Homecoming :D

The first Homecoming event that I went to was "Hike & Light the Y." I went with Steven Mitsuda & Katrina Smith. IT WAS HORRIBLE!! On the previous Friday, at rugby practice, I had gotten tackled or been part of a ruck or something, and my knee had been slightly hyperextended. It wasn't that bad, but definitely noticeable. So, someone had told me that this hike was quite easy and enjoyable, so I figured "Why not, I can handle easy!" So, Hike & Light we go.



It was a nice night, I was with friends - everything was going perfectly. Until we started hiking. This was no Bear's Hump (super easy hike near Waterton, AB, Canada) but rather a slackers Everest! I was doing fine until about 1.5 turns, when my knee gave in - he just couldn't take it! At first I tried to ignore it and have a good time, but eventually the strain became too great and I had to stop. I rested for a good 30 or more seconds and then started climbing again, Steven & Katrina faithfully by my side. It wasn't long before I was forced once again to stop by the edge and take a minute to rest my knee. I felt bad, holding my friends up, and I urged them to go on, but they assured me they didn't mind. This went on for the rest of the trail, with my stops becoming progressively more frequent and longer. The pain was excruciating! But I had to finish, I had to get to the top & screw in that dang lightbulb! I persisted, trying to be optimistic on the outside, hating every second & cursing this stupid mountain on the inside. Finally, though, we made it to the Y and found some vacant bulbs. We sat for a good half an hour, chatting, enjoying the view, waiting for the rest of the unfortunate souls who had gotten sucked into this torturous journey to reach the top. It was a beautiful night, and we had a good time getting to know each other better. At long, long last the ceremony began and eventually the Y was completely lit - it was an exciting tradition to be a part of!

The walk down was much better - still very jarring on my knee, but without the added struggle of going uphill. Though it was a significantly treacherous ordeal - what with the rocks, steep terrain, and all but complete darkness. The was more than one occasion with someone tripping and falling down rocky path. WHAT IDIOT THOUGHT OF THIS?! But we all made it safely down, I suppose. The hot chocolate was much appreciated - we had a great time standing around drinking it while watching a man try in vain to turn off the alarm in Cosmo's van! All in all, it was a pretty sweet night. Including the shuttle home, which included Steven squashed into the side of the floor and a trip to the CONE.


I also went to one of the Homecoming Dances with Steven - "Enchanted." It was a very cold night! But we had a good time - the girls all got crowns ;) We had 3 couples - we had a very delicious dinner before the dance (prepared by the boys!), had a good time laughing at other couples at the dance, and then relaxed with ice cream while watching SNL clips. It was a lot of fun. I can't think of a clever line to end off...