A Quick Trip Home

With home being two hours away from campus, trips back and forth are manageable. However, during the height of track season, with meets every weekend, those trips become infrequent. Depending on the size and distance of the meet, the team sometimes does not return to campus until after dark, making a trip home unlikely. 

This past weekend, the team competed at Ohio Wesleyan University, which is about an hour and a half from both my home and campus. After receiving the meet schedule and confirming that my parents were willing to make the four-hour round trip to bring me back to campus on Sunday, I decided to go home after the meet. At the meet, I ran the 400-meter hurdles and the 4x400 relay. It was hot during competition, and I felt more fatigued than usual during my races. I approached the meet with high expectations for my hurdle race, expecting to run well in the favorable weather. I was disappointed with how I ran, but I was able to talk to my coach afterward to identify areas for improvement. This coming week, I have the week off from hurdles, but I am excited to run races I do not normally get the chance to run. 

The meet concluded before 6 p.m., and my dad and I headed home. Although I expected to spend time with my family that evening, I was exhausted after a long day in the sun. I went to bed and planned to wake up early the next morning for church.

 It is hard for me to express how much I value my church. I attend Rivers Crossing, where the sense of community stands out. Each visit brings new faces, yet the atmosphere remains welcoming. The sermon titled “How to Be Happy in Jesus” focused on the importance of obedience to God’s plan and trusting His direction. 

After church, my mom and I went to Dorthy Lane Market for lunch before returning home. I spent the afternoon playing with my dogs, taking a short nap and working on a poster for an upcoming presentation for my Legal Environment course. After finishing my tasks, I spent time with my family and ran errands with my dad. On the errands, I found FLRT, an energy drink I tried in Rhode Island. Although I try to limit caffeine intake, it was a rare find. Later, we loaded the car and returned to campus. 

Going home for less than 24 hours served as a reset heading into the final stretch of classes. Between the demands of track, extracurriculars and coursework, it was refreshing to spend time with my family and take a brief pause from the pace of campus life.