Remember to enjoy the ride.

Before I start to really get into this post, it is May 14, and therefore my birthday! So I think it is very important that I write about something very important to me.
  Of course I want to make Olympics and World Juniors etc, so much that at times it is all I can think about. But one of my closest friends recently brought to my attention that I haven't been enjoying the journey as much as I should be. I have been keeping my eyes focussed on the prize, instead of realizing the reason why I started playing badminton in the first place. It is a extremely long journey to the top, and you should enjoy every step you take. It's a lot like travelling through a beautiful area. You should be looking out the window and enjoying the beauty of what you're doing instead of keeping your head to the ground and mindlessly wondering why you aren't at your destination yet.
 I almost got to the point where I was wondering why I trained so hard, only to go to nationals and lose in qualifiers. But then I realized how big a part of my life badminton is. I love being on court and playing so much that I can't even realize who I would be if I hadn't moved to Richmond to train. I need to slow it down and really realize WHY I am here. On the surface I can say " I am here to train to try and achieve great results." But really underneath that is the fact that I want to try to get great results because I love badminton. I am here to play the sport I love so much.
 I have to thank Nyl Yakura for pointing this out to me. I also have to thank my little buddy Ethan, who is an eleven year old badminton prodigy who I hit with from time to time. When I play with Ethan, I can't help but smile because with him it's not about winning or losing. The only thing that matters is the enjoyment of badminton.