WOW.. I live in Miami, FL

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Hi my name is Karyna, & I live in Miami, Florida! (WHAAAATTTTTT!!??!) It is still so crazy to me that I live in Miami. The change is huge but I’m so blessed with this opportunity to continue my schooling here & be able to compete in my last year of track & field!

The Moving Process

If y’all have ever met me you know that I absolutely hate anything that deals with packing, unpacking, folding clothes, & clutter (which all comes with moving hah). Most of the time if I am doing any of the above things, you can catch me either on the phone or on FaceTime with someone. It’s simply the only way that I’ll get it all done haha just how my mind works 🙂 Sooooooo.. not only did I just recently move back home to Reno, from Boise, in June, but now I had to pack everything back up & move across the country?! My mind was a mess, asking questions like: how do I get my car to Florida? Should I drive? Should I ship it? How do I fit ALL of my clothing in just 2 suitcases (50lbs.) & a carryon? What happens if my luggage gets lost? & most importantly, how do I move to Florida without one of my parents with me? Now I know what you’re thinking “Karyna, you’re 22 years old you should be able to do things on your own. You don’t need your parents.” Yes. This is a very true statement. I am 22 & I did do it by myself. However, when you think of big events that occur in your life, you want to share those events with your parents (well at least I do).  Well everyone I did figure it all out. I decided to ship my car to Florida simply because it worked better with my schedule, I flew out on Tuesday August 16th & my car gets here sometime next week. This was actually very helpful because I was able to put the stuff that I did not need right away into my car (along with my desk & some bigger furniture) & just pack my suitcases. This saved me some money because I did not have to buy all new furniture & was able to put a lot of other “stuff” in my car that I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to take. I packed up my 2 suitcases (both exceeding 50lbs), my carry on bag that had enough clothes to last me a month (I was terrified that my luggage was going to get lost), & my backpack with some personal items. **OOPS I almost forgot, the week before I left I sent a box to my home in Florida that consisted of an air mattress, bedding, and some other random stuff that I could fit since I would not have a bed when I got there***

August 16th, 2016 –> The Big Move 

My flight left Reno at 8am. I flew to Chicago & then from Chicago down to Miami. I was supposed to get to Miami at 7:45pm but because of a delay in Chicago, I ended up getting in at 9:30pm. So anyways, that morning I got up early to shower & get ready, I did a last minute check to make sure I had gotten everything, & headed to the airport with my mom (my mom went to work late just so she could drop me off & cry haha). Both of my suitcases were over 50lbs but the lady didn’t say anything (Praise the Lord) & I was off to security. I said my goodbyes to my mom & walked into security trying to hold back tears & stay strong  so Mom knew I was okay. Deep down I was terrified, sad, nervous, anxious, & wondering why in the world I thought it was a good idea to move to Florida & leave my friends & family behind……… Landing in Chicago was actually pretty cool. I have never been there, just seen pictures & heard stories. If you have never flown into Chicago I highly recommend it, the city is Beautiful even from that high in the air. NOW, the O’Hare international airport is the biggest & most confusing airport that I have ever been to, but being there reminded me of the movie Home Alone & I love those movies so basically it was Christmas in August haha. My plane in Chicago had a mechanical problem so we had to wait for a different plane to come, the wait wasn’t too bad & I met this really nice guy who was on his way to Rio to watch the 2016 Olympics. We finally boarded the plane & off to Miami. Landing in Miami was surreal, I never imagined that the day would actually come that I lived here. As I walked down to baggage claim I kept saying my prayers that my luggage had not been lost, IT WASN’T!!!!! I gabbed all my bags & went outside where my new roommate Lexie picked me up. We got some food & came to my new apartment, & I knocked out!

Since I’ve Been In Miami

Slowly but surely I’m learning more & more about this city. I’ve learned that you don’t leave the house without an umbrella & a jacket. Yes, I said jacket. It’s so hot outside that every building feels like the arctic tundra! There are so many cultures here so learning some languages will not hurt, & the craziest thing, the ocean feels like a bathtub 😦 hahaha I guess if I really thought about it, it does make sense that the water is warm but I’m not a fan! I’ve done a little bit of exploring, the best I can do without a car. The campus is gorgeous & when I’m not getting lost (which is most days) the campus isn’t too big. I have gotten a lot of my furniture including a bed, dresser, & night stands. Just waiting on my car so that I can see what else that I might need & of course to decorate!! 🙂

But for the most part I am LOVING it here in Miami & I’m so excited I decided to take this journey no matter how scared or nervous I was 🙂  If there is something you want to do or somewhere you want to move, get up & go especially at a young age. I think moving here has really helped me grow up, get out of my comfort zone, & most importantly see parts of the country that I’ve always wanted to ❤ phewwwww that was a lot haha but I hope y’all enjoyed reading about my journey so far I’ll keep y’all updated on my life here!

I have a few ideas of some other posts that I want to write but I want y’all to tell me what you want to hear about. Whether it’s about track & field, me moving, Boise State, family, or anything else you can think of. Just comment & I’ll do my best 🙂 Below are some pictures of campus & a few of me while exploring. But until next time…

Yours Truly,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

College Athletics, Let’s Understand It

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Hi everyone, sorry I haven’t posted in a little bit I’ve been busy busy busy packing, traveling, moving, & unpacking. But I want everyone to know that I have arrived safe in Miami & I’m already loving it here! (I’ll do a separate post about the move & arriving in Miami later).

Anyways, lets get to it! “College Athletics.” When many people hear this they think of their favorite college teams & various sports that are involved. But what most people fail to see is how complex College Athletics are. So I’m going to give you a quick & hopefully easy to follow run down. I’ll do my best to explain what I feel are some main aspects of College Athletics that involve the Student Athletes 🙂 **note that this information & these rules can differ depending on what division you are in for the NCAA, as well as if you are a part of the NAIA etc.** As for meeeeeeeee:

– Boise State University is Division 1 & in the Mountain West Conference & The University of Miami is Division l & in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

1. You get 4 years to compete in uniform for your sport. Sometimes you can hear about people who are in their 5th or even 6th year of athletics, this may be true but due to some “shirts.”
2. First, is redshirt. Basically redshirt means you still receive all benefits as an athlete including your athletic aid, but you cannot compete for the school. Basically you goto practice, weights, & school but you do not travel or compete. When looking at your favorite college teams roster, you might see that a player is a “Redshirt Sophomore” or “Redshirt Senior.” The year that follows the word “redshirt” is their athletic year but, not their academic year. To put this in perspective I will use an example of myself. In my last post I stated that I only used 3 years of my NCAA eligibility so I have 1 year left to compete. My first year of school I redshirted both indoor and outdoor track & field season, so going into my second year of college I had all 4 years of eligibility & I was a Redshirt Freshman BUT a Sophomore in academics. Last year at Boise State I was a Redshirt Junior but a senior in academics. & this year at the University of Miami I will be a Redshirt Senior. I have already completed my undergraduate degree so I am able to start my graduate degree for my last year of athletics. I’m sure you get the gist haha
3. Second, is a medical “shirt” (medical hardship waiver). This is basically for an athlete who is injured & cannot compete in their sport. You must request this waiver & it goes through a process where it will be granted or declined. There are many different rules about whether the athlete competed in a certain number of competitions but, for the overall understanding it is just a waiver that allows the athlete to rehabilitate back after injury & not lose a year of their eligibility.
4. Third, is a grey shirt. When an athlete grey shirts they basically postpone their enrollment into the school until the next term or following year. It is usually seen in incoming athletes (freshman mainly) who need some extra help with academics to make them eligible for the NCAA or just if they want to play an extra semester after their senior year (depending on if they took a redshirt or medical waiver).
5. There are fully funded (head count) sports & equivalency sports. Basically there are some sports such as football, basketball (men’s & women’s), gymnastics, etc. that the athletes either get a full scholarship or no athletic aid at all. Equivalency sports are sports such as track & field, swim & dive, soccer, wrestling, etc. these sports offer scholarships to the athletes in percentages. So an athlete in these sports can receive 0%-100% of a full scholarship at that school.
6. There are so many different conferences in the the NCAA but for the most part people hear about the Southeastern Conference (SEC), Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big 12 Conference, PAC 12 Conference, Mountain West Conference, & the Big Ten Conference. **Well those are the ones I always heard about haha** being in a conference has to do with many aspects of the athletic department but, it also deals with the school as a whole.

There is soooooooooooooo much more to College Athletics & the NCAA but, this is just a quick & easy run through of some areas that I feel are important to understanding Dl college athletics & parts that deal with my journey as a Student Athlete 🙂 This information & these rules are all to MY understanding so they could differ. If you want to explore more into this info click on the link! NCAA

I know this post was not the most exciting post to read but, now that y’all know why I started my blog & understand the important parts of college athletics (that pertain to me) this blog can really get to the fun, exciting, juicy, exhilarating stuff (well I hope hah)!! As always if you have any questions, opinions, or comments please comment below (the comment link is next to the date, at the top of the post) & until next time, thank you for reading loves!

Yours Truly,

 

Hmm…Why a Blog?

My first blog?! Wowza.

So many people have asked me why I decided to start a blog & in all honesty I just enjoy sharing my life experiences with people. I hope that these experiences can bring happiness, encouragement, knowledge, & life lessons. Although the majority of them will be written out… I will try my hardest to post pictures & videos so that y’all can feel a part of the full experience (no promises though, technology is not my thing haha).

A little background 🙂 

I am 22 years old & was born in Las Vegas, NV but, grew up in Reno, NV. I graduated high school in 2012 & received a track scholarship to Boise State University. I just recently graduated from Boise State with a double bachelors degree in Political Science & Criminal Justice (like literally just finished… on SATURDAY). But nonetheless, I graduated & was accepted into the Masters of Public Administration program at the University of Miami. **I will talk more about my schooling, my future plans, moving across the country, & family in separate posts.**  While attending Boise State I was lucky enough to be a part of the Track & Field team & use 3 years of my eligibility. This is important to know because I am now able to use my last year of eligibility at the University of Miami. My life has ups & downs (like everyone) but, I learned a lot that I can carry on throughout this next chapter of my life.

Hmm..What will I talk about? There are many ideas that have come to my mind about what I can write about:

1. There are many blogs out there about fitness, beauty, food, etc. I will definitely have some pointers & ideas in those areas but my hope for this blog is to tell y’all about my experiences of being a student athlete. Because I only have 1 year left of my NCAA eligibility y’all will experience my transition into normal life, without sports (YIKES!!). There are many misconceptions when it comes to student athletes & athletic programs, my goal is not to change your views but to give you a glimpse into our lives & what we experience.
2. As mentioned before, I will talk about my schooling, my future plans, moving across the country, family, & every once in awhile throw in some fun tips and tricks that I use.
3. Looking at writing some posts about loving yourself no matter the color, size, gender, or age that you are. Because society is so quick to tell us who we should be, how we should act, & how we should look.

But anyways, that’s what I have planned so far but if you have any suggestions or anything you would like to hear about just comment below & I’ll write about it for you! **The comment link is at the top of the post next to the date (I’ll try to fix this)**

This post kind of rambled about a few things but thanks for sticking through it & supporting me through this next journey of mine. I hope to inspire, teach, & encourage you every time you read my blog. Don’t forget to comment below & continue to keep an eye out for my next post!

Yours Truly,