Turning points: the decisions that became my life

I didn't know it then, but choosing to go to Central Washington University was probably one of the most life-changing choices I have ever made.

Growing up, I always pictured myself going to college in another state. Somewhere like California near the beach and the sun. Then, junior year came and I had to start actually thinking about my future--not just as a dream but as reality.

Volleyball consumed my life and I knew that was how I was going to make a choice when it came to going to college.

But, volleyball wasn't always my life: horses were.

As long as I can remember I have been infatuated with horses and when I started taking riding lessons at Heron's Creek Equestrian Center at eight years old, I knew the barn life was the life for me.

I spent hours at that barn, bathing the horses, turning them out, and even scooping the poop--I did it all with a smile on my face. My parents finally let me lease my own horse, Shadare, and I joined the Classic Equestrians 4-H club.

Before I knew it, we ended up having six horses and a ranch of our own.

That's when volleyball came in...as an eleven year old standing nearly six feet tall, I was always asked if I played basketball, which I absolutely hated. My parents had put me in every sport you could think of, but there was one sport I never even heard of...

"Have you ever thought about playing volleyball?" My best friend's dad asked me when I was at her house in 6th grade.

I didn't even know what it was, but I was eager to learn. I tried out for my first club team at eleven, even though it was all "bump, set, bump" over the net, I loved it.

The time came when I had to make a decision: volleyball or horses. Two things I was so passionate about but I didn't have the time to commit myself fully to both.

It came down to one thing: my future. Volleyball had the power to take me farther and even though it was heartbreaking, I decided to quit 4-H. Visits to the barn decreased while visits to the gym increased.

Fast forward six years and it was college time.

At 17, I committed to Azusa Pacific University and obviously was ecstatic--APU was located in a beautiful suburb of bustling Los Angeles, who wouldn't want to go?

As graduation approached, I started getting a feeling in the pit of my stomach: what if I chose APU for the wrong reasons?

I chose it because it was in a beautiful location: the ideal college lifestyle. Not to mention, my best friend Mattie committed with me, which seemed perfect.

I failed to consider how far away I would be from my family, which terrified me. So, during the spring of my senior year, I made the decision to go to CWU instead--a school that had offered me a spot on the team before I committed to APU.

That decision was very difficult, especially when I had to break the news to Mattie: APU was her dream school, but not quite mine.

CWU turned out to be everything I wanted: I am best friends with my teammates, close to home, and working towards a degree that I am passionate about.

There are some days when I wonder what would have happened if I didn't make those crucial decisions.

I still miss riding horses, and every time I see a horse I get just as excited as my eight year old self in her cowboy boots scooping manure at Heron's Creek. I have no doubt I will return to horses in the future.

Volleyball has taught me how to be responsible when it comes to juggling commitments and how to be a team player.

Every time I step on that court to play, I remember what it was that made me love it in the first place: the joy and the smile that it puts on my face.

Life is full of decisions, some big and some little. I believe every decision I have made has lead me to where I am now and I truly believe everything happens for a reason.