Summer 2016

Before last week, we hadn't talked since the end of April!  Here's a peek into the past 4ish months...because let's be honest, the blog silence started way before April!

In April we Act 1 ladies learned an entirely new Freeskate! After getting critiqued at the Vermont Theater on Ice Festival, we decided that while our CE was full of potential, our Freeskate needed a new direction. It was definitely a risky move 2 1/2 months before Nationals, but we took the plunge and pulled in Adam Blake. Oh. My. Goodness. I have never had so much fun in my life! After a week of long practices, we finished it, and then stood around in a mixture of awe for Adam and pride in our team. An experience I'll never forget!

Act 1 also skated in Ice Chips: Show of Champions. On my own, I was a soloist for my home club's annual spring show, and most exciting of all...I passed Senior Moves! I was very proud of my skating that day, and got a 4.7 or higher on every element (passing average is 4.5). For someone that hated moves in the field at first, and didn't even test until my freshman year of high school, passing senior after just a 5-year period was extremely satisfying!

Spotlight on Theatrical Skating (can you tell we're cold?!).

In May we did two competitions with Act 1, the North Shore Open and Spotlight On Theatrical Skating. We won both! Perks of being the only senior team in the area, haha! Seriously though, these competitions were a great way for us to get feedback that was especially useful to us with such a new freeskate. Experience skating outside of practice in any venue is always helpful!

Another exciting May highlight was wedding dress shopping with my best friend!

In June I focused a lot on getting outside, spending more time with my family, and going out with friends more often. The pace was a little slower...for the first two weeks, anyways! After that, everything got busy with Nationals!

The 2016 National Theater on Ice Competition was incredible! I loved the experience of competing on a senior team verses a junior team, but there were so many good programs from all levels. Honestly, some of my favorite events were Special Olympics and Preliminary! We placed fourth, coming home with a pewter medal. While this is not the placement we were hoping for, I personally was very proud of our team. We went up against a lot this year, and I love how adaptable and hard working and open minded we were this season.

In July I came home, but not before spending the 4th in Nashville with my mom! I loved how local Nashville felt, it seemed almost small-town for such a big city. I would love to go back at some point.

A few days after coming home, my grandmother on my dad's side passed away from brain cancer. We knew it was coming, but were (of course) still hoping for more time with her. In a way, it was almost comforting to know she was no longer in pain. The cancer really changed her, and at the end she was not even recognizeable as herself. I will always really hate, though, that my last memories of her are so pained. We moved my grandfather in with my aunt, and thankfully, that is going very well.

In August we tried to hold on to the last lazy summer days, but to be honest, I was getting itchy for the 'new' year and regular schedules and skating to start back up. I coached my own private student who I met through group lessons and stuck with me through the summer, and focused on my own skating lessons. I also went to two workshops for American Ice Theater of Boston, and started working on putting together a Showcase program.

The most exciting thing about August, though, was my best friend's wedding! Deanna and I have been friends for about 10 years, and being a part of her wedding was such a joy! Having been by each other's sides through first boyfriends, and school, and first jobs, and then her starting to talk to Jake (her husband) at Teen Conference, and then dating, and their engagement, it was just an honor to be by her side at her wedding. It's not everyday you get two great friends in one couple!

And In September...most of the rest of the calendar year is up in the air, as it's currently unclear what coaching will look like and I'm waiting to be pointed in the right direction in terms of day job. I'm putting most of my focus right now into creating a showcase program to compete with this year, which is all new to me and really exciting. I'm also going to take my Intermediate Freeskate test this fall, so a lot of prep is going into making that test ready.

After auditions with TOI of Boston, I was placed on Act 1, their senior-level team, again. I am so, so grateful to skate with this amazing group again and am really looking forward to this season. We started choreographing last weekend, and I came away so pumped up and ready for more!

I have to admit, this was an extremely busy summer! But thankfully, it was busy because we had far more blessings and opportunities than negatives. While it's crazy that it's already September, I am looking forward to the fall schedule and settling in, not to mention fair season and fall leaves and hot coffee.

So how has your summer been? And what's your September going to be like?

Thanks for reading! xoxo