Moving up in the world

Argentina was a good event. The American women, as a whole, did very well. I ended up 7th and managed to move several spots in the rankings to 36th-I'm out of the 40's! Woot!

I actually had a great time fencing in Buenos Aires and that's not just because I did well (but it doesn't hurt!). I'm having fun because I feel as though I am making progress and learning from each experience. My coach and I, after each tournament, take notes, work on something, and in the following tournament, the result usually reflects the preparation we have done.

So what's up next this week?

I'm leaving for NYC on Wednesday morning to train there for a few days before heading to the last grand prix world cup of the season, which is in Havana, Cuba. This isn't the last world cup of the season, but it's the last grand prix world cup which counts double points. Friends of mine joke that I spend more time in the air than on the ground. I think if I really calculated the time and mileage, they may not be far off the mark. However crazy the schedule is, I am still having fun and you're only young once. :) Besides, I know Dulles and Atlanta airports like the back of my hand now. Is that a good thing?

It's been a while since I've been to NYC, I trained there for the 2004 games. A part of me is a little nervous to return to the place where my old coach will be. I'm trying not to think of the significance because it will probably be more of a distraction than I need at this point. But-if you have read my past entries from the beginning of this journey, you know how difficult it was for me to separate him from my life and my fencing. He was once someone who meant a lot to me as he was a father figure-I think I spent more time with him than I did with my own parents. But as I got older and developed a mind of my own we clashed and have never repaired our relationship. Things with him will never be the same but I am glad for it because it means that I am much stronger and capable to stand on my own. I think the appropriate phrase here would be-"I've come a long way, baby."

If you came later to this blog and are not sure of what I am talking about in reference to my old coach, you can go back to the beginning of the blog posts because he is very much a part of them. As I've gone through this year his influence is no longer but I went through a lot just to come to this point. If you haven't read the previous posts about him, I would encourage you to do it since it was such a big part of this year.

So in conclusion, Argentina went well and the season is winding down with it's last few tournaments. I have made significant progress and I am enjoying myself along the way. Life is but a dream, and I am definitely living it. :)