Life Update

It's been a while since my last blog post, five months to be exact. A lot has happened since then. I ran a personal record of 16:44 for the 5k, I finished my first semester of my last year of high school, I voted in my first election, and I made a decision on where I'll attend college. I wish that I've could've been more active with my website but there's no better time than the present!

Skiing with my dad on Beech Mountain over winter break

A lot of my summer was spent running in the cool of the morning, cranking out mileage on rooted trails, graveled paths, and asphalt roads. When I would go into work later in the day, my supervisor would always ask me how much I ran and every time I told her she would always say, "Wow, Kyle. You never cease to amaze me," Even on vacation, I was even more determined in my dedication to summer training. When I spent a week at the beach, I had just finished recovering from contracting COVID. It really set me back on my training but I didn't want to let that ruin my senior season of cross country. Every morning, I would wake up between five and six to run and beat the heat of coastal South Carolina. By the end of the week, I was almost close to how I felt before getting sick. Right after that trip, I had my trip to England, which I'm sure you all know so much about. During those two weeks, I improved so much in my training which was remarkable considering that I was only getting six to seven hours of sleep each night and I was running by myself, just doing loops around ACS Cobham. I believe I ran about 70 miles while I was there (I had to get creative with my routes near the end of the trip). I miss running there, the cool mornings, the sun already up at five in the morning, the quiet buzz of the freeway, the packs of rabbits scurrying across the dew-laced fields. I still think about that trip everyday, receiving the scholarship to go was one of the best things to ever happen to me and I am forever grateful.

6 AM track session in Surrey, England

Fast forward to cross country season and I felt great. My first race I ran a personal record of 17:18 for the 5k. Two weeks later, I ran a 16:44, which is still my personal record. Around mid-October, I got an overuse injury in my left foot which ultimately cut my last high school cross country season short. In spite of that, I still consider it to be my best and most enjoyable season. A big reason for that is our boys' team had the best season in school history. We won five meets and ended up finishing third in the state championship. It took me several weeks before I could get back on my feet again and now I'm back to 40-mile weeks in preparation for the upcoming track season. Injury can be completely demotivating but if you take it one day at a time and stay diligent, you can always get back on track. Being able to run again after taking time off to recover makes me grateful for my every run that I do now. Running is my sport for life and not even injury will ever change that.

Leaving for team pictures

My first semester of senior year went by so quickly and it's crazy to think that my high school graduation is a little more than four months away (May 27th to be exact). I did really well in all of my classes and had a lot of fun with friends. Looking back now, it seems like a blur. Every day I took for granted, almost never taking time to pause and soak in the moment. It really was a great semester but as I try to remember everything, it's hard to pick out specific events. With school being monotonous and boring a lot of the time, I think that I try to block out anything with association to schoolwork and lectures. We live in such a fast-paced world where we are always thinking ahead and never living in the present. This semester, I want to be more mindful and spiritual, living every day as God set out for me. I want to soak in each and every moment because I never want to look back in regret, only what I can do to improve myself.

Dual Enrollment Spanish, my favorite class of the first semester

I turned 18 in September, which means I'm technically an adult now. If I'm going to be honest, it really doesn't feel much different since I'm still stuck in high school and not really independent. One cool thing about being an adult is that you can exercise your right to vote. I was able to exercise that right for the first time on November 8th last year. On one hand, it's pretty cool to finally be able to influence who gets elected but on the other hand, all of the offices that represent me are basically a Republican lock every election cycle so my votes really weren't able to make a change (especially since it seems like everyone in the county straight ticket votes along party lines without even researching which candidates can actually make a difference in their communities and at the state level).

I voted ☑️

Last but certainly not least, I have decided where I will be attending college for the next four years. After careful deliberation and somewhat stressful college applications, I have decided that I will attend the College of Charleston starting this fall where I plan on double majoring in Urban Studies and German Studies with a minor in Geography. I will probably go more depth about this decision and my future there in a later blog because I have a lot to say on the subject but I am confident that this is the best decision for my goal of becoming an urban planner. I visited the College back in October for a tour of the school and it was there where I knew that it was my top school. The campus is completely different from virtually every other university in the U.S. just because of its small size and integration with the city. I think that this is the best environment for me to study urban planning and combined with the opportunities for studying abroad, I know that the College will give me some of the best years of my life.

Future CofC Cougar!

As you can see, I've had a busy five months since I last talked with you all. As I am writing this blog post, I've realized how much fun it is to share my thoughts in a creative manner. From now on, I will be uploading blog posts much more regularly (at least once a week). I want to live my life more truthfully and in the moment because before I know it, it'll be a new day. I don't want to live with regret, always looking back on the past and unable to change it. Thank you for reading this far if you have done so. I truly appreciate your interest and engagement. I hope you have a great day.