A List: The Best and Worst Experiences in the World

I've decided to do something different for my last blog post, so here's a list of the best and worst things I've experienced.

The Worst Experiences:

Not knowing the first question on a test

• Every once in a while, you take a test where the first question stumps you (doesn't have to be the first question but one of the first few). It feels absolutely awful. I get a bad feeling deep in my stomach and all I can think is: "Oh sh*t." I usually don't leave the test feeling particularly happy.

Being limited by injury or sickness

• I hate being injured or sick (unless I get to skip a test, then yes please). Let's be real, who enjoys being injured or sick? Those conditions limit what you can do by so much. When I'm injured, I can't play sports that I love doing. I'm deprived of activities that (sometimes) are the only things I look forward to. Being sick is just the worst. You can't exercise and if you do, the rest of the day is looking pretty painful. You can't do anything else either. All you can do is sleep (which isn't bad, but after a few days it gets pretty boring).  

Missing an opportunity/Losing something by a small margin

• This experience is pretty general and something we have all gone through. It's the feeling of losing a game by one point. It's the feeling of getting a grade one percent below the score you wanted. It's the feeling of being so close yet so far from your goal. Granted, it's not the end of the world. The feeling, however, is still there and it feels terrible. 

Breaking/Losing a possession

• We all know how this feels. Even if the item isn't one of your favorite possessions, you still feel some guilt and sadness if it breaks or gets lost. Although it's quite easy to move on from the loss, in the moment the emotion of worry and thought of "Oh noooooo. What do I do?" are quite powerful. 

Watching your letter to Santa used to fuel the fireplace

• This is quite a specific one. There's always been a reason why I've never believed in Santa Claus. I remember writing a long, well-formatted letter to Santa listing the many gifts that I wanted. When I say well-formatted, I mean well-formatted. I had a nice title. My handwriting was excellent. I even provided boxes next to each present so Santa could check off each gift as he made them. After waiting a few days, I couldn't believe it when I woke up on Christmas Day without any gifts. Confused, I spent the whole day pondering why Santa didn't give me what I wanted. My questions were answered that night when I saw my letter slowly burning in our fireplace. It was quite a traumatic experience. It was also the last time I left milk and cookies for Santa. 

The Best Experiences:

Acing/Getting a good grade on a test you didn't study for

• I'm sure most of us have winged a test before. I definitely have. There's a certain strategy to winging tests though. You simply can't wing your Calculus unit test because we all know that you'll be in for a great time (unless you're a genius). For a physics quiz, however, sure. Especially if you've taken the time to calculate that even if you fail this quiz, your grade should be fine. Then you have the option to wing it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you shouldn't study. I'm just saying nothing can really replicate that sly feeling of getting a good grade with minimal effort. 

Scoring a (nice) goal/basket/point in a sport

• There's nothing more satisfying than watching a soccer ball sail into the top corner of the goal or hearing a basketball fall perfectly through the net, creating that perfect swish sound. There's also nothing that feels cooler than making a great play which results in a point. 

Getting things done/Having a productive day

• This may just be me, but I get a huge feeling of pride if I've completed something. Especially after a long day of checking off multiple to-do tasks, nothing can beat that feeling of: "Wow, I actually did something with my life today." Those days provide me with hope for a somewhat successful future. 

Laying down and hibernating in a nice and comfortable bed after a long day

• This feeling is similar to the previous. After a long day of strenuous work of testing, competing, or working, it always feels great to just sink into your bed and just think: "Yeah, I definitely deserve this." The feeling of being able to relax and having the stress eased off your body and mind is one very few things can create. 

Traveling (especially with friends)

• I've enjoyed traveling my whole life. The German Trip is in my top three favorite life moments. I don't really know why, but every time I take public transportation, I feel like an adult (which is a good feeling). I also fall asleep constantly on public transportation, but that's a story for another time. Anyways, I'll use the German example on why traveling feels so good. First off, you get to see such beautiful sights. There's nothing like being able to see hundreds of miles in every direction on a mountain, especially when you're from the cornfields of Illinois. Traveling by yourself is a great experience, but traveling with friends makes the whole journey much more enjoyable. Nothing beats chilling on the hotel balcony after curfew, playing card games for hours on end, getting lost in a foreign city, struggling to get a waiter's attention, giving the waiter a 50% tip on accident, and bringing only bread to a picnic on the false assumption that everyone would share (hungriest I've ever been). 

Shoes

(My last few posts have been relatively long, so I'll try to keep this one a bit shorter)

If you know me well, you'll know that I like shoes. During my free time, I'll sometimes go online shopping for shoes. Most of the time I don't even have the intention of buying shoes; I just want to look at them.

In my opinion, shoes are one of the most essential parts of an outfit (if not the most important). They're obviously super important for protecting your feet. Imagine walking around without shoes... That would be pretty painful and awkward.

I, however, also believe that shoes have a much deeper meaning and purpose than to just protect your feet. Shoes make a statement about who you are and allow people to get a glimpse of your traits.

Image 1

I really like to use sports as an example of what I'm talking about, especially soccer. You can often make (correct) assumptions about a player's style based solely on their shoes. For example, if there's a player with extremely bright and flashy cleats, they're probably quick and skilled (see image 1). On the other hand, if there's a player with basic, normal cleats, such as the ones in image 2, they're probably a very fundamental and "no nonsense" player. They aren't the flashiest, but they get the job done. They also usually provide their opponents with a few aches and bruises.                                                                                                           

Image 2

These stereotypes often apply for other areas as well. Even in everyday life, I often guess what type of a person someone is based on their shoes. A person who wears nice formal shoes might be someone who is disciplined and hard working. A person who just wears regular tennis shoes might be chill and down-to-earth. A person who wears "hypebeast" shoes might have a lot of clout and self-confidence (and money).

You might be wondering: "Since you like shoes so much, what are your preferences David?" That's a good question. Thanks for asking.

I'm not gonna lie. I like "hypebeast" shoes. I think they look super nice and are extremely comfortable to wear. Unfortunately, I do not have the money to afford those shoes, so I wear lifestyle Adidas shoes like NMDs. As for color, I prefer my casual, everyday shoes to be shades of black or white. On the other hand, I prefer the shoes I wear for sports (basketball and soccer) to be flashy and bright. They draw the spectators' attention and make your plays much more impressive.

I believe the shoes you wear are a statement about who you are.

Shoes are great.

Images:
1. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0659/9347/products/nike-mercurial-veloce-3-electric-green1_1024x1024.png?v=1493409263
2. https://assets.adidas.com/images/w_600,f_auto,q_auto/b285b4143d6742fbb4dca7fa00dbdc5e_9366/Copa_Mundial_Cleats_Black_015110_01_standard.jpg

Borussia Dortmund

As many of you know, I am an avid soccer fan and follow professional soccer. My favorite team is Borussia Dortmund, a professional soccer club in Germany.

I'm guessing most of you haven't heard of Borussia Dortmund before, so I'll provide you with some background information: they're the best team in the world. Enough said.

I must admit that I wasn't always a Dortmund fan. When I started following professional soccer, I was a Messi/FC Barcelona fan (yes, I was one of those kids). In my defense, I didn't know much about soccer then. It was only when I grew a brain that I began to love Dortmund. I first watched them while browsing a shady website used to stream soccer games. I accidentally clicked on a link that gave me access to their game. Too lazy to find another game, I decided to watch. I was really amazed by their high intensity. They pressured the ball in such a systematic and smart way. Their play was quick and exciting. They were just really fun to watch. 

Borussia Dortmund, unfortunately, isn't the most successful club. This lack of trophies almost led me to return to my old team, Barcelona, in the 2014-2015 season. 2014-2015 was an amazing season for Barcelona; they won the treble for the second time, a feat that no other European team has accomplished. Dortmund on the other hand, finished 7th in the league, got eliminated in both the Champions League and DFB-Pokal. In fact, I have experienced a lot of heartbreak as a Dortmund fan. Here's a list of all the times we nearly won silverware (during my time as a fan):

Runners-up in the Bundesliga (domestic league)

• 2012-2013
• 2013-2014
• 2015-2016

Runners-up in the DFB-Pokal (domestic cup)

• 2013-2014
• 2014-2015
• 2015-2016

And the most painful of all:

Runners-up in the UEFA Champions League:

• 2012-2013

I still have nightmares of that game. The 2012-2013 season was the year when I first became a Dortmund fan, and I was elated that this random new team that I stumbled upon had the chance to win the Champions League, the biggest club competition in Europe. I remember the final vividly. We played extremely well. We dominated the whole game and deserved to win. The universe, however, wanted to be cruel and had other plans for my beloved team. In the 89th minute, in the dying embers of the game, the bald Dutch magician, Arjen Robben, stuck. A tiny mistake from our defense and a brilliant dribble from the forward ended with the ball in the back of the our net. My heart broke. I cried for two days. I grieved for the next two weeks. 

Considering the high quality of our team, we don't really deserve to have so many fruitless seasons. I love the Dortmund players. Marco Reus is an absolute legend and is one of the best players in the world. Jaden Sancho is one of the best young talents in the world. Our team is typically mostly comprised of young talented players who often go on to become world class players. The issue is, our players often leave our club. Here's a list of some of the amazing players to leave our club:

• Robert Lewandoski
• Mario Gotze
• Mats Hummels
• Sokratis Papastathopoulos
• Ousmane Dembele
• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
• Henrikh Mkhitaryan
• İlkay Gündoğan

I was particularly hurt by the departure of Robert Lewandoski. He was our best striker and one of our star players. We signed him early in his career and helped him develop as a player. We helped him create his name. All this generosity, however, was not enough for him. After the 2013-2014 season, he signed for our rivals, Bayern Munich, betraying all of his teammates and fans. I was devastated and angry when I found out the news.

It's safe to say that I have experienced a lot of heartbreak as a Dortmund fan. We recently, however, won the DFB-Pokal in the 2016-2017 season, where we exacted our revenge on Bayern Munich, knocking them out in the semi-finals. It was a truly glorious moment and a campaign that I will remember for the rest of my life. I love Borussia Dortmund, however, not because of the trophies, but because of the fans and players. Borussia Dortmund is known for having one of the best fanbases in the world. In fact, the support is so strong that we have been nicknamed "the Great Yellow Wall." This nickname is given because at home games, all you can see is a sea of yellow shirts and flags in the stands.

Recently, we have been playing out of this world. We are currently on a five game win streak, top of the Bundesliga, and top of our Champions League group. Today, we won 4-0 against Atletico Madrid, one of the best teams in the world. On the other hand, Bayern Munich is having small crisis and struggling to string wins together.

This year is our year.

Heja BVB!

My Moment of Glory

Everyone has had their moments of glory. Whether it be asking their crush to Homecoming, winning a competition, or acing their final. We've all had this moment where we feel on top of the world.

I had this moment a while ago.

During this past summer, I visited my brother in California. We went to LA, explored Universal Studios, ate delicious food, etc. It was a great trip and I had an amazing time.

In our last night in LA, we wanted to have some fun. After finishing our dinner, we explored the beautiful mall that the restaurant was located in. Now when I say beautiful, I mean beautiful. Most of the mall was outdoors, so you could see the night sky and experience the nice California weather. There were huge plots of turf (fake grass) with sofas, swings, and trees. It was a perfect combination of nature and architecture. However, I digress.

While exploring the mall, we found a huge arcade called Dave and Busters. This place was the only arcade that I had ever been in, so it was quite a new experience.

We bought two cards which were loaded with 100 points each. These points were used as currency to play the games.

We played a lot of different games. We played Pac-Man, a dance machine, and multiple shooting games. Obviously, I beat my brother every time, and whenever we were on the same team, he'd always drag me down.

While wandering through the maze of machine games, we eventually stumbled upon a basketball game. It was like the classic basketball arcade game, where you would try to make as many shots as possible within a limited amount of time. The difference, however, was that the hoop on this machine was regulation height, providing an added challenge. The distance of the shot was around the 3-point line for high schoolers. Being basketball fans, my brother and I spent the rest of the time (and 75% of our points) on this game.

Based on my observations, the game worked like this:

• Each time you play the game, you get one minute to score as many baskets as you can
• The first five baskets are worth two points each. The next ten baskets are worth three points each. Afterwards, each basket is worth four points.

My brother and I would alternate playing. We had a competition to see who could score the most. Unfortunately, I did not start off well. You know, after two whole days of traveling and eating an excessive amount of food, I wasn't immediately ready to shoot a basketball. As a result, my brother won the first few rounds and proceed to call my skills "sh*t."

Now obviously, I can't let my brother get away with that. So I had to do it to him. Around seven or eight rounds in, I began to pop off. Every single shot I took went in (I probably missed like one but that doesn't matter. I still popped off). Each ball flew off my fingers with such grace, speed, and accuracy, that even Stephen Curry would've gotten a bit jealous. When the buzzer sounded and my turn ended, I glanced at the score board. It flashed: "NEW HIGH SCORE" with a solid 48 underneath.

I was in disbelief; I had just gotten a high score on an arcade game. This arcade wasn't just some random place located in the middle of nowhere. It was a busy and popular arcade in LA. Now that is something special. I turned to my brother and said "There's more where that came from," but honestly, there wasn't. I tried to replicate my high score to no avail. I'd always get a score in the high 20s or low 30s.

Whenever people *cough* colleges *cough* ask for my biggest accomplishments, I am very tempted to include this moment on the list. 

That was a truly glorious evening.

The Beautiful Game

Soccer is one of my biggest interests. I play for Uni's soccer team. I follow professional soccer. I even play a soccer video game. 

I first played soccer when I was in second grade. My dad had signed me up for a local Park District team. Based on my (biased and scattered) memory, I was one of the star players and scored an impressive 5 goals. So, you could say I was a natural. Unfortunately, due to my focus on table tennis, I stopped playing soccer until my freshmen year.

Since returning to the sport, I have had dreams of becoming a professional. Every day I imagine the feeling of scoring in front of millions, hearing the crowd roar, and celebrating with my teammates. I imagine representing my nation. I imagine celebrating titles. I imagine winning the FIFA Men's Player of the Year Award.

Unfortunately, these dreams aren't very realistic. I still, however, love the game. Soccer has always been an escape for me. Playing soccer is a time where I can solely focus on something I love. There has never been a dull moment and I have enjoyed every second.

You may have heard the phrase, "the beautiful game," used when referring to soccer. Although it is quite fascinating and captivating to watch athletes kick a ball around with amazing accuracy and skill, I believe that the nickname refers to emotions that can be evoked by soccer.

As a player, there are some feelings I experience playing soccer that cannot be found anywhere else. For example, there is no feeling like scoring an exquisite goal. There is no feeling like placing a perfect pass. There is no feeling like blowing past a defender. There is no feeling like tackling an attacker. There is no feeling like lifting the Sectional title.

Unfortunately, I have experienced many sad emotions as well. Losing the ball, conceding a goal, misplacing a pass, missing the goal, and losing a game all bring their own emotions. 

Even fans can experience these emotions. I remember attending my first professional soccer match. It was an exciting game and a roller coaster of emotions. The game didn't start out great, as the team I was supporting, Chicago Fire, went down 2-0. In the second half, Chicago Fire scored three goals and took the lead. Every time the ball landed in the back of the net, the whole stadium exploded. Screams of joy, excitement, and pride rang throughout the stands. Unfortunately, the other team quickly responded and scored 2 goals within 2 minutes. The previously electric atmosphere was replaced by moans and boos. Within the 90 minutes of the game, I had experienced everything from disappointment to elation.

Soccer has become an important part of my life. Not only does the sport elicit powerful emotions, but it also brings people together. I have connected with many people due to soccer; many of my friendships, especially with people in different grade levels, have come from our mutual love for soccer. It is something we can watch together, discuss together, and play together.

Soccer truly is a beautiful game.

“Football is life in microcosm.” – Will Ahlgren

Allergies

I have allergies.

I hate them.

The thing is, I don't even know what I'm allergic to. A few years ago, I asked my doctor if there was a way to identify what caused my allergies, and to possibly become immune to it. She told me that the technology existed, but the process was very tedious and unnecessary. In other words, she just told me to deal with it.

I do have a few suspicions about what I'm allergic to. Looking at my past sneezing fits, most of the evidence points to dust. For example, whenever I clean my room, I always start sneezing, sometimes for the rest of the day. In fact, this Tuesday, I wore a sweater that I had hung in the (dusty) corner of my room. The instant I put the sweater over my head, my nose started to itch and eventually, I started sneezing. If you saw me during school, you'd probably think that I was sick.

Another possibility is pollen. Although it does not have as much support as dust, there are still events where I can identify pollen as the culprit. Whenever I stand in a large field, especially one with flowers, I sometimes undergo a sneeze attack.

My final suspect is school. This theory may sound silly but hear me out. This past summer, I was allergy free, so was my winter break earlier in the school year. I mean, is it a coincidence that once school stops, my allergies go away?

You might be wondering. "Jeez David, it's just a few sneezes. Grow up already." Well, these "sneezing fits" that I go through are very, VERY painful and annoying. Often, I sneeze two or three times in succession, being barely able to catch my breath. My nose gets really itchy and feels weird. I also sniffle a lot. Basically, it looks like I'm really sick. To illustrate this agony, I will describe one of my most scarring allergy attacks.

One day, I decided to clean my extremely messy room. I was feeling extra responsible that day, so I tried to do a thorough job. In order to do so, I crawled under my desk and enter other dust-infested areas. After cleaning my room, I headed off to my violin lesson. As soon as my lesson started, I was hit with a fit of sneezes, a sign for worse to come. My nose was runny, so I was sniffling the whole lesson. My eyes were watering. My nose was super irritated and itchy. I would sneeze every other minute. Not to mention I was trying to play the violin while undergoing all this physical pain. It was the WORST thirty minutes of my life.

When I was in elementary school, I used to wake up and immediately start sneezing. I'm talking about 6-7 sneezes here, not my average 2-3. Although this phenomenon has not happened to me in a long time, I still sneeze everyday. I feel like my sneeze has become iconic in some way. Many of my classmates think my sneeze is funny (you know who you are). Even my teachers have noticed. Once Mr. Bergandine asked me: "Do you only sneeze in my class?" That wasn't it though. A few weeks later, he provided me with some life advice: "David, you shouldn't be a spy when you grow up. Your sneeze would instantly blow your cover."

My allergies have been with me all my life. In fact, I have started to accept my sneeze as a part of me. If I was offered the option to get rid of my allergies, I really don't know if I would take it.

Jk. I definitely would.

Mountains

Foreign language trips are great. At least, the German one is.

I went on the German trip during the summer of 2017 and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Amongst all the beautiful sights we saw, I would have to say one of my favorite places was the mountains. 

Before we even arrived, I knew that I was going to enjoy visiting Garmisch Partenkirchen. Near the end of the train ride (our main mode of transportation) to Garmisch, the view outside the big glass windows became marvelous. Giant mountains stood everywhere, demanding the attention of my mind. The music I was listening to made the view even more captivating (Nights by Avicii). It was a truly glorious moment.

After arriving, we dropped off our luggage at our hotel and began our first hike. We took the bus through the winding streets of the town and arrived at the base of a tall mountain. Herr W and Mr. Bergandine led us into a small building and gave us all tickets. Confused, I asked why we needed these random slips of paper. My question was answered as we turned the corner and arrived at a docking bay for cable cars.

My friend and I climbed into a cable car. Having never ridden a cable car, we both believed that the trip up did not look super safe. As the cable car began its climb, our worries were not greeted well. A violent shaking of the cable car had us both gripping to the edges, clinging for our lives. Soon, we realized that the shaking was a regular occurrence and we calmed down.

The view was quite spectacular. To our left and right stood giant mountains whose white peaks disappeared into the clouds. Behind us, the small, beautiful town slowly shrank. It was not everyday when one got a view like that. Especially if one lived in Urbana, Illinois.
After arriving at the top of the mountain, we took a group photo and enjoyed the view. Then, we set off on our journey back down. The hike down was very peaceful. We talked, took photos, and saw amazing views. After what seemed like many hours, we finally reached the bottom of the mountain.

We were greeted with a small, shallow river. However, it would not stay that way for long. To get back to our starting point, we had to walk through a small tunnel through the side of the mountain. The tunnel was dark, cool, and moist. Every so often, the left side of the tunnel would open up, allowing us to look out. Besides us, the once calm river had become roaring and violent. Above us was the side of the mountain and trees from the forest. Sadly, our hike could not last forever and we eventually reached the end of the tunnel.

However, those beautiful sights would be topped by the ones we would see the next day.

In the morning, we took a small train up the tallest mountain in Germany, the Zugspitze. When the train halted to a stop, we all quickly rushed out. A cold breeze greeted us at the door. There was a huge sledding slope (which we obviously rode multiple times). However, the main attraction was the view. The sky was a perfect blue, free of clouds. You could see for hundred of miles in all directions. I will forever remember the beautiful sight and feeling of being on top of the world.

It was a once in a lifetime experience.