No Experience Necessary

I got an email a few weeks ago soliciting freshman for the novice rowing team.  I’d always wanted to row crew.  But I’m small.  5 foot, 8 inches and a whopping 140 pounds.  How was I supposed to row crew?  The email did say, “No experience necessary.”  I had to give it a try.  What did I have to lose? Nothing.  Absolutely nothing.

My first few weeks here at Holy Cross have been spectacular.  I’ve made some great friends and have been having a lot of fun.  There’s always something to do.  From one more game of pool to a movie in the common room.  Last night, some friends and I took the bus to Boston for the first time.  We had dinner in Quincy Market and walked around the Old North End.  It’s nice having the city so close.

Chipotle with Derek and Zach

My classes are great.  I think it’s so cool how each of my professors already knows my name.  Not one of my classes has more than 60 kids.  I totally feel like we students are the focus here.  That being said, there is A LOT of work.  And it’d be one thing if it was just me who was doing a lot of work.  Nope.  Everybody works really hard.  Work hard, play hard is definitely a thing herel.  It’s good.  It keeps me focused during the week.

Adjusting to college has not come without it’s challenges.  I do miss home.  I’m still getting use to the tight living quarters with my two roommates.  The food in Kimball is good but it’s nothing like my mom’s amazing cooking.  I know that the challenges are a part of the experience.  And like I said, I really am enjoying it.  I am doing my best to embrace the experience and trust the process.

My alarm goes off.   It’s 6:15 a.m. and time to wake up.  Within the hour, I’m out on Lake Quinsigamond for practice.  Sitting in the coxswain’s seat, steering, and watching the sunrise, I’m reminded of mornings spent on Lake Tahoe back home in California.  It’s absolutely gorgeous.  As a team, we novices are getting better and better every day.  Patience.  We’ll get there soon enough.

Home base

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 29th, 2013 at 10:30 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

One Response to “No Experience Necessary”

1. Joe Arostegui says:

   November 9, 2013 at 5:41 am

   Will, we love your posts! Enjoy Holy Cross..such a wonderful place!
   Sincerely, proud Sacramento Holy Cross lovers!