessed with every day.
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| Day 2: After Birthday Breakfast |
Day 2: I was lucky enough to have Haley Mills staying with me in McCall, Idaho and she made me a perfect after birthday breakfast complete with fresh maple syrup from the northeast. I also spent most of the day paddling at the Kelly's Whitewater Park and being with my dad. Day 2, I am happy for the amazing food that we are lucky to have day in and day out.
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| Day 3: Salmon Fishing with Dad |
Day 3: Dad and I wanted to go fishing on the Main Salmon outside of Riggins for... you guessed it... Salmon. We were up at the crack of dawn (330 am) and drove to Riggens where we met up with Mike Hicks to fish for the day. It was pretty cold and rainy and we didn't catch any fish but any moments that I get to sit next to my dad on a boat are the best moments I will remember forever. Me: "Hey dad, remember that time it was 40 degrees and raining all day on the river and we caught no fish?" Dad: "Yea A, I remember that". Day 3: I am happy for the ability to go fishing with my father and spend the day with him outside.
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| Day 4: Hot Tub Homework |
Day 4: I woke up early in the morning to do homework but I had pulled my ab two days prior while surfing at kellys. I used the most of the situation and set up my office in the hot tub for the morning. I did heaps of school work (I'm in an Art History class and also taking second level Spanish) and even got health insurance! It was a bit chilly in the morning but by 10:30 my toes looked like sausages, I had been joined by Riley Greer, and the sun was shining. Day 4: I am happy for the ability to be in school and travel at the same time.
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| Day 5: Freestyle Event |
Day 5: We headed to Kelly's Whitewater Park in Cascade Idaho for the beginning of the Payette River Games to start. I started my weekend off with a bang, scoring a 668.66 point ride. It stood to be the highest scoring womens' ride for the weekend. I was so stoked to know that I was able to do something like this, I did every move I know how to do! Day 5: I am happy to find a feature that likes me as much as I like it.
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| Day 6: Kai Lenny |
Day 6: Back to Kelly's Whitewater Park for more competing. I spent the morning doing school work and actually writing a 3 page paper for my Art History class. I spent the afternoon doing the boater cross downriver sprint, I ended up 3rd overall, and the freestyle competition where I made it into finals in 3rd place. I also watched some super sweet surfers rip up the wave at Kellys, including Kai Lenny. If you haven't heard of Kai Lenny, search his name. He is a very well known huge wave surfer and he is super good at SUP also. He is an all around water man including kite boarding and pretty much anything else you can imagine to do on the water. Day 6: I am happy to compete next to people who I watch in the movies!!
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| Day 7: You Are Beautiful |
Day 7: Last day of competition for Kelly's Whitewater Park and this is the day you make the money! I competed terribly and ended up coming home with $900, better than $0 but less than the $5500 I won last year. I didn't advance in the boater cross and could get nothing to come around in the Freestyle. I ended up 5th in freestyle and an unknown number in the boater cross. Not my day. When I got home I was sad and disappointed at my competition abilities. I was also hoping to win some money for the upcoming Europe trip as I don't make any money in the road. I turned my computer on and I saw this photo posted on my First Descents Facebook page. This photo is more than special to me and it came at the perfect time. Day 7: I am happy to meet the people I do through First Descents.
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| Day 8: To France! |
Day 8: Hopped a flight to France after saying good-bye to my friends and my Daddy. It was a bittersweet take-off. Leaving behind the people I love, to see new places and have new experiences. I am so excited to be heading to France and Spain for the first time ever. A new stamp in my passport and many new stories are to come. Day 8: I am happy to have the ability to fly, in a plane.
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| Day 9: Find Love within Yourself |
Day 9: I landed in France in the middle of the day on Tuesday. I had a bit of a restless flight but I watched some funny chick flick called "The 5 Year Engagement". It was pretty funny and took my mind off of things. Rowan and I met up with Mathieu Domoulin and he took us to Millau France, where the first World Cup would be held in a just a couple of days. I had this photo sent to me from a woman who I work with at Greenville County, all things happen for a reason. I was very jet-lagged, sore, in a country where I have never been, can't speak french, and I was sad to be away from home. Day 9: I am happy to be so lucky.
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| Day 10: Getting Smarter |
Day 10: I had a pretty rough training session, it included 3 very bad rides and no good ones. I was pretty broken after that session. I was hoping to be able to get here and crush just like I can at the NOC, I understood that day that my aspiration was not going to happen, at least not in Millau. I went back to the house to finish up a chapter in my Spanish book. I took the chapter test and got a 100%, I am averaging a 97% in the class, even though I have spotty internet, not much time, and I'm in a French speaking country! Day 10: I am happy to be able to further my education by learning a new language to open new doors for me as I grow as a woman.
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| Day 11: I love Candy |
Day 11: I had training at 2 pm, it went a little better than the aforementioned training so that was good. I also competed in the afternoon. I did not compete as well as I had hoped and I was unsure if I was even going to make the cut. If I didn't make the cut, it would have been the first time I havn't made the first cut since Worlds in 2009 in Thun Switzerland. I, luckily, edged my way in ending in 9th place for semi-finals. Day 11: I am happy to have candy to keep my energy up.
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| Day 12: Wine, Cheese, and Port (and Snowy's parents) |
Day 12: This was my second day of competition and I didn't have my hopes up to make finals. I had not gotten the time to train in the feature and it was very flushy, making it hard to stick moves. I ended up in 8th place and didn't make it to finals. I was alright with that though. I spent the rest of the day with my boyfriends parents who so graciously came down from the UK to watch me compete and be with me. It was so nice to have them with me and cheer me on. They treated me to a fancy french meal after the competition that included oysters, chicken, and all sorts of fancy wine and cheese (two of my favorite things ever). Day 12: I am happy to have the most amazing in-laws a girl can ask for.
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| Day 13: Ah.... France |
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| Day 14: Miniature Coffee |
Day 14: I had a slow morning and this coffee tasted like heaven when I finally got out of bed. I now find myself halfway through my #30daysofhappiness to raise money and awareness for First Descents. I have raised less than half of my goal. This fundraiser is to remind people to find happiness in whatever the world throws at them and even if you are busy with work, school, kids, stress, what have you, there is always time to look at your day and find your #Happiness.
"First Descents is an organization that offers young adult cancer fighters and survivors a free outdoor experience designed to empower them to climb, paddle, and surf beyond their diagnosis, defy their cancer, reclaim their lives and connect with others doing the same." These camps are offered all over the United States and they are FREE to the participants. This is why it is so important to do fundraisers for this organization. If you know anyone between the ages of 18 and 49 who has had cancer, or has cancer, empower them to come on this week of life changing experiences.
Here is the website: https://firstdescents.org/
Here is the link to my fundraising page: http://tfd.firstdescents.org/site/TR/Events/General?px=1001404&pg=personal&fr_id=1040
Please, please, please take a moment out of your busy day to donate to an organization that enlightens people through the outdoors, and think about how much the outdoors had made you happy.
#30daysofhappiness
#outlivingit
Thanks for reading!
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