gymnastics girls

Yesterday was the wedding of one of my former rhythmic gymnastics teammates, so it was a reunion of the IGM girls! As the original International Gymnastics of Minnesota gymnasts, we spent countless hours training in the gym together, plus all of the weekends away at competitions...since then we've all retired from competitive gymnastics and have mostly gone our separate ways. I don't see them often, but certain occasions such as weddings and funerals and graduations and state meets bring us together again once in awhile. It's always wonderful to see each other again, though it always makes me feel a bit nostalgic...

above: Stephanie, me, Hannah, our coach Irina & her daughter Annetta, Inga, Lana

I realized how much of my life has been spent among people who are of a different culture and who speak a different language. Obviously this has been the case in Mexico and Guatemala, but I also grew up spending most of my time among Russian coaches and gymnasts. As I was with Lana, Inga, and Irina's family yesterday, it was interesting to notice how normal it's become for me to be with people who are often speaking a language other than my own. Again, I wonder how different my life would be today if I would have chosen to pursue Russian rather than Spanish...

I am so grateful for the friendships with these girls that grew out of those many hours together in the gym. We are all so different, yet there's a part of me that no one but them can ever know or understand. I was so glad for the chance to be with them again!

PS - Take a look at this photo of the bride and I during my final year of competition...way back in 2000!