Anna M. Aquino

Many of you have heard me tell the stories of how I trained in high school desiring to cheer for OSU one day. The girls in the high school squad were not huge fans of mine. If you have read my work any length of time, you will soon realize that politics, cliques, and fake friendships have never been my strong suit. We had try-outs coming up and while I was the only tumbler on the high school squad I decided I would perfect my standing back tuck for tryouts because I needed it to get on the Ohio State’s squad years later. So, having only done a standing back tuck either spotted on the ground, or on a trampoline I decided to set up a VCR camera and record myself performing this feat on a carpeted concrete floor. I still have that video. I ended my cheerleading future in the moment. I made that back tuck three separate times, but at the end, I fell forward and hit my wrist. Years of tumbling had done a number on my wrists to begin with so much that I remember wrapping them tight ...

When I went to Ohio State University I lived on the 23rd floor of Morrill Tower for a year. If you can see the picture it’s the closest tower in the background. One of my favorite memories from college was a couple friends and I once snuck into the Horseshoe Stadium. It had been the first snow of the year, and a magical crisp feeling lay like fog above our heads. The sky though dark radiated like a majestic wonder around us. The gate hadn’t even been locked and we found ourselves out on the football field. As I walked out into the famous field I felt so small. The snow began to fall and it was a moment that if I could capture it in an image, I would. It’s this memory that often when I think of fall and football I find myself nostalgically remembering as if it’s a snuggly blanket on that chilly night. When Dan and I moved to FL, I had this idea in my head that it would only be for five years. We are nearing our eleven year mark. While I still maintain we’ll be here for a season, we refu...