The Day I Single Handedly Delayed My Flight to Australia

I have a problem. Or maybe it’s a talent. I leave things until the last possible moment. Not to the extent where I fail, but to the point where I complete the task with .07 seconds to spare. For instance, if I know I’m going to dinner with friends at 7:00, I’ll begin a workout at 5:30 fully aware that I’ll have 20 minutes to shower, blow dry my hair, pick out my outfit, and meet them downtown. Some call it a gift, most call it poor time management. I’d have to agree to with both beliefs. But I’m growing up and should know by now that things always take longer than expected. That’s why I made a conscious effort to change this habit on my travel day to Australia.

I started the day off by giving myself an ample 5 hours to get my phone properly set up to work internationally. Apparently when the iPhone 6 has just been released, 5 hours is just barely enough time to get the task complete. After a day of waiting and bussing back in forth from Apple and Verizon, I rushed home to put the final touches on packing and give my dog one last snuggle before heading out.

Once we got to the airport, I weighed my bags, and as often is the case with me, one of them was over the 50 lb weight limit. With my uncanny ability to make these kinds of situations work out, I sprawled out my belongings and did some serious weight distributing. Clocking in at 51.8 pounds, the flight assistant let my overweight bag slide. Good people at PDX. I got to the airport security, bid my mom farewell, and began my long journey down under.

My first flight went smoother than a baby’s bottom. My layover in LA was 2 hours. Plenty of time to meander around while still making it to my Gate before boarding time. I first stopped by the Hudson News store and perused the store for a good read. Naturally, my book selection process took a bit longer than expected, so I went to check the monitor again to make sure my flight was on time: 10:05 to Sydney…delayed 20 minutes. I was actually pleased about the delay because, as I said, I am consciously working on improving my time management and I wanted to get to my Gate early. With the delay, I had enough time to get myself a tasty meal and beverage before boarding my 15 hour flight. I stumbled upon a food court and went with a summer salad. I then decided to be adventurous and order myself a large iced coffee. This was a big move for me because I haven’t had a coffee in over 6 months. I have some weird food sensitivities, but I figured the caffeine would help me stay up on the plane and adjust to the 17 hour time change a bit easier. After purchasing my goodies, I arrived at the gate 30 minutes before boarding time. I sat down on the floor to eavesdrop on all of the Australian-accented families and eat my salad until the boarding commenced.

It was finally time to board. I gathered all of my stuff together and patiently waited until it was my turn to get on the plane. After the important people and babies priority boarded, I realized that the flight attendant was calling out passengers by groups. I asked a gentlemen in line how he knew what group he was in and he said it was on his ticket. Hmmm, mine didn’t appear to be on my ticket, so I decided to go ask the counter lady. As soon as she looked at my ticket, her eyes shot out at me like from a cannon, “Honey, this is United, you are on Qantas” Oh my lanta. I looked at my phone and it read 9:50. I asked her if she thought I’d make my flight. She said “Honey, your flight departs at 10:05…” I asked her how far away Qantas was and she explained it was in the international terminal. To get there I had to go down the the hall, to the left, take the escalator to baggage claim, go outside, take a right, walk a few blocks, then wait under the blue sign for Bus A which will take me to the Qantas terminal, and from there I must pass through security again to reach my gate. So you’re telling me there’s still a chance! Her body language expressed slim to none confidence that I’d make my flight. With a terminal change and having to go through security again, I couldn’t blame her. But something inside of me told me to have faith. I’ve persevered though these time-crunched situations before. If I was going to miss this flight, I was going to miss it knowing I gave it 110%.

With my iced coffee in hand, I was off to the races. I repeated the counter lady’s directions in my head over and over like Dory from Finding Nemo did when she also was headed to Sydney. I knew that any missed turn was game over. When I arrived outside I saw Bus A pulling away from the curb. I picked up my sprint to Usain Bolt status, weaved through taxis, and waved my hand like a crazy person. Luckily, I wasn’t crazy enough for the bus driver to ignore me. After confirmation that the bus went to Qantas, I sat down to to catch my breath and collect my thoughts. Although my face-drenched sweat and heavy breathing gave off the impression that I was freaking out about the situation, I truly think it was just the coffee. I couldn’t stop chugging it because those sprints got me super parched. Internally, I was actually very calm. In fact, I couldn’t stop smiling at the situation. Is this really happening right now? If I do miss my flight, it’s not the end of the world, life goes on. Airports are just not my jam.

The bus stopped and I sprung out of my seat ready to turn on the burners again, but the driver stopped me. This wasn’t the Qantas terminal. Oh dang there’s more than one terminal, alright well I did my best. There’s always next year Kendall. I pondered what my plan of attack would be if this situation weren’t to pan out into a miracle. At 10:01, the bus driver announced “terminal 7, Qantas.” I took five more gigantic gulps of my coffee, then left the cup on the chair. I hate littering, but I needed a free arm for optimal running form. I knew the bus driver would understand.

I ran to the terminal and asked the nearest worker where to go for Qantas flights. The man pointed me to the elevator and said “3rd floor.” Clock check:10:03. I hustled to the nearest airline I saw, which happened to be Korean Air. I asked the worker if there was anyway to call my flight and tell them to stop the plane. He looked at me as if I was on drugs (and to his defense, my veins were indeed coursing with caffeine) and he told me I have to go to the Qantas counter. This was another 200 yard sprint around the corner and to the end of the hallway. I revved up my engine and headed straight towards the front of the line. I asked the patient line-waiters if I could cut because my flight was leaving in one minute. They laughed at my current state, but graciously obliged. I told the counter lady, Karina, my dilemma. I openly admitted my foolishness, and asked if there was anyway to have them stop my flight. Karina looked at her watch. 10:07. I could tell she felt for me, but it was already past the departure time. She began looking up when the next possible flight to Sydney. It was at this moment that God spoke to me from the heavens above, “Kendall Johnson…your flight is ready for take off, Kendall Johnson, please come to Gate 49, your flight is about to take off” God’s voice or not, I tapped Karina and proclaimed “That’s me, that’s me. I am Kendall Johnson. Can you tell them to wait for me!?” Some sort of spark lit up deep in Karina’s soul. Without a word, she disappeared to the back room and came back a few moments later with an even more determined demeanor. I pleaded with Karina some more, telling her I would pay her, bake her cookies, massage her feet, weed her garden… She calmly said, “let me see your passport.” Her fingers clicked and clacked against the keyboard and 30 seconds later she said “Come with me.” All of a sudden, Karina turned straight beast mode. I grabbed my luggage and we were off to the races.

I thanked Karina countless times as we bumped people left and right and scooted our way to the front of the security line. At one point my bag opened up and my popcorn spewed across the floor. She told me to forget it.Anything for you Karina. At the front of the security line, I took out my laptop, emptied my water bottle, and shoved my stuff through the x-ray machine. Having passed the security checkpoint, I quickly started putting all my belongings back into my bag, but Karina stopped me. There was no time. Karina grabbed my backpack with one hand and my laptop and water bottle in the other. I took my roller bag. I asked her if I could take anything and she sternly said “no.” I said “ok.” I thanked Karina again. Told her I loved her. That she was the nicest airport lady I have ever came across. I told Karina how impressive it was that she was running in heels. Karina acknowledged me only slightly, not because she didn’t like me but I could tell she was just fully absorbed in the task at hand. I wasn’t going to miss this flight on Karina’s watch. I jogged along side her, as she did her best to run in her 4 inch heels. We turned a corner and before my eyes was Gate 49 with doors wide open. Praise Mother Mary, we did it! When we arrived to the finish line, Karina handed me each of my belongings. This was our goodbye. I told Karina I’d forever be indebted to her courageous act of service. She again hardly acknowledged my remark, but I know the deep bond I felt was mutual.

My flight was supposed to take off 15 minutes ago, but I miraculously managed to weasel my way on. After this incident, I have realized that I shouldn’t try to change who I am. I must accept my habit for what it truly is: an uncanny ability to unintentionally time situations to perfection. If this hadn’t happened, I would have never gotten a simultaneous sprint workout and tour of the LA airport, and most importantly, I would have never met Karina. And for that, I am grateful.

T-minus 13 hours until I land in Australia and I plan on making every second count, even if it means I’m sweating profusely at the end of it!

Arrow Liver: World Cup Bronze Medalist-Jodie Taylor

Liverpool born Jodie Taylor has been around the block a time or two. And by the block, I mean the world. At 29 years of age, Jodie has played in Melbourne, Sydney, Ottawa, Birmingham City, Gothenburg, Corvallis, Los Angeles, Washington DC, and Portland. Regardless of the jersey she donned, Jodie’s proven to be a true goalscorer.  Despite her consistent performances for whatever team she played for, the English national team overlooked her. Jodie dreamed of making the full team ever since she was a child, and despite not getting the call up, she was determined to receive an opportunity. She diverted her focus to showing up for her current team. With each season, Jodie learned and further fine-tuned her game. With a year leading up to the World Cup, Jodie got the call-up.  She was ready. When given her chance, Jodie did what she’s known to do; she scored goals. Her subsequent performances earned her a spot on the final World Cup roster. Jodie was ecstatic, having waited for this opportunity for over a decade. But just 6 weeks before the tournament Jodie suffered a ligament tear in her knee requiring surgery. With just over a month until the tournament, Jodie focused all of her attention on rehabbing. Despite not being physically 100% when the tournament started, Jodie capitalized on the opportunity she was given.

In the quarter-final against Canada, Jodie earned a start, and in typical Jodie fashion, she came up huge, perfectly tucking away a self-created break-away, giving England a 1-0 lead. The team then went on to win the third-place match, their best-ever women’s World Cup finish.

Jodie’s bronze medal serves as a reminder of her persistent, unrelenting pursuit to achieve her dreams, but her impact goes beyond the medal. England’s performance sparked an interest in woman’s football in their country unlike ever before. Jodie’s imprint in the soccer world has garnered a higher level of respect for woman’s football in England and will undoubtedly inspire young girls to follow in her footsteps.  Jodie is an Arrow Liver.

Name: Jodie Taylor

Age:  29

Hometown: Liverpool, England

Profession:  Professional soccer

Years playing:  14 (7 professionally)

What was your first thought when you woke up this morning?

Food

What is your morning routine?

It depends if I’m training or have the morning off. If I’m training I usually have eggs and a slice of toast or fruit. If I want to go on a run, I’ll wake up and have a quick shake, then after my workout I’ll come home and have a really nice breakfast.

If I’m not training, I have more time and will make toast with an avocado and poached eggs or pancakes. Then I’ll go out for a coffee and chill.

What did you love most about where you grew up?

The football culture. Being surrounded by football.

What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?

Be true to yourself

Who is your definition of successful? 

Nadine. I can sit in a room with her and talk for hours. At the end of it you realize how big she is, but you don’t even notice. She is so successful,  but so down to earth. It’s pretty awesome.

Why do you do what you do?

Because I love it. I’m passionate and motivated. I feel fortunate that my job is something I am so passionate about. it’s given me so many opportunities as well

Is this where you thought you’d end up?

Actually yes it is. Playing professionally around the world.

How are you different than the average?

Probably having the drive to be better and succeed. I’m never really content or satisfied with where I’m at. If I have a good season, I say alright how can I get better and elevate my game.  I always want to push myself more.

How do you spend your free time?

Drinking coffee. I am such a foodie. I always want to scope out new food shops and coffee places. I also plan and organize a lot. I enjoy knowing my route and being organized. It helps me take my mind off of stressful things. 

What has been your biggest challenge? How have you managed this challenge? 

Not getting called into the national team for a long time. I wasn’t given the chance until Mark Sampson became the new coach, but it worked out well. I got to play in America, Australia, and Sweden. In a sense, I’m glad I didn’t get called up until I was older. I’ve grown so much not just as a person but also as player. So when I did get a chance, I was ready. It’s a proud moment to say I never gave up.

What is your most rewarding accomplishment?

Playing in the World Cup and making history with the England National Team. Part of that includes not giving up on my dream and staying committed and determined!

What do you wish you knew as a kid? 

To not let others opinions affect me. People will always have opinions. Whatever decision you make, you’re always going to be upsetting someone, so you might as well do what will make you happy. Also, to use both feet!

What’s your dream meal? 

Because I haven’t had it in a while, a Melbourne breakfast. I’d want a poached egg, avocado on a nice sough dough or potato hash. Or eggs benedict with the sauce on the side. And a good coffee. I especially love Melbourne coffee!

Who are three people you’d ask to dine with you?

My grandma aka Nanny Hedgehog,  my granddad,  aka Grandad Taylor, and my auntie aka Shirley. They all passed away when I was younger and I haven’t seen in a long time. It would be nice to spend time with them.

What is the weirdest scar you have and how did you get it?

When I was a kid, my mom would always put our crisp and biscuits up high in the cupboard. One time, I climbed up to get them and was swinging on the cupboards, and the whole thing collapsed on me. It resulted in me breaking my nose and I have a scar because of it.

If you could trade lives with one person for an entire day who would it be?

The president of the United States.  Then I’d actually really know what goes on in the world. I think we are so sheltered from the truth!

If you could only keep five possessions what would they be? 

My passport, phone, photos, my world cup bronze medal, and money so I could buy everything else.

What skill would you like to learn and why? 

Mastering a coffee. Actually I would also like to be able to sing.  There’s enough good coffee places around. But being a phenomenal singer, or just being able to sing at all would be an amazing skill.

What is your favorite mobile app? 

Whatsapp, it allows me to call and text internationally for free. Also maps. I would be lost without it

Arrow Liver: Professional Photographer (for Portland Thorns FC, Timbers FC, Trailblazers) Craig Mitchelldyer

Anyone who attends a game at Providence Park knows the atmosphere is unlike any other venue in the nation. And those who haven’t been to a game? Take a look at Craig Mitchelldyer’s photographs, and you’ll feel the energy too.

Seven years ago, Portland Thorns FC and Timbers FC photographer Craig, didn’t bat an eye at the sport. He didn’t understand it. Craig grew up a baseball guy. He played throughout high school, until he discovered he was better at making his friends looks good through the lens, than playing himself.

In 2004, Craig became the photographer for the Triple A Portland Beavers baseball team at PGE Park [now known as Providence Park]. When the Timbers joined Major League Soccer, the organization hired him full time.

The more Craig immersed himself in training and games, the more he learned about the tactics of the game, and his appreciation for the sport grew stronger. Now, soccer is his favorite sport.

Watching the game through a camera lens offers a much different perspective than sitting in the stands. Craig often zooms in on the player with the ball while simultaneously anticipating where the play will go next.

He’s shot enough games to know how to strategically position himself based on on the team’s line-up, style of play, and individual player’s tendencies. If Timbers Diego Valeri scores a goal, he is headed towards the stands to blow his wife and kids a kiss. Thorns Mana Shim, she’s running straight into a teammates arms for a hug.

But sometimes, no amount of preparation can prepare Craig for the unpredictability of the game. Sometimes it’s pure chaos. And that’s what he loves about it.

Craig also shoots for the Trail Blazers, Hillsboro Hops, Oregon Ducks and Beavers football, but he believes the atmosphere at Providence Park is something extra special.

Living in Milwaukie, Oregon, snapping professional sports shots at field level, and plenty of time to adventure with his family….Craig couldn’t picture his life any other way.

Pun intended.

Craig is an Arrow Liver.

(all photographs provided by Craig)

Name: Craig Mitchelldyer

Age: 35

Hometown: Portland, Oregon

Occupation:  Photographer (craigmitchelldyer.com)

Years at profession:  17

Where were you raised?

Portland. I went to Milwaukie High School.  I still live in Milwaukie. My studio’s in Milwaukie. I met my wife in Milwaukie. We keep it tight.

So let me guess, you’re going to stay in Milwaukie? 

Ya, we aren’t going anywhere.

Have you always been interested in photography? How did you get into photography initially? 

Yes. In high school. I played baseball mainly, I wasn’t the best athlete, but I was really good at making my friends looks good who were athletes.

I worked for the newspaper in high school. It’s funny because I always wanted to do photography, but then I took a photography class in college, and I was like this sucks. I failed the class. So I went and did computer science instead.  I liked those classes, but I didn’t want to make a job out of it.  I’ve always liked photography, I just didn’t like the formal education.

What didn’t you like about the photography education?

I like learning by doing and not by books.

I worked for the Pamplin Media Group newspapers from 2001-2005. The Portland Tribune, Beaverton Valley Times, Clackamas Review…all of the suburban community newspapers. I shot a lot of sports, youth sports mainly, general news, and features. They just kind of threw stuff at me and I had to figure it out. So that’s where I learned a lot.

What kind of pictures do you shoot now? 

I shoot a lot of corporate portraits. A magazine will call me up and say, hey we need a shot of this guy for this story. A lot of wire service things, like Blazer games for the Associated Press and USA Today. I’ll shoot general news things, but mainly environmental portraits and sports. I also do a lot of wedding stuff. I just shot Sarah’s [the Thorns and Timbers assistant GM] wedding, it was beautiful.

I also shoot everything for the Hillsboro Hops. I got the Timbers job, because when the triple A Beavers played at the stadium, I shot all of that stuff for them too. I didn’t know anything about soccer until I started shooting for the Timbers.

What sports teams do you cover?

Timbers, Thorns, T2, Hops, Blazers, Ducks, and Beavers mainly.

Are you a Duck or a Beavers fan? 

Duck fan.

Are you told not to interact with players when you take pictures?

I’m not told not to interact, but I know you guys have your job and I have my job, it’s not like we need to be mingling all the time. Darlington [Nagbe], I shoot all kinds of stuff with him. I hid in the bushes when he proposed to his wife. I have a relationship with a lot of people on both teams. Mana [Shim] and I have done bike rides and things like that, so it’s not a frowned upon thing. It helps I think to have a good relationship with you guys, trust between a subject and the photographer makes for better photos.

Whenever I go to Blazer games, I see the camera guys get clocked while trying to capture pictures, has this ever happened to you? 

Not to me, but people sitting next to me. One guy not that long ago at a Blazers game had to get stitches. He got crashed on and his camera went into his face. The team doctors took him to the back and stitched him up. I’m a big guy though, so when people fall on me, it probably hurts them more than it hurts me.

What’s it like watching a soccer game from your perspective?

It’s a lot different than watching it from the stands and I didn’t really realize it until I went to watch the World Cup in Vancouver.  I was sitting up high with my wife and kids and it was the first time I ever sat in the stands and watched a soccer game. It was weird because I could see everything developing a lot more. When I am at field level and looking at the game through the lens, I am staring at whoever has the ball. I’ll see people who are making runs out of the corner of my eye. For example, if someone is coming up on the side, I’m shooting them, but then I have one eye in the middle of the field because I know that the ball is probably going to be crossed in.

I’ll watch the highlights after a game and it looks nothing like it did from my camera. I’ll take a picture of a goal celebration, and I might take like 30 shots. I’m taking all these pictures, so it almost feels like slow motion, but in reality it’s only like a 2 second long thing.

So you have to have very good vision? 

Ya, but it also really helps to know the team. For example with the Timbers, I know Alvas Powell is probably not going to take a shot when he’s dribbling the ball up the side, and I also know when he crosses it, it’s probably going to be crossed to [Fanendo] Adi.

So how do you learn player’s tendencies? Do you study the players? 

I’m not watching film or anything like that, but just by being at all the games and training, and seeing it all the time.

The Thorns for example, are two very different teams when the national team players are gone. The way you guys play is very different, the style, the people taking the shots, it’s different. So you pick up on tendencies.

How does that affect the way you take pictures?

It doesn’t affect the way I shoot, it just affects where I might stand. Here’s an example: my favorite pictures are goal celebrations, those are the best pictures, right? So, some people always celebrate the same direction. Sometimes it’s chaotic so you can never guess where they are going to go. But some people always go to the right. For the Timbers, when Diego [Valeri] scores he always runs one way because he’s blowing kisses to his wife and kid. Adi always tends to run towards the bench.

What about tendencies for the Thorns? 

Nadia [Nadim] (Arrow Liver: Nadia Nadim) is great because she goes crazy, which I like. Mana [Shim] (Arrow Liver: Mana Shim) always goes and runs into peoples arms, which I like. Allie [Long] (Arrow Liver:Allie Long) always spins and goes backwards and puts her finger in the air. I can kind of predict it, but it depends.  If it’s off a corner kick, they are probably going to run where the corner kick came from. Most of the time people run towards whoever assisted on the goal. If it’s a huge goal….I try to predict it, but I never can, it’s chaos, and that’s what I like about it.

Do you have a favorite moment while photographing? 

Probably the Timbers Championship last year, at the end of it. That was awesome. I don’t know, I can’t describe it. At one point, I was running around taking pictures. Everyone was all elated, and I just kind of stopped, looked around, and took it all in. I just had this moment.

Do you have a favorite picture you’ve taken? 

That’s really hard. A lot of my favorite pictures are Riveters and Army shots. The Providence Park atmosphere is so unique to anywhere else and any sport. It’s hard to pick a single picture. Right now, I’m going through and picking my favorite 100 pictures for the Timbers, maybe I can have an answer for that after I look through all of those.

What’s the most gratifying part about your profession? 

I think it’s when people say that they had an emotional attachment to the picture. Like weddings for example, I like people to be able to look at a picture and say “okay, I remember what I was feeling in that moment.” A picture that can really tell the story, you can look at it and know what’s going on without having to read a caption. Anything that shows emotion. Emotion is my favorite thing to capture. So tell all your people to run towards me when they score haha!

When I get on the field for the first time, before I run, I’m going to look where you are, and as I’m getting subbed on I’ll smile at you. 

Nice. With something like your case, when you’ve been out for a long time and come back, it’s a big deal, so I try to shoot something that is completely different. From behind with the scoreboard in the background or something like that.  I have a cool picture of Diego [Valeri] when he got subbed back in after his injury. I shot this wide picture that has the whole stadium and then him and the referee standing next to each other. 

Do you get mad when athletes or fans use your photos without asking?

It’s fine I really don’t care. You wouldn’t be the first person and you wouldn’t be the last. When I submit my pictures, I kind of know that people are going to use them. And sometimes its kind of cool because the fans make tifos out of my pictures or cool banners. So it doesn’t bother me.

Is there any other sport or event you would want to capture? 

You know, I don’t know. When I was younger I thought the Olympics would be cool, but now that I’m older that doesn’t sound fun anymore. I think traveling with the president or on a presidential campaign would be fun. Soccer is definitely my favorite thing to shoot, so hopefully I can do that for a long time.

And you just recently discovered your love for soccer? 

Ya it’s weird, I have always been a baseball guy. When I first started working at the stadium, I was shooting baseball all the time, and then I would shoot 4 or 5 Timbers games a year and that was it, so I didn’t know much about soccer. I thought soccer was boring, like a typical American right? But then when the Timbers went MLS they hired me to be the photographer so I was around soccer all the time with games and training and around the team all of the time. Once I figured out tactics it made the game a lot more fun.

So soccer is your favorite sport now?

Ya. Definitely.

Love that.

And my kids are super into it. They both play and watch all the games. Saturday morning they sit and watch Premier League games. So I watch a lot of soccer. My son is a huge Barcelona fan so we watch all their games too. It’s funny because my kids don’t come to a lot of Timbers games, but they come to all the Thorns games.

Trust me, they watch all Timbers game, they just don’t come to all of them…

I don’t think you guys realize just how much [the Thorns] playing in front of that many people empowers little girls especially, but kids in general. I have never seen any of my daughter or her friends think, “oh I can’t do that because I’m a girl…” To them, you guys are like just as good as Barcelona.

Mana came to one of my daughter’s soccer games last year. I printed out a bunch of pictures and had her sign them all. And after the game, she gave them to all the kids and to this day, it’s one of the coolest things that’s ever happened to them. To me it’s like, I don’t care, but to them it’s everything.

What was your first thought when you woke up this morning?

Why is my dog licking my face?

What is your morning routine?

I wake up and, right now in the summer, I clean the pool. I take the dog out, feed her, get some food, then go for a run if I have time.

What advice would you give someone who wants to take a quality picture? 

Two things people don’t always pay attention to in taking a picture.: the light and the background. If you get those two things right, the rest of the picture will take care of itself.

What is your definition of successful? 

It’s not monetary or anything like that. To me being successful is being happy. For me personally, having my family, my business, and not stressing about things you can’t control. Also, being a good person. There’s a lot of different people in the world,. You’re not going to agree with everyone all the time, but that’s okay. To me being successful is accepting that things are what they are and if you don’t like them then change them.

Why do you do what you do?

Because I like it and I couldn’t picture myself doing anything else.

Pun intended? 

Ya haha, I guess so. Photography has taken me places I never would have been able to go without it. I wouldn’t want to do anything else. The flexibility is super important because

if I want to take a day off, I can take a day off. My kids are only little for so long, so I want to take advantage of my time with them.

How are you different than the average?

I think a lot of people can take good pictures. I don’t necessarily think I’m the best photographer, but I think what separates me from the rest is my attitude and my customer service. The Timbers and Thorns could hire other people, but they keep my around because of my ability to predict what is needed and deliver it quickly before they ask for it.

What has been your biggest setback?  

I don’t know if I can answer that question, because I don’t think of things as setback necessarily. If anything doesn’t go as planned, I think, “okay what can I do differently next time to not have this happen? Every single thing that has been a “setback” has been something that has propelled me forward at the same time.

What is your most rewarding accomplishment? 

Probably my family. I don’t know if I can call them an accomplishment, but they are what I’m most proud of, for sure.

What do you wish you knew as a kid? 

It’s funny sometimes I think, “ohI wish I knew to put money in Apple or to take this job… but then I think if I knew that back then, then my life would have taken a different path, so I really wouldn’t want anything to change, because it was my learning that led me to this, and I like the way that this is.

What’s your dream meal? 

I’m kind of a picky eater. Probably a steak and seafood.  A ribeye or filet or something. And salmon or lobster. And then ice-cream to wash it down. I’m a big fan of cookies and cream or mint chocolate chip.

Who are three people you’d ask to dine with you?

President Obama would be cool as hell to hang out with. My grandpa. He passed away. I’d like to have a meal with him that would be great.

If you could only keep five possessions what would they be? 

Does my dog count as a possession?

Ya, he can. 

Ok. My dog.  I guess I could say a camera, but not really. My iPhone for sure.

You aren’t going to say your good camera? 

No my phone has a camera. I’m a terrible photographer, we go on vacation and I don’t even bring a camera,  I just shoot everything on my iPhone.

So you aren’t one of those parents that’s always snapping pictures? 

Oh nooo. I’m the worst photographer dad ever.  All of the parent’s on my kids soccer team always ask are you going to take pictures? I say no, I‘d rather watch my kids play than take pictures. So, one game a year, I only do this for my wife, but one game a year I’ll bring a camera and I’ll shoot pictures of them.

Ok So my dog, my camera, my car I guess so I could drive somewhere, my snowboard, and my bike.

What skill would you like to learn and why? 

I wish I could play soccer. That would be fantastic. I touched a soccer ball for the first time three years ago.  play on an indoor team with my high school friends and I’m just terrible. My kids let me know it too.

What is your favorite mobile app? 

Probably Instagram. (Follow: @craigmdyer, Follow his pup: @poison_ivy_pup)

Naturally. 

Naturally.

Arrow Liver: Professional Soccer Player, Nadia Nadim

Watch Nadia Nadim score a goal, and she’ll sprint over to the corner flag and karate kick it down. Ask her tell you a Chuck Norris joke, and she’ll laugh before she gets to the punch line. Play any card game, and her facial expression will give away the quality of her hand. Nadia is as real as they get.

As a Muslim fleeing the Taliban to Denmark, Nadia grew up with incessant demands on how to act and live her life. She wasn’t supposed to wear shorts, play soccer, or run around with the boys. But Nadia never subscribed to these ideals. She knew in her heart what she wanted to do. And the moment she dribbled a soccer ball, it was love at first touch.

At a refuge camp in Denmark,  12 year-old Nadia ventured over to a nearby field and watched the local teams train. One day, she went up to the girls’ coach and asked if she could join the team. He agreed, and from there her career took off.

Today, Nadia’s enthusiasm for the game matches that of her childhood self; the girl who spent every spare hour playing pick-up with friends.  She plays with fire. Doubt her, and the flame only gets bigger. If people tell her to act differently, it reversely encourages her to be even truer to herself, and no one else.

Although, an innate passion influenced Nadia’s soccer career, she is aware of the power she holds to give other refugees hope of a brighter future. Nadia’s drive to help others extends beyond the soccer field, as she is currently studying to become a reconstructive plastic surgeon. She plans on opening up her own clinic, owning a big home, and helping thousands. That’s not Nadia being cocky or arrogant, that’s Nadia Nadim being Nadia Nadim.

Ask her to tell you a Chuck Norris joke, and you’ll see what I mean.

Nadia is an Arrow Liver.

Name: Nadia Nadim

Age: 28

Hometown: Aarhus, Denmark

Occupation: professional soccer player, future reconstructive  plastic surgeon

Years at profession:  16 years playing, 10 years professionally

What was your first thought when you woke up this morning?

I woke up later than I usually do around 8. I pray sometimes, especially in the morning. So I thought, should I go pray or should I go to the pool? I was having this dilemma. I was like if I go to the pool it might be too late for my prayers. As Muslims you have to pray 5 times a day, but I never want to force myself to pray. I want to be real and pray when it comes from the heart.

So I thought, if I pray I’m forcing myself to be fake and God’s going to know. So I did not pray. I went to the pool. So, I was like he’ll understand, he loves me.

What is your morning routine?

Here is a lot different than at home. I have more time than usual. I’ll wake up really early around 6 or 7. Then I go to the gym, do my exercises that I have to do for my hamstring. Sometimes I will go in the pool or jacuzzi. Then I come back and make breakfast. I always have scrambled eggs with veggies.

Sometimes I pray, but only when it comes from the heart.

What do your prayers entail?

There’s a special routine. You have to wash yourself before you pray. I have to take a shower, I need to be clean. I lay out my prayer carpet, and make sure it’s pointing towards Mecca. Then I bow and I pray.

I believe in God deeply. I feel like as a med. student people say “oh no, you can’t believe in God because you believe in science.” I feel really strongly about God and something powerful after being in med. school. Because life couldn’t possibly be happening without some higher power.

What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?

So I feel like when I was young people always told me, “don’t do it the way you want to do it”, but I never listened, and it’s been working for me somehow. My assistant coach from Fortuna, she’s American, she is the best. She would say “ Nadia, yes do you.” She was the only person who told me “You do you.” She told me to believe in myself. That was cool to have someone to tell me to do it, even if other people told me not to.

Have you always had this strong belief in yourself?

Ya. It wasn’t from my mom. She wasn’t into sports. She didn’t even know what was going on, she was so busy trying to feed us and take care of us. I felt like the other people around me wanted me to be something else. A lot of times it wasn’t easy, but I never wanted to bow down.

Who is your definition of successful?

I think there are many ways to get success. The people I look up to are the ones who stay true to themselves while achieving something. You can achieve a lot of things, but if you are losing yourself along the way, that would suck. I would hate that. I don’t want that to happen to me.

They just made a Danish documentary on me, and I know on television and interviews they want you to be a certain way and say a certain thing. I don’t want to do that. I want people to know who I am. Because then I’m not changing, you know?

Why do you do what you do?

Because I love soccer. It makes me happy. When I am playing everything else disappears. It’s me and the ball and I’m like daaa daaa daaaa [she’s smiling with her thumbs up]. When I’m studying for my exams or really stressed out, I get to train and forget all of it. I get to be in my own world. It’s hard to get those feelings from other places. When I score…I haven’t done drugs, but it’s almost like you are on drugs. You’re so high up, its crazy. It makes me happy.

How are you different than the average?

I’m different by being super honest. I’m myself. I’m happy 98% of the time. The 2% I’m not, you will see. My approach for life is that there is so much worse happening than what is happening to me right now. No matter what happens,  I get over it. Sometimes it sucks. but it is the way I feel, you know? Maybe because of the stuff I went through when I was younger, I have this mindset. I know my life is short and anything can happen at anytime so I might as well enjoy it.

Why do you where those colorful headbands?

I hate to look like anyone else, I always want to buy things that other people don’t have. I started wearing headbands when I was really young, I just liked it. I really quickly started making my own. I used to take my underwear and cut of the colorful elastic band off of it. My teammates would say “that’s so cool where did you get it?”  I would say “ya, you don’t want to know…haha.”  When I started getting sponsorships they wanted me to wear their brand. I was like,  I don’t like this and everyone else is wearing them, so I am just going to keep making my own. Now I go on ebay and buy fabric to make them. I wear them because I think I look cool with them, and they help to hold my hair back.

How do you spend your free time?

I love watching movies. That’s the way I relax the most. I watch all kinds of movies. I watch a lot of Bollywood movies. The ending is always so happy. I love that. I’m a big Star Wars fan because it was the first movie I saw at the cinema movie house.  I was 13 or 14, and one of my closest friends was working in this little cinema. After school, I used to help her clean the theaters so I could get free popcorn. And one time we got to see the Star Wars movie. After that, I was hyped up.  I also like to hangout with my friends. The ones who know me really well and I can relax 

What has been your biggest setback?  

I really believe in faith and destiny in all of this stuff. That’s why I always maintain this positive approach. I know it’s meant to be somehow. Maybe thats how my brain works with coping through stuff.  But I believe it 100%. That’s why it’s hard for me to say “this has been my setback.”

What is your most rewarding accomplishment? 

In 2006, my mom moved to a bigger city. and there were a lot of foreigners there. We used to live in this kind of ghetto area. It was my favorite place of all time because people were always playing in the streets. I used to look out at the kitchen window and if someone was down there I would run out and play with them. There were no other girls playing.

There was a lot of crime in this area. My friends and I were like, we should start a club to get these kids into soccer. We started with 7 players. and a year and half later we had 217 people. Some of these kids were getting into trouble, but with us, they were behaving with respect. The club was called Athletic South.

My friend and I tried to fundraise. During this time, I was getting into the national team, so the club was getting recognition and the city was suddenly trying to help us. We were interviewed on tv, and random people would call me and say we will donate 10,000 kroner. We got cones, balls, jerseys, and everything. We raised enough money to take them to the Lemona Cup tournament in Italy. And so we took them. And they killed everyone. When we came back to the street, there were so many parents, vans and a camera team. We were like this is so sick! We suddenly started having a girls team. And these girls were from moms, who used to be against me and didn’t want their kids playing soccer.

One day there was this little Somali girl playing with the guys on the streets. It was so freaking sick.

We changed people’s view by just showing what soccer can do. You can change so much if you use sports the right way. These parents were seeing that it’s healthy for their kids. That their kids can achieve something and feel good about themselves.

I had to stop eventually because it grew so big and I couldn’t maintain it being away with the national team.

100% if I had time, I’d do it again.  I loved it. I loved those kids. That was the achievement I am proudest of.  We managed to change peoples views.  It doesn’t take a lot to change stuff. You just have to be willing and put energy into it.

What do you wish you knew as a kid? 

I wish I knew that my life would turn out this way so I could tell my mom so she wouldn’t be so worried all the time. My mom used to worry a lot obviously, it was hard for her.  She was a single mom and doing a lot.  I didn’t know what to say. I wish I could say, “don’t worry dude.”

I always knew no matter what, that things are going to work out. Even now, I’m far away from where I want to be, I think I’m on the right path. I know everything will work out.

What’s your dream meal? 

I love my mom’s food. My dream meal is something she would make. We have this Afghan dish called qobalee its basically rice, raisins, carrots, meat, and nuts. It sounds weird, but it tastes so freaking good. It’s funny because I travel with my national team and eat out a lot but I always feel like my mom’s food is so much better. l’ll never complain about food though.  I’ll eat everything as long as there’s not a lot of chili in it. Otherwise, I’m grateful for food.

Who are three people you’d ask to dine with you?

Zlatan Ibrahimovic because I freaking love him.  Ok this sound weird, but I would love to have one of the presidents from the U.S because I feel like there is so much stuff they know I would say “is this true with this alien’s thing going on?” That kind of stuff. And who else? Probably one of my friends or sisters because…family.

If you could trade lives with one person for an entire day who would it be?

Not with an athlete because I know how that is. Probably a big shot politician just to see how it works.

If you could only keep five possessions what would they be? 

Probably my phone, a ball, my credit card, my iPad cause I have all my books there, and I don’t know the last one. I’m not very attached to stuff.

What skill would you like to learn and why? 

I would love to be able to play an instrument for real. I hate the fact that I used to play the flute and could read notes. I don’t know why I didn’t continue with something else. Guitar would be kinda cool. I would be like “let me play a song for you guys.”  Can’t you see me doing that?

What is your favorite mobile app? 

Snapchat. I use it a lot. That’s how I communicate. I also use WhatsApp a lot with my family.

To everyone 25 and older: GROW UP, GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS.

I recently turned 25, which basically means I am 30, because as we learn in 5th grade, you round up from 5s. The more birthdays I celebrate, the further I push forward my definition of “old.” In my early teens, I decided I would turn adult when I began college. Free from parental guidance, I’d have no choice but to grow up. But then graduation rolled around Daytona 500 fast, and I felt ill-equipped to wear the cap. After I entered the “real world” surely I would feel old. Nope. And now here I am, four years removed from college, 30 by mathematical rounding standards, and yet just this month I purchased my first house plant. My parents gave me a food dehydrator and water filter for my birthday. That has to stand for something.

The word “grown-up” in itself is deceiving. It insinuates that there’s a distinct point in which one becomes an adult. As if some mystical creature waves her wand and all of sudden we transform from a child into a matured specimen.

In my adolescence, I thought by now I’d undoubtedly have my “adultness” on lockdown. A few things my teenage self anticipated I would have checked off by now:

-marriage

-kids on the way

-owner of a home

-strong political and religious views

-lover of fine wine and cheese

Score for this list: 0 for 5, unless you count the green plant that I’m mothering.

Being an adult is a far murkier matter. There is no clear cut definition.

I used to feel weird about this grown-up thing. I haven’t done this, bought that, become this.

But I have always been certain of one fact: I wanted to be a professional soccer player when I grew up. Far before I knew its logistics as a career choice with foreign words like contracts, salaries, and sponsorships.

I watched the 1999 World Cup penalty shootout-Brandi Chastain tearing off her jersey after scoring the game-winner. I wanted that. Not the shirt ripping-off, that’s not my style. But everything else.

I wanted to make the National Team. To represent my country in a World Cup and Olympics. I wanted to win them both, and kiss the gold medal on the podium, listen to the national anthem and look out to my entire family in the stands.

I envisioned this scenario before society had a chance to chokehold my dreams and contort my brain into thinking maybe I wasn’t good enough. Before my friend’s parents asked me “what do you actually want to do with your life after soccer?” As if soccer was not going to be my job. It was too late for any of that. The seed was already planted in my head. Padlocked in a place no one could touch but me.

I was naive. I didn’t know you needed a certain amount of talent to play a sport at the highest level. My current ability was irrelevant. All that mattered was that I wanted to play soccer, therefore that’s what I was going to do.

I have never really cared much about what people think about me. I guess I care to an extent. When I was younger I left the house with a shirt on because my mom told me that’s what ladies are supposed to do. But I never brushed my hair. I was late to the game on shaving my legs,  wearing mascara, and all other products intended to enhance aesthetics-with the exception of roll-on glitter, I was all about having a little sparkle in my life.

I knew what I wanted. Playing soccer ignited my soul. I didn’t concern myself with much else and turned a blind eye to anyone who inferred I should do otherwise.

I grabbed hold of this golden feeling and allowed it to guide me throughout my youth.

On my club team, I remember playing in a quarterfinal match against our local rivals. The opposing team scored the game winner with two minutes left in the game.  Our coach brought us into a huddle to console us and chant the final obligatory “team name” cheer. After we all shouted “Sapphire!”,  I overheard my teammates laughing and talking about going out to dinner at the pizza parlor.  Pizza??? How on earth could you think about consuming pizza when we were just defeated mere minutes ago??

Blasphemy. I didn’t understand it.

Whenever we lost, my parents knew my red flag was activated: do not talk to me, unless I initiate the conversation.

I had this mentality throughout childhood. I just wanted to get better, and become more like Brandi Chastain, Mia Hamm, and Tiffany Millbrett. For me, it was all or nothing.

I never knew the exact steps I needed to take to get there. I relied on my intuition and trained the best I knew how. I practiced my juggling in the backyard.  In middle school, I discovered the racquetball courts at the gym and I spent hours jamming to music and kicking against the wall. It just happened. I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I knew my heart liked it. That I was in alignment with my vision of playing at the highest level.

I continued this attitude throughout college, onto the U-20 national team, and into the professional ranks. At a glance, it appears I have reached my dreams. Yet, I still haven’t played in a World Cup. I still have yet to win a professional championship. I still feel like I haven’t even tapped into my potential. I have more things I want to accomplish.

And here I am battling a concussion. Increasingly aware of how finite a professional athletic career is.

Will I get fully healthy? Is it time for me to grow up and get a “normal” job? Is this the time to throw in the towel?

It seems the older we get, the more we’re exposed to this dream-snatching vortex. The one where our parents, or teachers, or news reporters or friends say, “okay, enough is enough, it’s time to settle down and get your life sorted out.”

As children, we run around with our dreams like political campaigns, unafraid and eager to divulge them to anyone who will listen.

But each year, we have to stand on even firmer ground to protect them. Societal pressure is toxic. Like mosquitoes on a warm Southern night. If we don’t wear enough repellent, we’ll get bit with insecurity, our self-belief sucked away. With each bite, our dreams get called into question and tainted with doubt.

Eventually, we listen to the voice inside our heads that rationalizes maybe it is time to move on.  We become too overwhelmed by the scrutiny (self-imposed or from peers).  We cave in. And slowly but surely, the thing that once made our soul sparkle, our dream, fizzles away.

When did we confuse growing up with giving up?

There are some people who truly, circumstantially, despite how badly they want it, can’t pursue their dreams. But most of us don’t fall under that category.

Sometimes goals change. We realize that what we wanted in the past, truly doesn’t feed our soul anymore.

But I think a lot of times we give up because of fear.

Society has this stigma about audacious goals. If you say them out loud, then you are cocky or crazy, or both.

Big dreamers make people uncomfortable. They challenge mediocrity and cause others to examine their own dream-lost lives.

On the individual’s end, we often fear that if we vocalize our goal and don’t achieve it, then we are a fraud. A failure.

I wholeheartedly disagree.

Our worth as a human does not come from whether or not we achieve our goals.

I believe it’s cultivated through the pursuit. Through the lessons we learn from the triumphs, and, especially, the failures. Our value lies on who we become by going after things that genuinely fire us up.

It’s wildly more rewarding pursuing our true desires, than scraping by with a do “what you’re supposed to do” existence.

Even if at surface level it appears that I am further away from representing my country in a World Cup, or my other dreams, that doesn’t change the itch inside of me. The goosebumps I get when I look into the stands at Providence Park and see thousands of fans waving their scarfs during the national anthem.

That giddiness is inside all of us. It’s there for a reason. It’s a sign we are doing what we are meant to be doing. It gives us the juice-even when life isn’t going how we anticipated-to keep going. It affirms that the obstacles are all necessary teachers in our journey.

I believe this is what growing up is about. Relentlessly following that feeling. Going after our dreams. And not stopping at whatever arbitrary number society associates with the appropriate age to settle down.

Whether I am a wide-eyed 9 year-old watching the Olympics, a 25 year-old in the midst of a quarter-life crisis, or a 106 year-old with a walker, I will always have something that lights me up. My plan is to find it. Go after it. And not stop.

I will never grow up.

Arrow Liver: Surf Instructor, World Traveler, Happiness Seeker, Lewis Smith

24 year-old Lewis Smith’s father is a criminal lawyer at his self-owned law firm. His mother, a general practitioner, and his older sister a double major in engineering and law. Lewis recently completed his degree in civil engineering and is currently chasing after his second degree in environmental engineering.

But for the Smith’s, “success” doesn’t require scrubs and a stethoscope, or polished shoes and a briefcase. It comes from something much simpler.

Lewis’ stumbled upon “success” at 18-years-old on an ordinary lazy Sunday afternoon after a morning of surfing in his hometown Wombarra, New South Wales. Lewis laid on his couch and flipped the television to “Before 30”, a show highlighting the things people ought to do before they turn 30. Most often, Lewis mindlessly watched the show, but that day, his eyes were glued to the episode’s topic: Become a surf instructor in France.

“I saw it and a immediately thought that sounds like it would be really fun and something I want to do one day.”

That night, Lewis researched surf camps near his hometown and came across Essential Surf and Skate, a surf instructing company. He recalled seeing the Surf and Skate van perched up at beaches he surfed at. He dialed the company’s contact number. The owner, a friendly man named Pete, answered and Lewis inquired about the necessary steps to become a certified surf instructor.

The phone conversation gave birth to a mentorship. Pete took Lewis under his wing, guiding him through the process of acquiring his life guard credit, completing an online Academy of Surf Instructors course, and completing 25 instructing practice hours.

By 20, Lewis’ desire to travel resurfaced. He returned to Google and searched “surf camps France. ” He drafted an email expressing his interest in becoming an instructor and blasted it to over 50 programs. He heard back from a few, and chose to reach out to France’s Star Surf Camp.

His email spurred a series of exchanges involving background checks, criminal records, and surfing photos. Lewis passed the test; the camp wanted him.

Lewis knew very little about the camp, but a few days after his final exams he boarded the plane.

For the next six months, Lewis lived in a beachside tent nestled in the forest.

On a typical day, he woke up, chowed down breakfast, crafted himself a sandwich for lunch, then ventured to the beach to teach a group of campers how to surf. He spent eight hours in the water, from 10:00am-6:00pm. Once the day’s activities were through, he returned to the tent for dinner, and engaged in a evening activity with the campers.

Each week, Lewis hugged the 40 campers goodbye, and welcomed in another set.

Lewis lived this beach bum lifestyle for the next six months. After his employment with Star Surf Camp ended, Lewis saved up enough money to travel. He met up with a friend to travel throughout Europe, from Amsterdam, to Prague, Portugal, the Canary lines and ended in London to catch a flight back home.

Two days after touching down in Wombarra, Lewis was back immersed in civil engineering courses. Months passed, and something felt off in his life.

He asked himself a simple question, “When am I happiest?”

His mind instantly shot back to the France surf camp.

“It was so cool. I was doing exactly what I wanted to be doing, living the life I want to live, and getting paid for it. All of the staff was family even though they were from all over the world.”

Lewis couldn’t ignore his gut feeling.

He decided to postpone his studies next semester, and flew back to Star Surf Camp .

From there, he went on another traveling escapade to Portugal, Norway, the Canary Islands, and on to Sweden to study engineering for a semester.

Lewis saw these solo traveling experiences equally as valuable, if not more so, than his school courses.

“I think it was way better by myself. I didn’t know what to expect, but that made it was way more of a challenge. When you put yourself out there, you learn a lot. I loved it.”

Now, after three years of exploring the world,  Lewis is back in Wombarra for more than just a quick trip home. He’s pursuing his second major in environmental engineering, teaching surfing, and enjoying family time.

He sees himself making a career out of his double major and is especially interested in ocean engineering, which involves harnessing the energy waves to use a renewable energy source.

But he’s not ready to settle down just yet.

“I think we have this idea that we have to rush into things. Like jobs. There’s a time and place for everything.  I want to experience things while I am young. I wanted to enjoy my life do what makes me happy.”

The Smith family have high standards for success. Yet their definition of success doesn’t mean becoming an engineer, a lawyer or a doctor.

“My parents are really supportive. They want me to do what makes me happy.”

For Lewis, that means a surf trip to Central and South America in the future. After this big trip, he thinks he will be well-traveled and ready to make Wombarra his permanent home and pursue an engineering job.

“If I’m not ready to be a grown-up by then, I never will be.”

Name: Lewis Smith

Age: 24

Hometown: Wombarra, New South Wales, Australia

Occupation: surf instructor/student

Years at profession: 4 years

What was your first thought when you woke up this morning?

There’s construction going on by my apartment, so I thought “damn these guys are still making noise. But then I knew I was going to go surfing so I thought “get out of bed and go shred.”

What is your morning routine?

If it’s a surf day. I’m pretty manic. I want to find out what the surf is doing and if it’s going to be good. Surfing is really temperamental and there’s a really small window. So I’ll head out quickly with a banana and a sandwich in my hand.

On days I’m not surfing, I’m the slowest person ever. I’ll spend an hour making scrambled eggs and doing nothing. I have an addiction to music so I’ll put on some music-anything from gangster rap to Al Green-and make breakfast.

What did you love most about where you grew up?

The beach culture, community, and the quality of waves.

What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?

My granddad told me “if you do what you love, then you’ll do it well, and then you’ll succeed.”

Who is your definition of successful? 

For me, it’s not about money. It’s people who chase their dreams. People who make a career out of what they want to be doing and inspire others to do similar things-especially healthy things like sports or things a bit off the beaten track.

Why do you do what you do?

I think your mind is really powerful. It’s important to keep yourself happy and not do what society expects of you. At the end of the day you only have to answer for yourself and ask have I done stuff today that I am happy about?

Is this where you thought you’d end up?

When you grow up around here, everyone is really territorial and proud of their own place. I never thought I’d leave Wombarra for Wollongong.  But other than that, I’m glad about how life has turned out. I owe a big part to my parents. They always made sure I studied. That’s given me so many opportunities which I’m really grateful for. I feel like i am in a really good place, but also have lots of other options which is really nice. I still have time to have some fun while I’m figuring things out. One of the best things is to travel to learn and it’s made me realize how lucky I am to grow up in a place like this.

How are you different than the average?

I’m taller than the average [he laughs]. I’m not really in a rush for everything. I have goals, but I can be patient and work towards them step by step. Sometimes good things you have to wait for.

How do you spend your free time?

I am a big fan of being by myself when I have free time. One of the reasons I like surfing so much is that it gives you time to think. I also like reading books, going for a bike ride, and looking at nature.

What’s been your biggest setback? 

When I try and pick up chicks [he laughs again]. Just kidding, don’t put that. I’ve had a lot of setbacks with injuries. I’ve perforated my ear drum 4 times, had a shoulder ankle, and knee injury, broken my finger and elbow, thrown out my back, and had some reef cuts. I hate them because I feel like I can’t do what I love doing, but I think failing is a really good learning experience.

What is your most rewarding accomplishment? 

Most people get satisfaction from working, but that’s not me. For me, it’s been from traveling and doing it by myself. I like having a challenge and throwing myself in the deep end a bit.

I also think having good relationships in your life is a really positive thing. It’s good to be open and nice to the people you care about. I’ve held onto the good ones and believe that’s a big accomplishment.

What do you wish you knew as a kid? 

Nothing. It’s a whole learning process. Maybe one thing would be to recognize that hobbies and sports and passions can be really influential in your life. Apart from that, every mistake is vital to help you learn in your own time.

What’s your dream meal? 

I like eating healthy food with a lot of nutritional value. I’d say a poached egg with smoked and avo on toast. I like something hearty and healthy where you feel really full in a good way. And then a coffee.

Who are three people you’d ask to dine with you?

David Attenborough because I reckon he would know some stuff about everything. He would be old and wise. Then, I’d have my grandparents because they are funny, wise, have life lessons, and they are happy which is cool. And lastly that girl from The Rum Diaries [Amber Heard] because she is a babe.

If you could trade lives with one person for an entire day who would it be?

I’d like to be a dog for a day or a dolphin. Dogs have heaps of energy and are always happy. They run around when they want to run around and sleep when they want to sleep. And dolphins are cool.

If you could only keep five possessions what would they be?

Definitely my surf board. My wetsuit, passport, laptop, and boardies so I don’t have to be in my wetsuit all day.

What skill would you like to learn and why?

I’d like to be able to speak three languages fluently and be able to play three instruments. Speaking would be cool to be part of the culture more and learn to express yourself in different ways. And instruments would be cool.

What is your favorite mobile app?

I try not to use my phone that much, but I like Wind Guru which tells you the surf report and Google Maps because I always get lost.

The Day I Chopped my Hair Off for Coach Mark Parsons, but actually for Pantene Beautiful Lengths

In between training sessions,  Arrow Liver Maureen Fitzgerald  cut 10 inches off my hair.  It happened to be Coach Mark Parsons birthday, so the team decided to gift him my hair, which we thought he might find useful. After the joke,  I ended up donating it to Pantene Beautiful Lengths. They make wigs for women battling cancer. If you have any luscious locks, consider donating to this great organization:

Pantene Beautiful Lengths

Everyone deserves to feel strong, powerful and beautiful.

I feel lighter and freer already!

My stylist, Mo is still looking to raise money for standing desks. Read more about this Arrow Liver and donate to her Fundme here :Who is amateur call-up Maureen Fitzgerald? School teacher by day, Portland Thorns FC player by night

Arrow Liver: Professional Soccer Player, Jennifer Skogerboe

Meet the newest addition to Thorns FC: Jennifer Skogerboe aka Skogs. Jen is coming off of her first professional season with F.C Slovacko, in Czech Republic. As a daughter to a Captain in the Navy, Jen and her family traveled every few years from Singapore to Washington and beyond. Jen’s father, Paul used his military background to maintain discipline in the household. He made Jen and her two brothers, Eric and Tim, complete 100 push-ups and sit-ups every night before bed. Jen assures she enjoyed the physical challenges and believes her upbringing shaped her into the strong human she is today. Long story short, don’t mess with Jen. Or do, and you’ll quickly discover she’s as humble, loving and well-rounded as they get.

Jen Skogerboe is an Arrow Liver.

Name:  Jennifer Skogerboe

Age: 24

Hometown: Born in Yokosuka, Japan, moved to a new place every 3 years because Dad was in the Navy. Has lived in:

Seattle Washington

Singapore

Jacksonville, Florida

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Washington D.C

Occupation:  Professional Soccer Player

Years playing: 20 years, 2 years professionally

When did in you arrive in Portland and where did you came from? 

June 29th. I came from Tokyo, Japan because my parents recently moved there. My dad’s working back where I was born.  He’s retired from the Navy, but he now works for the government as the program manager on a Navy aircraft carrier.

What was it like growing up with your dad in the Navy?

We had to move several times growing up. People always ask me if it was hard. I think it shaped me into the person I am today. I had to adjust to new environments quickly and I meet knew people wherever I went. Soccer definitely helped me adjust because I had teammates whom I could relate to. I was able to make friends right away. It’s cool to know people all over the world now.

Was it hard moving all of the time?

No. My dad was good about looking into the area that he would have to be re-stationed to. He always made sure to find a good school for us to go to and continue to get a good education. He also looked into the soccer clubs in the area so I could continue to develop as a player. He emailed them before and let them know I was coming. I was definitely lucky to have supportive parents.

Your brother played too?

My brother, Eric, played.  He is one of my biggest role models because he always pushed me to get better.  My dad would always take my brother and I out for runs. His military personality rubbed off on us. He would even make sure we did our push ups and sit-ups every night.

He would make you do push ups and sit-ups every night?

We would come home from school, and he asked us if we had done our push-ups and sit-ups yet. If I didn’t, I lied and say I did. He knew when I wasn’t telling the truth. But honestly, my brother and I enjoyed having that discipline. It made us who we are. It made us closer.

How many would you have to do? 

100 push-ups and sit-ups. It became easier and easier as I continued to do them.

Do you still do 100? 

No.

How else did your dad’s military lifestyle influence your brother and you? 

He helped us stay fit. My dad never played soccer growing up so he didn’t really know much about the sport but he did his best to study it to help us train and get better.

How did your mother influence your play? 

My mom was more of the laid back one. She wasn’t too athletic growing up, but she supported us in everything we did and always made sure we were well fed.

Did you have a favorite location you lived? 

I couldn’t give you one favorite place. I liked them all because everywhere I moved there was something different about the area. Each place was unique in it’s own way and I made new friends everywhere.

What was your first thought when you woke up this morning?

What am I going to eat for breakfast? That’s what I think pretty much every morning.

What is your morning routine?

I wouldn’t say I have a specific routine. I’m just laid back and not someone who really plans out my day. Each day is different depending on what I have going on.

What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?

Work hard and stay humble.

Who is your definition of successful? 

Anyone who is doing what they love and makes them happy.  I like the saying,  “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.”

Why do you do what you do?

It’s something I’ve always loved. It’s made me disciplined and developed me into who I am today. Soccer is my platform where I hope to inspire other people and help players grow up to be the best person and soccer player they can.

How are you different than the average?

My drive to continue to push myself and not settle for anything less than what I know I can achieve and stay humble along the way.

How do you like spending your free time?

I am really outdoorsy,  so I like being active.  I enjoy finding good coffee shops and restaurants. I love doing anything, to be honest.

What has been your biggest setback?  

I’ve had challenges in my life, but I don’t see them as setbacks. I see them as opportunities to learn and develop as a person. I think everything happens for a reason.

What is your most rewarding accomplishment? 

What I am doing right now, in Portland.  I am grateful to be able to play at this level.  Also being able to use soccer to continue to travel, experience new places, and meet new people. It’s cool to be able to travel the world and see things that I’ve never dreamed of.

What do you wish you knew as a kid? 

To not take anything for granted and enjoy every simple moment. I wish I knew that as a kid, but now that I’ve gotten older I have really learned to cherish the times I get to spend with my family and friends.

What’s your dream meal? 

Some good Korean BBQ, which is really delicious marinated meat. I could have that every day.

Who are three people you’d ask to dine with you?

My family.

If you could only keep five possessions what would they be? 

My bible, my family picture, my phone to stay in contact with people, and some snack and drink.

What skill would you like to learn and why? 

I don’t know if this a skill, but people who go back-packing on their own.  That’d be cool to do one time in my life. To get away from all the normal possessions and survive on your own for a bit. Just have yourself and nature.

What is your favorite mobile app? 

I use my Facebook the most to stay in contact with my friends and family all over.

What question have you always wanted someone to ask you?

What’s your purpose in life?

What’s your purpose in life? 

I think my purpose is to continue to do what I love and try to live a life that is pleasing to God. I believe soccer is my platform to do just that. Whether it’s through playing or coaching, I want to be able to have a positive influence on everyone around me.

The Most Effective Way To Dominate Life

All of my life, I have been go-go-go on a mission. As a child, it was customary for my mom to shake me awake at 10:00am, snarf down a breakfast burrito on the way to basketball training,  jet off (still sweaty) to a birthday party, then to a soccer match, to family dinner, to my desk and up until midnight to complete my science project due the next morning… it was nonstop. And I loved it.

As I have gotten older, my gung-ho mindset is more planned out. I am aware that 99% of “overnight successes” are not necessarily illusions, but instead a result of small, daily habits accumulated over time.

Three years ago I ramped up this attitude full throttle, when I met former NFL player, and mental conditioning coach Niyi Sobomehin. He gave me a system to implement that ensures every single action I take is intentional and in alignment with my dreams. It’s an approach, that has changed my life far beyond the soccer field. It inspired me to launch my blog, to volunteer more, to play in Australia- to place my future entirely in my own hands (Check out Niyi’s website:imnotyou.com. He also has a killer podcast, he interviewed Michelle Beto’s awhile back : Niyi’s podcast w/ Michelle ).

The system allows me to dominate every single day.

And it starts the moment my alarm buzzes at 6:30am. I wake up, pop out of bed, grab my phone, and turn on my customized affirmation track, a recording, with beats in the background, of my voice telling me how beautiful and unstoppable I am and how today is about to be the best day of my life. Not in a cocky way, but in a self-love, no one else is going to hear this track but me (until now) kind of way.

As this is playing, I pound out 20 push-ups, and 1 minute of planks each way (face down, and both sides). Once finished,  I stretch and foam roll as I listen to my health affirmation track reaffirming my abundant energy and vitality.

Next, I fill out my “blueprint” journal. I answer a series of questions such as:

What are you incredibly grateful for?

Who’s life can you positively impact today and how?

Why is today going to be the best day of your life?

What one action can you take that will make today a success?

I follow this reflection by standing in front of the mirror, staring into my eyes, and again telling myself how unstoppable I am.

I give my body an “inner bath”-down a glass of water-, and lastly, I meditate for at least 10 minutes.

Before 7:15, I’ve completed my morning routine. Any ounce of fatigue is long gone and I am Lebron James-Game-7-NBA-Final ready to beast the day.

I channel this energized and invincible feeling throughout the rest of my day’s schedule- which I devised the night before, and ensure I incorporate my “Daily Disciplines”, 8 actions that I must complete every day:

At least 10 minutes of:

Watching film

Ball work

Stretching/foam rolling

Writing

Reading

Meditating

Brain HQ (an online mental training program)

Flossing my teeth (this does not require ten minutes, unless I ate a kale salad garnished with quinoa and poppyseed and chia seeds that day)

I chart my progress.

I have followed this system religiously for two and half years. If I fail to complete a habit-which happens-I feel guilty, and often make up for it the next day.

It’s a against my nature to rest.

Yet here I was, a few days after my concussion, and just getting out of bed shot milky way stars across my field of vision.  A walk to the fridge mimicked playing in the last minutes of double overtime.

By process of elimination, the only suitable response was to remain still. I wasn’t tired, but lying horizontal was the one posture that relieved my symptoms. So I rested. And I thought. I thought a lot. Sometimes my thoughts hurt. Like one time I fantasized about a thai curry dish I recently cooked, and could not, for the life of me, think of that Asian vegetable I added for extra crunch. That night, it came to me. Bok choy. That dirty devil.

Nights were the worst. Right when I got under the covers to catch some zzz’s, my brain turned into a bossy older brother; throwing lego blocks at my skull and choke-holding my neck, finding any means possible to taunt me.

My doctor anticipated with a week of minimal brain activity, my symptoms would subside and I would be able to resume my soccer duties.

A week passed. Then two. Three.  Although I was improving, any strenuous activity or extended focus invoked an interplay of nausea, light headedness, headaches, and fatigue.

So I continued to heed the doctor’s prescription until entirely symptom-free.

One more week of resting, maybe two tops, and I would be back on the pitch. I got this.

This laissez-faire attitude contradicted my typical behavior.

But I was physically unable and instructed not to abide by my ordinary structure.

Instead, I woke-up schedule-less, and based my days off of how and what I felt.

I thought this drastic change would shock my system and spur a mild depression.  But the craziest thing happened: I…dare I say it…I loved it.

To visit my beach town, you have to drive down a steep escarpment of jungle-y trees. Once at sea level, the water is audible everywhere. It’s as if you are encapsulated in your own secret sun-shining, bird-singing, wave-crashing, safe haven.

I could sulk about my uncontrollable aches and pains, but it wouldn’t make any difference; I would still be in the exact same physical state, just unhappy. That didn’t make sense to me. I opted to treat this as a mini-vacation with a side of near-barfing nausea and trash-compacting headaches.

Most days, I meandered to the beach, laid out a towel, and stared out at the ocean. I meditated, self-reflected, read until my headache acted up (about 15 minutes), and then rested some more.

At some point, I took a dip in the ocean.

I swear, water has healing powers. Every time I was near the ocean, all of my symptoms washed away with the waves. I could soak in the whimsical never-ending blueness for hours.

After being hypnotized by the magic of the ocean, I usually sauntered over to my favorite coffee shop, Bread Espresso &. I chitchatted with the owners, an adorable couple named Norby and Sandy. The shop closed around 3, (most places do to allow for a siesta or afternoon surf), and Norby’s kind heart often handed me fresh bread to take back to my roomies.

I then walked to the grocery store and bought some fresh veggies and produce . That trip usually drained my energy. so when I arrived home I took a nap in the hammock, listened to the birds chirp, then cooked my meal.

I even started developing my own recipes:

It’s as if this town was specifically designed for my prescribed “minimal brain power” recovery protocol. No one was in a rush, they were simply enjoying the day.

This laid-back lifestyle was a stark contrast to my former “can’t stop, won’t stop” mindset. Usually, I am hard on myself when I don’t complete my push-ups or watch extra film. But I didn’t feel this angst because I was told by the doctor that the fastest way to get back on the field was to rest.

Before my concussion, I idolized the lion-like mentality. I was willing to do whatever it took to be the most dominate player. I was 24/7 trying to be like the lion chasing after the the gazelle, but I was missing the whole picture.

What does a lion do when it’s not attacking?

It rests. Deeply. For upwards of 18 hours. Until it’s time to feast. Only then, does he rise from his dwelling, and attack its prey.

It is the deep rest that allows the lion, the king of the jungle, to hunt with such veracity and conviction. Lions are incredibly efficient. But when they are resting they aren’t thinking about being efficient, or, being efficient while resting.

My pure happiness stemmed from tapping into that presence. From being exactly where I was. Unconcerned about what I “had to do” (listening to affirmation tracks, watching film etc.) to set me up for success. I did things because I felt like it, because they elevated my well-being, and I trusted that the mental break would get me back on the field sooner.

This joy didn’t come from just relaxing. I have had plenty of “recovery days” over the years. It stemmed from being exactly where I was, and no where else.

Nature has this nonjudgmental way of awakening my soul. It happens when I’m around authentic people, and when I’m immersed in a soccer game. I am more alive and see the world brighter.

I still believe routines and habits are crucial for self-improvement and goal achievement. If I rested all of the time, my life would lose meaning. I need and want a system to achieve the big dreams I have in my life.

But like a lion, purposeful stillness allows for more efficient attacks. To perform at the highest level when the time counts.

With this upgraded outlook, I continued to rest, soaking in the healing powers of the mystical sea. As I gazed out at this expansive mass of water, I trusted I would be back on my grind very soon, but this time with more efficiency and intention that ever before.

Arrow Liver-Professional Soccer Player, Mana Shim

A couple weeks ago, Mana and I scheduled a walk in Forest Park. We met at the nearby grocery deli to snarf down a quick bite before hitting the trails. When we sat down to eat, a woman strolled by with flowers in one hand, and the leash to her golden retriever in the other. Mana asked the dog’s name and then the woman’s, next where she got the flowers, and who was to be the recipient.  Forty minutes later we were sharing our table with a new friend; single, 70 year-old -who thinks she looks older than 70 years old- Debra,  from New York,  recent Portland home-owner, who found the flowers on the sidewalk and might put them in a vase on her bedside table.

Befriending strangers is standard daily behavior for Mana.

She lives for human connection and has this way of conversing, where I swear,  her eyes seep through your skin and into your soul. When you talk, she listens. And when she talks, it’s like your family.

Because that’s what it was like growing up in her hometown  Honolulu, Hawaii. She comes from a community with an untethered togetherness. And it goes even deeper than that. Mana inherited this compassion from the most influential person in her life, her father, Sri. As a child Mana watched with admiration as her dad treated his homeless surfer buddies with equal amounts of respect and enthusiasm as his multi-millionaire friends.

Although her dad recently passed, Mana carries Sri’s live-in-the-moment, follow-your-heart energy with her in everything she does.

Whether she’s scoring goals with the Portland Thorns,  ripping waves on the coast, or befriending passerbys on the street, she lives with her heart. Everything else-the Forest Park walks and such-can wait.

Mana is an Arrow Liver.

Name: Mana Shim

Age:  24

Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii

Profession: Professional Soccer Player

Years playing: 20 years playing, 4 years professionally

What was your first thought when you woke up this morning?

Check the surf. There was a big wave contest, I wanted to watch.  They already surfed the final so I missed it. It’s okay though, I don’t follow the big waves tour as much as I do the regular tour.

What is your morning routine?

Wake up, and put on whatever clothes are most accessible and walk Kona (her dog),  get home have some tea, make some oatmeal, read a little bit, feed the dog, cuddles on the couch with Maru (her girlfriend), then I’m off.

What did you love most about where you grew up?

The whole place. The mountains. The ocean. The people. I feel connected to the land and the place. I grew up feeling that these are my roots and these will always be my roots.

What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?

Be here now. And another one, its a Hawaiian ‘ōlelo no’eau: Mai huli ke kua i ke kai….It means never turn your back on the ocean

Who is your definition of successful? 

My dad for sure. He died with $50 dollars in the bank, no significant materials to his name. He just followed his heart and lived his passion and treated everyone equally with loving kindness.

Why do you do what you do?

I do what I do because I love human connection and magical moments. 

Are you where you thought you would be at age 24?

Sure. Ya. In some ways ya.

How are you different than the average?

I am much more impulsive. And I approach life through an existential framework. And I think those are the only two things that separate me apart. Oh and I am not afraid to talk to people. Talking to people makes me so happy.

What habit contributes the most to your success? 

My habit to follow whatever makes my heart sing. I’m happy when I’m doing something that I really enjoy.  For instance, learning Spanish. In the moment I am learning, I am driven because I just really enjoy it. It makes the most sense to do it that way.

To me its the little things. If I choose to go surfing, it’s because I am so excited. I catch some waves and that’s a successful day.

How do you spend your free time?

Reading, walking in Forest Park, watching surfing, studying spanish.

What has been your biggest setback?  

I don’t really see things as setbacks.  It makes me think of life as a line that goes back and forward. I see it more of (she is making a circular motion with her hands) , theres not anything that can happen that can set you back. I also think that suffering is the greatest teacher. It’s all happening the way its supposed to happen. I don’t really set goals. I’m not a goal setter.

What has been your most rewarding accomplishment?

Winning the 2013 NWSL championship because my dad flew out and surprised me. I got to share it with him.

Another time I think of, was when I was a kid surfing. There was this guy, Evan, who was a really good surfer. And I caught this incredible wave, and it was backhand whip, and I free fell and dropped and landed it. And that was, to this day, the best turn of my life. And I was beaming.  I was by myself, and then Evan was like that was sick!! I literally thought you were Carissa (a professional women’s surfer) out there. A compliment from someone like that, who in my eyes is such a great surfer. I was on cloud nine.

What do you wish you knew as a kid? 

That my dad was going to die when I was 24, because I would never have left his side. Literally. Hence my existential view on life. I would have surfed with him every day of my life. I just had this expectation that he was the one who was invincible. And that he was going to be the grandfather to my kids and meet them and take care of them.

What are your other passions?

I like seeing new places, but I don’t like the en route part, the actual flying,. I love sitting in nature, watching the sunrise and the sunset. I really love having someone to look after and be responsible for. I didn’t know that about myself, but having Kona, he keeps me in check, I need to always be there for him. He relies on me. I like feeding him, taking care of him, giving him love, making sure he’s okay. I also love runners high. I don’t like the first three or four miles before, but after that,  I’m like yeah this is straight bliss.

What’s your dream meal? 

Hawaiian Food. lau lau, kalua pig, poi, and lomi salmon.

Who are three people you’d ask to dine with you?

Probably my two sisters and my mom. At this point.

If you could trade lives with one person for an entire day who would it be?

Carissa Moore, just so I could surf like her.

If you could only keep five possessions what would they be?

A surf board, a pair of clothes to keep me warm,  like shoes short, shirt, and a jacket. And my dad’s hydroflask,  I need to have water for sure.

What skill would you like to learn and why? 

Probably hit that free kick that Messi hit in the Copa America.

Who is amateur call-up Maureen Fitzgerald? School teacher by day, Portland Thorns FC player by night

With the 2016 Rio Olympics just around the corner, national team players are off completing their final preparations for the tournament. As a result, the NWSL teams need to fill roster spots.

While some called-up players have been training with the team all season, others are brought in for duty during this specific timeframe.

Where do these players come from?

Meet Maureen Fitzgerald, or Mrs. Fitzgerald, if you will.  Portland Public School teacher by day, Portland Thorns player by night.

Coming off of her first year as a 6th grade teacher for West Sylvan Middle school, Maureen is already making a statement by challenging the norms and traditions of education by pushing creativity and innovation.

She has a vision that schools should be a place where you develop critical thinkers and citizens of the worlds, and has developed content and curriculum to match those values. She has created a health and wellness after school club, gives extra credit for students who go a month-free without social media , and just just created a GoFundMe to be one of the few classrooms in the U.S to have standing desks.

As it’s summer break now for middle schoolers, Maureen just returned from watching the Euro’s in France, and is now suiting up for a casual game of pick-up on Saturday night at Providence Park.

Maureen Fitzgerald is an Arrow Liver.

So people are wondering, who is Maureen Fitzgerald?

Last time I suited up, my friend sent me a screenshot of the Twitter announcement that I was available for the game and everyone’s comment was “who is Maureen Fitzgerald??” (she laughs)  and then someone pulled up my GoDucks.com bio which is probably like 6 years old now.

So you didn’t answer my question…

Oh sorry, who am I? I am from Beaverton I grew up here. I played soccer for Westview High School and the University of Oregon and I am a teacher who has the luxury of taking summers off.  I also coach for Concordia so I’m still involved in soccer. I tried out for the team this year with the intent knowing that the Olympics are this year.

How did the call-up come about? 

Mark called me a month or two ago and left a voicemail. It was completely out of the blue. I thought someone had called me from the Oregon Athletic Fund, so I didn’t even answer the call, and then 12 hours later I had a physical, got a substitute teacher for the next day off. It was kind of nuts. I was happy taking a day off from my day job to train with the Thorns, but don’t tell my boss!

What grade do you teach?

I teach 6th grade at West Sylvan Middle School.

What did your students think?

They were crazy stoked. I have a lot of soccer players. At the beginning of the year, I had my kids write a narrative and two of my boys wrote about Thorns experiences.  One was Michelle’s goal that she scored (Story on Betos’ Goal: HERE )and the other one was just going to a Thorns game. I thought that’s the coolest moment for female sports empowerment. I’ve got these two young boys who wear Barcelona, Man U., and Timbers jerseys often, but their best experience was at a Thorns game. That’s what they chose to write about.

Do they respect you more now that you are a Thorns player?

I told all my kids because I was pretty excited. 80% of the girls play soccer and they were probably more excited than I was…  I kept hearing kids at the last game yell “Ms. Fitzgerald!” It felt like I was back in the classroom for a second. This is really good for them though as much I love the experience, it’s important for girls to have strong female role models in their life, and just as important for boys to be around strong women.

Has it always been a dream of yours to play professionally? 

Growing up I always had in my head that there was this very distinct difference between my ability and the abilities of someone who would go to UP or Stanford or play professionally. I think that’s the pragmatic mind of my dad talking. I had a pretty discouraging soccer experience in college and didn’t really like the game anymore. But then coaching for Concordia, being a part Grant Landy’s program, who created this amazing positive environment—it was very therapeutic. It took two years, but I learned to love the game again and play for myself again. 

Do you feel like you play better now because you have let go?

Oh absolutely, in college I played to get by and not screw up all the time because that was the environment that was fostered, but now no one is monitoring my playing time. No one is trying to get me to play in a specific way, or criticizing me for that matter, so now I feel like it’s total autonomy and freedom and validation.

Have you always wanted to be a teacher? 

In a way I did. My mom has been a special teacher for 30 years. When I graduated from college, my dad said you are going to teach and coach so just do it. And like any child I resisted my dad as much as possible. I was interning with the Timbers and working and Nordstrom and coaching at the same time, but then I had this “aha” moment, when I realized my favorite parts of my day were working with kids, so that was that and I went back to school to get my masters to so I could teach.

I saw you started a GoFundMe, what’s that about? 

It is a GoFundMe for standing desks for the classroom because I teach 6th grade. The kids get 15 minutes of recess and we expect them to sit still for 7-8 hours of the day no problem. Fundamentally, I know that I can’t sit still for that long, it’s uncomfortable, and it’s bad for me.

This is the first generation of kids who won’t live longer than their parents.  I have kids with anxiety, depression, ADHD and ADD at age 11 and 12. We have such a sedentary lifestyle. I feel like it’s really really important especially since I’m a teacher, I’m already doing things completely different with content and curriculum than my peers. Because I have this vision that school should be a place where you develop critical thinkers and citizens of the world. The only way you can do that is through social justice and this is one of the ways to promote healthy citizens. I headed an afterschool health and wellness club this past Spring to promote active and healthy lifestyles and felt that there was still more I could do.

As my formative years of teaching, I know how terrible it is from a personal standpoint and from a scientific standpoint to sit that long. So Gofundme is in the process we have raised about $1500. We need $4,300 just for my class room.

HELP MAUREEN REACH HER FUND GOAL HERE: FUNDME STANDING DESKS 

Do you know any other teacher or schools that have implemented this?

Not to my knowledge. I have not seen it in practice, I have just read about it online. It’s nontraditional and that scares people. It scares me at times because from a management standpoint kids aren’t sitting so how will they behave and how will they know where to go?  But all the studies point to improved classroom management and productivity. I think there’s a lot of changes in education coming and it starts with this generation of teachers.

How else does your style of teaching differ from your peers? 

My number one goal is to make sure my students come out as better people. Period. That requires them understanding other cultures, and learning how to question and think critically about the world. We talk very openly about race, gender, and social class, and these 6th graders have had some profound conversations about all of these topics. It is not the “easiest” or most comfortable thing to talk about, especially for adults, but kids are so willing to have open and honest conversations about the world around them,. It’s my goal to make sure they know how to access that world, and to speak for the voices that aren’t always heard.

Are you excited for the game tomorrow or nervous what are your feelings?

I like to keep expectations low. I don’t mean I have no expectations for myself because I do. But in Buddhism they say, “expectations are the cause of suffering.” Because when things don’t turn out the way you predict that’s when disappointment sets in. All of this is cool opportunity. I am really excited to just be here. I take this as a really big learning experience as a player and, as a coach, to take back with me to Concordia so I can enhance those players experiences as well. If I get in, I get in, but I know that I am serving a much bigger picture than myself, and that’s just as important.

If you get into the game what will you do?

I’m thinking red card immediately.  Right off that bat. Set the tone early. Just kidding… I’ve never been red carded, I don’t know how…

What will you do if you score?

Brandi Chastain. Ripping off the shirt. No, it would be pretty cool.

My whiplash heat stroke FIFA '94 Concussion

omeone wise once said when you hit rock bottom the only way to go is up. But what happens when you smack your head on a hard flat ground?  Realistically, you could go left, you could go right, or you could just remain put for awhile.  Heck, if you’re adamant, you could whip out a shovel and dig even deeper. There’s more places to go then just up. My concussion taught me that.

With physical injuries such as broken bones, torn ligaments, stress fractures etc. there’s a general return-to-play timeline. There can be complications sure, but generally the injured person knows what to expect in terms of recovery time.

Concussions are another story. An entirely different breed. They are scary.  Uncertain. A silent assassin. You may appear happy and healthy on the surface, but inside-mentally emotionally,and physically-you’re screaming for help. Unless you’ve experienced a serious concussion firsthand, it’s difficult to grasp its complexity.  And even then, each person’s symptoms are profoundly different.

In my case, I didn’t even know I acquired a concussion.

Looking back, the concussion signs of my initial blow to the head were present; nausea, headache lightheadedness, disorientation, fatigue, influx of emotion.

The lack of management at the onset of my symptoms extended the length of my recovery.

But I don’t blame anyone. Not the referee who saw the tackle or the physiotherapist who diagnosed me with whiplash, or the doctor who speculated it was a heat stroke, or the migraine specialist who informed I was dealing with classic migraines and not a concussion. I don’t even blame myself.

Hindsight is always 20/20.

If I knew on the day of my first tackle, that I would still be managing concussion symptoms 9 months later, surely I would have left Australia and received medical support from home.

But I know there is reason I didn’t. The path I am taking has been life-changing and needed to happen to put me in the position I am today.

To spark conversations about concussions, to provide my perspective, and empower-at whatever capacity -anyone who is struggling.

My naïveté of concussions stopped me from taking any shortcuts. I was forced to educate myself, become my own advocate, and process every feeling I felt.

I intimately ballroom danced with my lowest of lows and disco jived with my highest of highs.

I transitioned from viewing my concussion as a betraying backstabbing boyfriend, to a world-renowned top tier coach. The kind that you initially despise for making you run doggies until you’re on your hands and knees vomiting, but you look back and realize that it was to build character and strength. Every one of his demands purposeful.

I didn’t go home so I can share my story.

This story isn’t just about concussions. It’s not just about struggling. It’s about living.

We are all living in different chapters of life, with some pages dog-eared and others we wish we could rip to shreds.

When I read other people’s stories, I highlight excerpts that offers new insight, shifts my way of thinking, reminds me of the power within us, compels me to take action, and gives me hope.

If I can take one nugget away from a book, then it was worth the read.

I hope this story is the same.

I’m going to start from the beginning.

On October 13th, I landed in Australia (much smoother than last time: Not So Timely Travel Day),  for my second off-season stint with the Western Sydney Wanderers. My motivation to get after it was at an all-time high. These three months I was determined to make massive gains. I devised a daily schedule that insured I dominate each day:

7:00am Wake up, morning routine

7:30 Eat sautéed veggies and protein or an acai bowl

7:45 Walk over to the beach, meditate, journal

8:30 soccer workout

9:30 surf

10:30 home for a snack

12:00 study film/ perform mental work

1:00 Lunch

2:00 Hit up a coffee shop, write for Arrow Living

4:00 Consume nutritious meal before carpooling to training

6:00 Training

9:00 Reflect in journal, read

10:00 Bed

I followed this routine for the first few days and was grooving. Absolutely loving life. Soccer, surfing, writing in chill-vibed cafes, living with my friends in a home that was a 5-minute walk from the beach.…somebody pinch me.

This was about to be an epic, game-changing three months.

Our first game rolled around.

Some games, I play happier than others. I am not concerned with performance. I am flowing. Mindlessly running free. Every pass feels right. Even if the execution isn’t spot on, I can quickly shake off the mistake. Today was one of those days.

Up 2-0 at half, and assisting on both goals, I was in my zone. But in the second half, we conceded a goal, then another, and everything changed.

In the 71st minute, I received the ball on the left side, accelerated down the line to take a player on. I cut the ball inside the player and she tackled me from behind. My back slammed onto the grass, whipping my head back onto the hard ground.

I consider myself a tough player. I don’t Cristiano Ronaldo roll around as if my leg has been sawed off (with all due respect to Cristiano, he’s top class). Even if I am writhing in pain, it’s not in my nature to show it.

I remember the tackle. I hit the grass forcefully and laid face down longer than usual. I felt disoriented and it took me a while to stand to my feet. But I got up. Because that’s what you’re “supposed” to do as an athlete. Tough it out. Plus we just earned a free kick, and it was my duty to take it. The referee issued the player a yellow card and came over to check on me. I can’t remember what she said, but we kept playing.

Throughout the rest of the game, I felt dizzy.  I have dealt with far worse migraines and tendonitis throughout my career and knew I could push through this no problem.

After the game, I told my physiotherapist how I felt. She acknowledged the hard tackle and scheduled me for treatment in the coming days.

For the next couple weeks, I experienced headaches, light headedness,  nausea, and neck stiffness. These symptoms were all typical of “whiplash”, my diagnosis. These sensations would appear for a couple hours of the day, then fade away.

The following week, we played another game. I was exhausted, but having played very few full length matches in the past month, I knew my fitness wasn’t at its prime. I made it through the game and felt mediocre afterwards, with a touch of nausea and irritability the rest of the week. Nothing that would keep me away from training.

During one of our sessions, I got bumped by a player. I felt a little disoriented, but we only had 20 minutes of training left so I gritted it out.  I let our physiotherapist know after and she continued to give me treatment, mostly neck massages, the remainder of the week.

The following weekend was the Sydney Derby; the much anticipated match against our Sydney rivals.

It was a balmy 90 degrees in the stadium, but my adrenaline for the match masked the heat.

The whistle blew and we were underway.

Every time I play, it takes a few moments to get fully acclimated to the flow of the game.

But in the first few minutes, something felt especially off. I received the ball on the left flank and sprinted down the line to take my opponent end line. When I approached my opponent, I instructed myself to lunge right then explode left. A maneuver I’ve performed countless times. But my body’s response was significantly delayed. My opponent easily stripped the ball away.

A couple moments later, we received a right-sided corner kick. In charge of our kicks, I gazed over at the corner flag, dreading the amount of effort I envisioned it would take to jog over, take the kick, then run all the way back to my left back position.

I delivered a personal pep talk: Come on Kendall. I know it’s hot out. I know you’re tired. But so is everyone else. You are stronger than this. Than them. You got this. Keep going.

I dragged myself to the corner flag and whipped in a bent ball.

Stevie Wonder would have a better idea of where the ball landed than me at this point. My vision was clear, but my brain was delirious.

I felt like I was extracted from real life and placed into a scratched disk of FIFA ’94, with the screen lagging and 10 pound dumbbells shackled to my ankles.

Every action required all my energy and invoked intense emotions.

Around the 15th minute, our team conceded a corner. I walked up to my teammate Keelin and muttered “I don’t feel right.” What was intended to be a nonchalant statement, came out as a teary-eyed plea.

Keelin told me to come off, it wasn’t not worth it.

After the corner, my body sat itself down.

The team physiotherapist ran onto the field to assess me.

“I don’t feel right,” I repeated.

I stood up, walked over to the bench, and placed an ice water-dunked towel over my head. The cool temperature soothed my hidden face and provided me with alone space to attempt to process what was happening.

Never in my life, have I voluntarily subbed myself out of a game.  Junior year of college I tore my ACL. I heard a pop. It wasn’t painful, but knew it wasn’t a good sign. The doctor ran onto the field, checked my knee and helped me hobble to the sideline.

This time was different. I didn’t know what was happening. My self-engrained rugged, relentless mentality willed me to keep playing, but my body simply wouldn’t let me.

Everything around me was happening too quickly, too loudly, too brightly, too…too much.

The doctor asked if I wanted to go into the locker room where it was quieter and darker. I did.  I got up and my assistant coach asked me if I was alright to keep playing.

“Yes” , the conditioned mentally-tough part of my brain automatically responded. But my body ignored my ego and kept walking towards the locker room tunnel.

I threw myself on the training table.

My emotions took place in intervals. One minute I felt pissed off,  frustrated, sad, confused, and betrayed.

“WHY ME!?? WHY CAN’T I JUST BE HEALTHY!!??”

I thrashed my body around on the table as if I could physically shake off these feelings.

Then, all of a sudden I released all my body’s tension and laid perfectly still. The mindful, two-consecutive-years-of-meditating part of me kicked in and guided me through a breathing practice.  Everything is going to be okay. Non-judgment. The situation is neither good nor bad, it just is. Inhale deeply, exhale deeply

A few moments later,

“WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING!! I’M TIRED OF BEING HURT AND SICK AND INJURED. I JUST WANT TO BE HEALTHY!!!!!!”

This interplay continued for thirty minutes. Maybe more. I had no concept of time.

I read somewhere that you cannot be frustrated while being grateful. So I elected to make a mental list of the things I was thankful for:

I am grateful for my mom, my dad, my brothers, my dog, my relatives, the ocean, whales, Tempurpedic pillows, almond butter, trees, books, hammocks, napping. ..Aw yes napping. Your body just needs to take a little nap Kendall, relax. This all can be dealt with later. Get some rest and you’ll wake up a new person. 

I didn’t sleep. Even with my eyes shut, I felt light-headed and pressure pounded my skull.

Our game ended and our physiotherapist entered the room. She attempted to alleviate my pain with a neck massage. She theorized that my neck tightness was a huge contributor to my disorientation.

The team doctor then appeared and asked if I had played in the heat since I arrived In Australia. He speculated that I may have a heat stroke. We practiced at night so the afternoon temperature was hotter than usual, but his remark was a blow to my ego. I like to think my mind and body are strong enough to deal with a little extra heat. Although at this point, I didn’t know what to think.

My housemates, AM and Lara, then walked into the room. I looked at them and broke into tears. I tried to explain to them how I felt. Through wet eyes, I told them I just wanted to leave.

The doctor and physiotherapist were out of sight. I gathered my bags and we headedout the stadium.

AM, a physiotherapist herself, asked if I remembered getting hit in the head during the game.

“What? No, I didn’t get hit.”

AM looked concerned. She talked to multiple girls on my team and they all witnessed a ball get blasted into my face.

I teared up even more. I was confused, with zero recollection of this incident.

AM explained that memory loss and being overly emotional are signs of a concussion and recommended we go to the hospital to get a CT scan and MRI.

AM called our team doctor to update him on the drive to the hospital. She explained to him that my teammates saw me get hit in in the head, but I didn’t remember, and that she suspects I have a concussion. The doctor asked to talk to me.

I grabbed the phone.

“Hello”

“How are you feeling Kendall” he asked

“I feel the same, I still don’t feel good.”

“Do you remember getting hit?”

“No”

“Ok, I thought you might have had a heat stroke and rest would help. But sounds like you might have a concussion if you got hit. I have to go to the guys game, but Am will take care of you and I will check in after.” He hung up before I could respond.

I felt strange.

We arrived at the the emergency room and I flashbacked to my last season’s emergency room visit; a processor to a 7 night all-inclusive stay, when I snuck out of my hospital bed to see Chelsea Handler at the Sydney Opera house.  (My Hospital Visit and Lessons of the Legendary Lilypad).

On my way to the front desk, blood rushed to my head. The walk over felt as if I had just gotten out of the ocean after swimming for 20 hours straight. My legs were wobbly, and I feared that one missed step would send me crumpling onto the floor in tears.

The entire process of testing, and a lot of waiting, took 3 hours.

My results came back negative. During this time, we found out it was actually another girl on the team with blond hair who got hit in the face, and not me.

At surface level, this appears comforting.

But if the scans were negative and I didn’t get hit in the head, then why on earth did I feel like this?

The hospital doctor informed me that I had a minor concussion. He handed me a medical release form and and a sheet of paper detailing standard concussion protocol. He anticipated that if I take it easy for a week, my symptoms would go away and I could resume playing soccer.

We left the hospital around 11:00pm and picked up some Indian food for dinner. I popped some anti-nausea pills and inhaled my green curry dish. An instant pick-me up. I crawled into bed around midnight. My head throbbed, but I knew I already hopped onboard the recovery train. A solid’s night rest would boost me even further and I’d be back on the pitch in no time.

Little did I know, this train had some technical difficulties.

(Future posts will highlight how these “technical difficulties”  profoundly impacted my outlook on life. Stories are meant to be shared. I’d love to hear yours, don’t hesitate to reach out)

Previous post: Why I Saw Strange Men in my Room (and am telling you about it 9 months later)

Why I Saw Strange Men in my Room (and am telling you about it 9 months later)

I have been wanting to tell my story for awhile now. But every time I went to write my eyes strained, my neck tensed up, my head throbbed and I felt nauseous. After 10 minutes, I’d lose concentration and shut my laptop.  On bad days, it was because of frustration. On good days, it was acceptance; today’s just not my day. I would convince myself that my time is coming. That I will know when the time is right.

At the early stages of my concussion, I closeted my experience. The pain I felt was deep, and I didn’t want to burden people with my afflictions. Who wanted to hear about the fact that every time I crawled out of bed, blood rushed to my head and I nearly passed out? Or that at night it felt as though someone was perpetually hammering a nail into my skull. And when the headache did subside, and I was finally able to shut my eyes, I would unexpectedly jolt awake and spring onto all fours, hyperventilating because of the strange man I swore I saw staring at me from across the room.

I honestly despise excuses and complaining.

I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me. There are people-cancer patients, soldiers, rape victims-with far greater battles.

Plus, I like to make the most of my situations, and knew I would overcome this one eventually.

So I downplayed my symptoms to my parents. I hid tears behind closed doors. I practiced mindfulness, self-reflection, and focused on getting better.

With my physical limitations, my thoughts and feelings consumed me.

Questions swirled around: Why is this happening to me? When am I going to get better? What did I do to deserve this?

The more questions I asked, the faster the tornado spun.

I am hardwired to find answers. To get from point A to B as efficiently as possible.

But with this concussion,  I was living in a real-word version of that game at Chuck-E-Cheeses. The one where the gophers pop up and you have to smack them back into the ground. Each time you hit one, another one or two or three resurface (I swear, that game is rigged).

Every time I weathered one storm, another swarmed in. And I would re-activate problem-solving mode.

What was I trying to solve?

A while back, once I was able to tolerate minimal screen time,  I navigated my way to my blog: arrowliving.com.

The home page popped up and I scanned the quote at the center of the page:

“AN ARROW CAN ONLY BE SHOT BY PULLING IT BACKWARD. WHEN LIFE IS DRAGGING YOU BACK WITH DIFFICULTIES IT MEANS IT’S GOING TO LAUNCH YOU INTO SOMETHING GREAT. SO JUST FOCUS AND KEEP AIMING.”

Below, was the intention of my blog;

“Arrow Living is intended to inspire and encourage individuals to overcome all circumstances, even the seemingly impossible. The stories, interviews, quotes, and excerpts, are meant to motivate individuals to live the most wildly rewarding and satisfying life humanly possible.”

In that moment, it hit me.

A year ago, I had unknowingly written out my destiny. I had gotten what I asked for.  To get thrown directly into the embers of a “seemingly impossible” situation, and somehow find a way to make the most of it. A chance to perform my own case study on what it means to be an Arrow Liver.

Once I had this revelation, my motivation to get better rose even further. I couldn’t wait to overcome this concussion so I could share my story and inspire as many people as possible.

My concussion occurred while playing in Australian Women’s League. I rested, waiting for my symptoms to subside. Weeks passed, and I had little to show. I would have to postpone my story on perseverance.

After 8 weeks of stagnation, I saw a migraine specialist who told me to take a certain medication and I would be back in a matter of weeks. I started progressing quickly, and after just three training sessions, my coach played me in a game.  I made it! I thought.

I thought wrong. I played a full match, 60 more minutes than planned. By half time I was physically and emotionally depleted. The following day, my symptoms flooded over me and I was back to feeling terribly disconnected with myself.

A couple weeks later, I flew back to Oregon. With great medical and emotional support at home,  surely I’d get better and back on the field in no time.

For nearly 9 months, I have been living in a physical and mental cloud of ambiguity. My symptoms, at their worst, have prevented me from doing many things that bring me joy: play soccer, write, read, explore the outdoors, and spend time with my loved ones.

A few months ago, I hit up one of Portland’s finest treasures, Powell’s Bookstore. I ventured to the health section and stock piled every novel I could find on concussions, and sprawled out on the floor, determined to fix my brain’s ailments.  Again, I was problem-solving.  Within 20 minutes, I had to stop reading about treating concussion symptoms. Because of concussion symptoms.

A month later, having made progress,  I again decided to visit Powell’s. By the time I walked into the store’s cafe, I felt like I was engulfed by an energy-sucking vacuum. I sat down to journal, but picking up my pen felt like I was ascending Mt. Everest. The chattering couple next to me sent my brain over the ledge. I got up with the intention of walking home, but my entire body ached, and I found myself gravitating to the corner of the sci-fi section. I laid down, and pulled my sweatshirt hood over my eyes. A few minutes later, someone tapped my shoulder. I lifted my hood and a store employee was an inch away from my face.

“Excuse me you aren’t allowed to sleep here.”

I outwardly laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation, but inside I felt defeated.

For months, my journey has been a one step forward two gallops back process. Any time I set my eyes on a target date, I have been let down. And once again, I postponed telling my story.

Although physical symptoms have prevented me from writing, I recently uncovered the real reason I was withholding my story. It wasn’t to spare others.

At the eye of the tornado of my struggle was MY OWN fear.

I was safekeeping my problems until I surpassed them.

Or at least until I was on the right track.

So I could be in control and have an answer.

I believe it’s a natural human tendency to share our vulnerabilities only once we are able to wrap them up with a bow.

It’s a mechanism we use to protect ourselves.

Because society admires those who overcome tough times.

How Oprah Winfrey endured poverty and hardship to become the world’s most motivational talkshow host.  How Steve Jobs went from college drop out to founder of tech powerhouse, Apple. How Major league baseball player Mike Lowell overcame cancer and went on to win the World Series.

Through the media, we often hear of these stories post-struggle. Once they’ve made it.  It’s truly inspiring.

But there may be something more brave and powerful about divulging unsolved issues. About confessing that you are trying everything possible, but still have nothing to show for it. That you are scared out of your mind not knowing how things are going to turn out.

The more I exchange my story with others, the more people share with me their own battles, and I realize we are all ultimately chasing the same underlying feeling of worthiness.

Whether it’s losing weight, earning a promotion or finding a soulmate,  we often theorize, that once we figure out our most pressing issue, everything will fall into place and we will finally achieve these feelings.

I believe this thinking is fruitless and flawed.

Once we tackle one challenge, another one will undoubtedly present itself. Life is a never ending string of obstacles. We will never have everything figured out.

Sometimes, the strongest thing we can do, is allow ourselves to be present and accept where we are right now. To understand that everything we are feeling—from the hopelessness of lying on the Powell’s bookstore floor, to the radical acceptance in reading Arrow Living’s home page—is real. To trust that everything is going to work out.

That it’s okay to simultaneously not have all the answers, yet still have an unwavering belief in my ultimate vision.

That if I am intentional in my actions to be the best I can be, to discover my truest self and fulfill my purpose, then by the law of momentum, good things are bound to happen.

This is my endless story of Arrow Living.

p.s. If you need to contact me I’ll be curled up at Powell’s in the self-help section

p.s.s I no longer see strange men in my room, but in future posts I’m going to backtrack to the beginning of my concussion when I did, and reveal the revelations that have gotten me to where I am today-still Arrow Living

Chelsea Handler-Never burn out someone's candle, to make yours bigger

You are the only YOU in in this entire world. There is room for everyone to shine. Never blow out someone else's candle to make yours bigger.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zEYScSec0Q 

Carli Lloyd's Road to Greatness

Dream to be the greatest. Devise a bulletproof plan to be the greatest. Relentlessly execute the plan to be the greatest. Become the greatest.  Carli Lloyd.

Full article:

The Exciting Times of Carli Lloyd

The Magic of Magic and Magical Moments

My heart hopscotched like a 5th grader answering the final question on Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

Except no encyclopedia or trivial pursuit could prepare me for the task before me.

As my train rolled into Circular Quay, I closed my eyes one last time and envisioned the path that guided me here today. I inhaled one last deep breath, thanked my family and friends, then let fate play its course.

A few months back, my international mates Carm, Keelin, Paige and I purchased tickets to The Illusionists, a magic show,  at the Sydney Opera House.  I’m all for the “wow factor”, and this show was touted as one of the best magic performances in the world. We’re talking humans disappearing left and right, scantly clad woman being sawed in half, and mind readers pinpointing what audience members ate for breakfast three Tuesdays ago.

On the day of the event, Paige caught a stomach bug. Keelin, elected to stay behind and help nurture Paige back to health. Due to the short notice, Keelin and Paige were unable to refund the tickets. They asked Carm and I to find replacements, but since the show was during the work day, we were only able to find one interested and available teammate.

That left us with one spare ticket.

On that afternoon, Carm and our replacement, Eliza, drove into the city, and I trained in to meet them.

As I arrived, my pocket buzzed. A text from Carm informing me they would be late.

An electrifying shock rippled into my soul alerting me of the gravity of the situation.

In my pocket rested the extra ticket.

I was on my own, a lone wolf, with the hefty responsibility of allotting someone with two hours of complimentary magic.

A job that sounds trivial to most, but of which past experiences have left me riddled with guilt for neglecting an opportunity to provide someone with significant joy.

My train arrived into a pouring down rainy Sydney, setting the scene for the dramatic duty bestowed upon me.

Challenge accepted. I threw on my rain jacket, exited the train, and began rehearsing how I’d initiate a conversation with my chosen pedestrian.

“Excuse me sir, how do you feel about experiencing two hours of magic with me this afternoon?…free of charge?”

I definitely needed to practice to avoid giving off the wrong impression.

As I contemplated proper verbiage, I realized I was getting ahead of myself.

How does one even begin to identify an innocent bystander whom fancies magic, let alone someone who would be willing to spontaneously accompany a stranger?

Do they wear bright neon colors? Do they walk with an extra pep in their step? Do they speak in a highly animated tone?

Even if those were the parameters, I struggled to find any suitors.

I decided to first follow logic and narrow my candidates down to independent travelers.

I then quickly devised a general “friendliness scale” in my head:

Resting Grouchy Face         —1——2——3——4——5—   All 32 teeth-revealing smile

Boring Outfit                       —1——2——3——4——5—  Wildly fun accessories

Eeyore-esque slouchiness   —1——2——3——4——5—  Tarzan-esque uprightness

Staring at ground               —1——2——3——4——5—  Soaking in the scenery

Any score less than 16 resulted in a nullified test.

I approached the event grounds with 10 minutes to find a suitor.

The scale proved to be effective, eliminating over 90% of passerby.

I scanned the crowd like an undercover cop scoping out her perpetrator.

Up the stairs walked a tall grey-haired 65ish man, BMI 34, in need of some nose hair clippers. But it was those stray hairs that gave him an endearing grandfatherly vibe, and earned him high points on the scale.

He was my man. I forged a smile, pulled back my shoulders (like the self-help books suggest for instant confidence), and approached my nominee.

“Excuse me sir, are you going to the magic show?”

He responded, “no why?”

“I have an extra ticket and was wondering if you wanted to come with me?”

As I finished my question, a similar-aged women shuffled beside him and grabbed his arm.

“Do you have two? I’m with her. ”

A swing and a miss.

This rejection instantly provoked a flashback to a middle school function. A boy named Max asked me to slow dance to Chris Brown’s “Say Goodbye.” I declined his offer. So this is what Max felt? How terribly inconsiderate of me. I took a second to spiritually apologize to Max and commend his bravery, but time didn’t allow for any further analysis of the situation. I’d reflect more on rejection later.

7 minutes until show time.

I scurried outside and surveyed the contenders again. An army of kids traveling as part of a school program. They failed to even pass the initial “solo traveler” screening.   A bloke wearing all black sitting on the stairs, shoulders slumped. Warranted a “1” on multiple accounts. A man approximately 45, bright yellow rain jacket, blue jeans and 1970’s style running shoes. Eureka!  Anyone who wears jeans with old-school running shoes screams good-natured to me. He also carried a camera strapped around his neck. Excellent, someone who enjoys capturing the moment. I crept closer to observe my finalist for a minute-he resembled a “Gregory”-and  I completed as extensive of a security check as possible in such limited time. He bent down on one knee to snap a more artistic shot of the Opera House. Sold.

I jogged up the stairs and waved “Gregory” down.

“Excuse me, are you attending the magic show?”

“No, I’m not” he responded in an uplifting voice.

“Would you like to come? My friend was going to come with me, but she can’t come anymore so I have an extra ticket?”

“Aww I’m with my wife and kids.”

“Oh, ok I really don’t want this ticket to go to waste, I’m not sure who to ask, I’m just looking for people who are solo.”

“Um well I’m with my wife and kids” He repeated. At this point I realized that it sounded like I was seeking a romantic date. “Maybe try that man over there” he added.

“Oh no, sorry I didn’t mean solo, like single…..sorry, no offense, not like that…. I am just looking for someone who is alone because I only have one extra ticket.”

“Gregory” let out a forced chuckle, strong enough to stab discomfort through the both of us.

I left apologizing one last time, slightly embarrassed, but more-so agitated with the time I wasted on this unsuitable candidate.

I looked at my watch. 2:58. Show starts at 3:00.

I shut my eyes and “abracadabra-ed” my imaginary magic wand for a miracle.

I hustled inside and came across only one person by themselves: a mid-20’s man of asian

descent, flipping through an Opera House brochure. He wore a bucket hat. Bonus points for the bucket hat. If he wasn’t my dude, then it wasn’t meant to be.

Here we go Kendall, third times the charm.

“Excuse me, are you going to the magic show?”

“No.” My abrupt inquiry startled him.

“Do you want to go?”

“How much for ticket?” He asked in broken english.

“Free. My friend isn’t coming so I have an extra.”

“Free!?” His eyes flickered like a kid about to watch a magic show.

“Yes.”

“Yaaa!”

His animation jolted me to life. I love it when people are as amped about something as myself.

I told him we had to hustle, we only had one minute before the doors closed.

I rushed to the theater entrance, and The Chosen One quickly mimicked my strides.

I handed the ticket man my printed confirmation ticket. He told me I had to retrieve my actual tickets from Will Call. He urged me to run and required The Chosen One to hand over his backpack at the coat check.

The Chosen One and I locked eyes and nodded at each other, internationally communicating that we’d meet at the entrance. We then sprinted in opposite directions.

By some supernatural blessing, we whisked through the gate, and sat down with salty liquid mustaches and 30 seconds to spare.

“Wow!!!!”  The show hadn’t even started and The Chosen One was blown away by the venue’s vivid red curtains and theater lights.

“I’m Massa.” He shook my hand. Massa was from Japan and had been traveling alone for over a year in New Zealand, Bali, and Fiji. He arrived in Australia just yesterday. He had never been to a magic show before, but told me he really likes ball juggling and card tricks.

Before I could inquire more about his travels and illusion preferences, the lights dimmed. It was show time.

Our hearts danced with enchantment, wonder, and awe for two straight hours. An acrobat floated in thin air, then disappeared in a flash.  A puppeteer skillfully pulled dozens of strings to manipulate his puppet person to perform a dazzling mini magic trick. A man, submersed underwater and shackled by his hands and feet, used a paperclip to escape in three minutes. It was wild and ended too soon.

The acts were jaw-dropping and mind-altering (still trying to figure out how you chop a woman in half, then another woman spontaneously emerges from the same coffin), but the magic I felt flowed beyond the wooden stage.

It sounds cliche to say that meeting Massa was destiny, but I believe when you open yourself up, miraculous things can happen. I had the opportunity to provide someone with joy so I interrogated random people, faced rejection (not bitter about it…), and ultimately stumbled upon a traveler exploring on his own for over a year. Both of us stretched outside our comfort zones.

Every day, in some shape or form, we have the opportunity to open up to others.  Even if it’s just sincere “hi, how are you?”, it could result in a rejection (like I said I’m not bitter…), but if you’re persistent, it has the potential to attract unexpected whimsical things into your life. Like a last minute complimentary invitation to a magic show from a frantic stranger, who just-so-happened to select you based off a self-invented “friendliness scale” because of your bucket hat. No scientific explanation. Just simply, true magic.

Do Not Cross Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard went absolutely mental in the Blazer’s last game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He scored  17 points in the final three minutes , leading  his team to a 115-110 come-from-behind victory. Lillard has come up clutch so many times that when the game is on the line,  Portland now points to their wrist and calls the closing minutes “Lillard time”  How does he consistently come up big? Through training with a  “yellow tape mentality.”  This is one of my favorite articles on the importance of always training with a relentless, confident game-like mentality.

Do Not Cross Damian Lillard

Die Young as Late As Possible