Name Five, List Five

Five people who I believe can help me achieve my dreams and goals:

1. Thac Tran — My greatest supporter and role model is my dad. Ever since I was little, my dad has shared my adventurous spirit and has been one of the few who would willingly do anything with me, from catching snakes to climbing mountains. My dad and I are so similar in character—we think and act alike more than any two I've ever met. Yet, he has almost forty more years of life experience than I have and I strive to be as strong and as wise as he is someday. He supports me financially and emotionally in my pursuits, and my gratitude could never repay him for everything he's done. 

2. Dave Hill — My long distance coach, Dave, and I have grown very close in the past four years. Cross country/long distance running is a very demanding sport and requires a unique relationship between coach and athlete. A dedicated long distance athlete puts in many more miles on foot than does an athlete of any other sport, and these miles are truly straining. We spend every day with our coaches, even on weekends, year-round. Long distance running is both mental and physical, so an ideal coach must be both a psychiatrist and personal trainer. I can sincerely say that Dave is an ideal coach and more. He has transformed me into a runner, and has trained me to view my goals in a runner's perspective, to strive for the seemingly impossible. He has made me experience pain, expect it, and love it. He has helped me through times of suffering and made me suffer. Through Dave, I realize that hardship breeds strength.

3. Tamriko Siprashvili — I started playing piano when I was seven years old, and I switched piano teachers six times in a period of three years. I couldn't find a teacher whose character suited mine, and who could teach me what needed to be taught. I finally found Tamriko when I was ten, and she remains the greatest musician I know to this day. I played with her for five years, and once I completed the entire piano program I started mentoring younger students at her music academy. Tamriko has not only taught me how to write, interpret, and play music successfully, but has also given me the tools to teach myself. Her invaluable lessons will stick with me forever and her musical talent continues to inspire me and the rest of the world.

4. Angelica "Jelly" Pollard — I could write a book about our friendship but I will keep it short and sweet for now. Jelly always talks about the first time we met—by the Central Park tennis courts for the first cross country practice, the summer before freshman year. We were both so small and afraid then, but after four years of sweating through our problems side by side, we have given each other the courage and strength to face harsh realities and seek success. She is a shoulder to cry on, a sister, a lifetime friend.

5. I cannot think of a fifth person at the moment and I can only conclude that this person has not yet come into my life. It takes many relationships to find and become close to a person that sincerely wants the best for you and that loves you as much as they love themselves. I hope that I will encounter some of these special people in the future.

Five things that I have been procrastinating on (and will work on this week):
1. Reading
2. College list & essays
3. Half-marathon training
4. Cleaning my room
5. Blogging!