The Long Journey Home

Sushi to celebrate the shot put PR

One last sleep

Our view from the hotel

The peaches were delicious!

South Carolina

A little hiking in the Smoky Mountains

 We made it!

2021 National Junior Olympic Championships

2021 National Junior Olympic Championships before we knew that this was going to be the worst meet ever. We arrived on Wednesday to compete on Thursday, but found out that we had to get a COVID test even though we were all vaccinated. It took 2.5 hour in line to get the test and get registered. 

On Thursday, I did long jump in the morning. It was good solid jumping, but definitely not my best. It was soooo hot. I jumped 13' 4.25" and placed 54th out of 106 of the best jumpers my age in the country. 

On Thursday, this is what the COVID test lines looked like. 7-8 hour lines. Events being postponed. Machines being contaminated, and needing to pause testing. Thunderstorms delaying the meet where 7-8 year olds were running at 10pm at night. It was awful. I waiting on the field 4 hours in 95 degree heat for discus to start, but they postponed it until SATURDAY without telling the throwers. How do you postpone an event 2 DAYS when 95% of the participants were out of state. 

Friday was javelin and shot put. It was so hot (98 degrees felt like 115), and it was hard to breathe in the heat. Had my worst javelin meet of the year. Threw 90ft in practice, but then only cleared 75'2" during the competition placing me 28th. 

Meeting up with Kieleigh Railey from West Virginia. We competed against each other all summer and are good friends, so it was cool to see her at Nationals.

Disappointed, but with the heat, it wasn't bad.

Only had videos of shot put, but it was definitely the highlight of the week. I went out and threw 35'4" on my first throw which was 2 feet further than my PR, and finished 15th in the country!!! 

So, discus was supposed to be at Thursday at 5pm and they moved it to Saturday at 5pm. We arrived Saturday to find out they put the whole meet on hold due to extreme temperatures, and all the events would resume at 700pm with the exception of 13-14 girls discus which was rescheduled to 500pm on Sunday. We had already checked out of the hotel and the car was all packed up, and with a 14 hour drive home, we couldn't stay. Only 14 girls ended up competing, and my average throw would have finished 3rd. WORST RUN MEET IN THE HISTORY OF TRACK!!

Finally found some shade. Whoever though Florida in July would make for a good track meet lacked any brain cells.

I drove 14 hours to compete in discus, and this was as close as I got.

With throwers from South Carolina and Florida. So sad we didn't get to compete. :(

 

Jacksonville, FL

Mom just loved this photo on the Jacksonville River Walk

We went out to dinner with my Great Aunt Pat & Great Uncle Ken (grandpa's brother) at the Chart House. I got grouper with mango rice and a pineapple habanero sauce 

Dad with his Mahi Mahi

Mom with her shrimp/salmon and Aunt Pat.

Ken, mom, me, dad, and Pat

Uncle Ken and Aunt Pat

Otis enjoying Aunt Alison's vents. he laid on them all week. 

At the Johnny Appleseed diner. It was sooo good! 

I was finally old enough to go go-cart racing. There were electric cars that went 55 mph

Mom didn't love it, but I thought it was fun!

Made this puzzle Aunt Pat got me. Each piece is actual the shape of a different animal, so while it is small, it was really challenging.

 

Brunswick, Georgia

Beach in Brunswick, GA

We picked up shells, but accidently found out one was still inhabited when we got home. . .the poor little hermit crab survived 4 days in our luggage. Mom thought the shells all smelled really fishy and put them in bleach water and that is when we discovered the crab was still in there and alive! We all felt really bad. 

The very first pot of Brunswick stew was made in this pot on July 2, 1898.