Marina. I think of spending a day with no agenda. Sitting on the lake, enjoying the peace. Hearing Marina I picture lying down, gazing at the horizon and seeing nothing but water. As if the water spans infinitely. 

In Latin, meaning “of the sea,” I could go on about how much I love the water. How it never gets too cold for me. How I can jump into the lake in October and still want to waterski. How I can picture a perfect sunset over the lake. A time to relax and enjoy the presence of friends and family.

But, as much as I wish for all these perfect scenarios, they do not describe my life all year long. 

I spend 8 months of every year dedicated to hockey.  Even in the summers, I spend my weekdays waking up early to train. This training only amplifies during the school year when the actual season starts. 

When you hear the name “Marina” on the attendance list, chances are I am absent on that Friday from school for a tournament. “She’s at hockey,” is something my friends and family have gotten used to saying when I am not home. 

Being the girl who is always at hockey, creates its own set of expectations “Marina misses so much school for hockey, is she even playing in college?” With my name comes expectations from family, friends, and all those who have known me. Constantly having to live up to the expectations of not only others, but also myself; that sounds more like Marina. 

The number 8. Infinite, how the water looks when you are sitting in the middle of the lake, so far from the shore it feels as if there is no way back. A moment of true tranquility in life. I want to take life as it comes and enjoy the peace that I am given. That is what I want to think when I hear the name, Marina. 

But this would better describe me: 

Marina. A day of hockey. Skating onto the rink, enjoying the crisp coldness of the air. Seeing the clean sheet of ice, my team lined up, ready to go. Seeming as if hockey is the only thing in the world that matters for a second in time. Stressful for some, but for me, there is nothing that could make me more at peace.