Memories and Food

    The semester is almost over and the finish line is in sight. Christmas break is ahead with a well deserved break from school as well as a excitement for the spring semester to come. As a senior, the emotions associated finally graduating are starting to kick in. One of the more present thoughts is about the friends that I have and whats going to happen when we all go our separate ways. An unfortunate consequence of leaving Wheaton no matter how happy you are to leave is that some of the friends you've made here you will never see again. A sad truth to change that has got me thinking of the past. Looking through the photos from years passed I noticed a great deal of images of our food excursions. Traveling to Mansfield crossing for birthdays or just to go out all together. One photo I found to be particularly resonating is a photo of our suite last year gathered around a Gebbie table eating a meal we all prepared. Last year our suite decided to do a number of events to make living in the suites more fun and to get in a good laugh. This event was one of my favorites. On a Sunday morning we all decided that we were all going to cook something for a brunch. Each member of the suite was tasked with cooking some sort of dish, combing all at the end for a feast. I can remember the hardest part being finding proper cooking ware in the Gebbie kitchen. We had to improvise with about every item. In the end we all completed our dishes prepared them on a table we placed in the middle of the common room and dug in. I recall us spending more time at that table then we did in preparation and cooking.  Laughs, old stories, and plans for our next event were ever present. A topic that has been widely discussed not just in this class but also several times in this blog, is the importance of food used as a tool to bring people together. Even when it is applied to the closest of friends, it is still an important tool. The memories I made I will never forget and subsequently the memories Ive made involving food will never be forgotten.

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Post-game Treats

Your team just beat one of your biggest rivals with 97 seconds left in the game, but what are you most excited about? The post-game cookout that your parents have prepared is the only thing on your mind. Pasta with meatballs, chicken and turkey wraps, salads galore and not to mention the dessert spread that is haunting you down the end of the table are all sources for motivation to get through a game.

The greatest part about being a student -athlete at Wheaton is the support of my parents. The countless road trips to home and away games as my number one fans, whether we win or lose, are endless. But, if I am being honest, what I am most grateful for is the effort they put in to bring me a piece of a home-cooked meal after I have just played a hot and tiring field hockey game. There is nothing better than the taste of "real food" to refuel, and the best part is that you know it's made from the heart (or take-out from your favorite local restaurant). One of the hardest things about being away at school is missing the food that is so easily accessible in your private kitchen. Knowing that after your Saturday game, there will be a little goodie bag from your mom or your teammate's dad's famous macaroni and cheese may be all you need to get through another week eating at Chase and Emerson. The comfort of these foods at the cookouts reminds you of home, which is not somewhere you can visit often while you're in season, as your weekdays and weekend schedules are filled with practices, games and catching up on homework.

In this environment, food is used a way to connect my teammates and me with our families and friends in a laid back environment. The time is spent discussing laughing, classes and workload, professors, our social lives and how things are back in our hometowns. Food brings loved ones back together temporarily as we spend the majority of our weeks apart from one another.

Breakfast, Snack, Lunch and Dinner