Notre Dame Trip #4: Lifelong Dreams and Lifelong Friends

"Whoever leaves Notre Dame hopes to see it again." ~Timothy Howard

I read that going to a football game at Notre Dame is one of the 101 things every sports fan should do in her life. I couldn't agree more.

My Notre Dame trip was one of the coolest experiences of my lifetime. And I was lucky to share with with several lifelong friends. So, I think those two concepts summarize my Notre Dame Trip: Lifelong Dreams and Lifelong Friends.

Lifelong Dreams

Going to a football game at Notre Dame had been a dream of mine since I was a little kid. I remember watching the games on tv. I remember hanging a pennant in my room, while most other little girls had pictures of princesses. I remember crying my eyes out watching "Rudy." So, understand that for me, this weekend wasn't just a great trip. It was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

And I'm not the only one. ND Friend said that she was on campus a few weeks ago when a man asked her to take a picture of him and his two kids. Somehow, my friend managed to get her thumb in the way of the photo, but didn't realize it. She told the man to look at the picutre to see if it was okay. He asked her if she would mind taking it again. Of course, she said would. Then the man said words that sort of give me chills. "I've waited 57 years for this picture and I just want it to be right."

I get that. And I got mine after waiting 27.

I'm sure that going to a Notre Dame game is cool for anyone, whether you are 7 or 27. But I think that it's even better when you have waited for it, dreamed about it, worked hard to save up the money to go.

And you know what? I think that's true for just about every dream. Part of what makes dreams great is the waiting and hoping and working towards them. So even if your lifelong dream has nothing to do with Irish football, I hope you are still somehow motivated to act on whatever it is after reading about my Notre Dame experience. Dream it, work for it, and do it!

Lifelong Friends

A huge part of what made the trip so amazing was getting to share the experience with several lifelong friends. ND Friend, High School Buddy, his dad, Mr. FFA (and The Bride in Chicago!) are all people who hold special places in my heart.
ND friend and I met through FFA when we were both in high school. After she graduated almost 10 years ago, we sort of lost touch. There was the occasional facebook message, but that was about it. But last weekend when we got together again, it was like nothing had really changed. We had the best time and have vowed that there will be no more 10 year spans of not seeing each other.

High School Buddy and I (obviously) went to high school together. Not only did we have that connection, but our families became really good friends through showing pigs for years at all of the fairs. Our families have been through good times and bad times and pretty much everything in between together. So getting to see Notre Dame with him and his dad was like seeing it with family!

And here is your "Family Farm Friday" tie in. I've written before that I think that growing up in rural America creates a type of family. Well the Notre Dame trip was a prime example of that. ND Friend and I went to school 2 hours apart, and we probably never would have even met had it not been for FFA speech and judging contests. Mr. FFA and I would never have met through Little Brother had they not both been State FFA Officers together. And High School Buddy and I might have known each other, but I would not have been nearly as close to him and his dad had it not been for showing.

When you grow up in a small school (blogged about this before) and are involved in FFA (blogged about this too), I don't think you even realize the lifelong benefits of being raised this way. It's only years later that you really start to appreciate them. The Notre Dame trip game me a great opportunity to be thankful for the lifelong friends that I have been fortunate enough to make.

Fulfilling a lifelong dream with lifelong friends. It's pretty hard to beat that!