Remember Remember the 8th of November

*Will insert picture later*.
Woke up at 5:30am. Got everything ready for the big day. Got there and set up things as usual, re-unioned with a couple of Gal and AWATers which was really nice but I didn't really get to catch up with as many people as I wanted due to racing/drumming in all the CalDB heats (YEAH BITCHES.) Risked falling off the boat during the men's semi final when the drum was extremely loose and fell onto row 1. I also got 2 two cuts-a massive one on my finger and another one on my toe as well as two huge ass bruises on my leg(will post up the damages later) from drumming.
We may have won hardware but I think the experience that our boat shared together was even more momentous.

Three years. I have been on this team for three years and we've grown up SO much together. To be honest, I came to Cal DB with the intention that I was there to just paddle and not have such an experience as we have all gone through. However, I was wrong. Those people who were there at that last college cup two years knew what was at stake and almost 90% of those people probably considered quitting right then and there but for some reason, decided to stick with it. More people came along, realized our passion of how badly we wanted it and may have left but still bleed with us along the way. Right after that last heat, I started to break down like no other (sorry Zack, Jay, Vincent, Valerie and Mary ><) because for a moment, I thought that this was it for Cal, that we had the best of the old and new combined together and our season was over. That race felt like a fight for our lives. Through out that whole course, flashes of what we all had gone through raced through my mind, from all those water practices, races that led up to this moment and of course, land training. Granted, I was tired from yelling and falling on my butt after Cal2's final heat, right before Cal1 but that pain was pushed aside because I knew everyone else wanted to gun for it. Thinking back to that moment still brings tears to my eyes but when I realize that I was wrong. CalDB is NOT done. Although I may still have one or possibly two more College races left in me, I realize that the team will never face its 'final race' because of all the new and amazing talent (man. I feel old -_-) on the team. We may aim for College race or any other races in the future but it's not the end yet. It's never the end.
Once a CalDBer, Always a CalDBer. We always mention that we're a family after every race and profess our love for CaldB and each other and I don't think any other team really has that like us.

No other DB team is willing to stuff 8-9 people in a car after practice because they don't want to leave anyone behind.
No other DB team is willing to call themselves stupid even though they're clearly not.....individually.
No other DB team will have so many ridiculous nicknames for each other as we have.
No other DB team can possibly have as much or more fun than us.
No other DB team can facebook SPAM as much as us.
No other DB team has as much HEART as us.
No other DB team has as much PASSION as us.
No other DB team can bleed BLUE AND GOLD as much as us.

So for those who have understood me through out this post and has (or is still.. ><) shed the same amount of tears, sweat and pain as I have, I thank you.
Because of you, you make me look forward to improve every step of the way and every inch on the boat. You make me want to keep fighting and prove to the other teams that we ARE the team to watch out for.


For those who may not have yet experienced this yet, I thank you as well.
It didn't really commit to the team until the second semester of my freshman year because I was still pretty new, didn't know anyone else around me and it felt like everyone already knew each other. However, becoming captain at a young age didn't cause me to become committed, it may have helped but it was really seeing all those familiar faces come to practice week after week and realizing that they want to do well made want to work hard with them.
You are the future of this team and like everyone else has mentioned it before, it's upon us now to carry the legacy on.

I Love You CalDB.
Now it's time to sleep.