TLN Roundtable: Summer Sixteen

This weekend, we ignored our roots as a hockey site and decided to focus on things that actually matter, like what we’ve all been doing this summer. Not last summer, this summer. Not an NHL summer, but a TLN summer. Anyway…

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to travel quite a bit, having headed to three countries in Europe, the NHL draft, various locations across Ontario, and as I write this, am on the way back from a quick trip to Pennsylvania see three baseball games in two days. Also, I’ve taken day trips to: Peterborough, Oshawa, Kitchener, and Orillia, plus a pair of weekends exploring Kingston, just to name a few. I’ve looked to find beauty in Ontario and learn a bit more about the province I’ve lived in my whole life.

I’ve met new friends from places all over and gone with old friends to places we’d never been. I’ve tried to experience as many new things as possible and taught myself a variety of new skills – the most exciting of which is probably bottle flipping. I lost some money, made some money (though not THAT much), took some summer school courses, met some people and experienced so many things that I never would’ve otherwise had I stayed working all summer like I’d done three years prior. I’ll have to take a job during the school year to compensate, but it’s been worth it.

As I write this, I’m currently on my way to visit the little league World Series complex. Just another new experience. I’ve taken on some new writing roles and expanded to new projects, grown as a person, and honestly just looked for revenge every single day in summer 16.

My summer has been up and down and crazy. At the very beginning of the summer, I became a Permanent Resident of Canada, wooooo! That was followed by organising a whirlwind trip back to Australia to visit family I hadn’t seen in over 2 years, and to go to a friend’s wedding. I spent 4 weeks in Australia with my family, watched a few hockey games in the Ice Hockey Classic with the amazing Sasky Stewart, and then came home an official Canadian.

The rest of my summer, though, has been spent looking for a day job. Because while I love TLN, they cannot keep me in the manner to which I have become accustomed.

Unlike the Leafs, I did not spend my summer lifting weights but I was lucky enough to visit friends in Vancouver where I spent some time hiking beneath the massive redwoods outside the city. When I was deep in the forest I could not hear the complaints of Canucks fans, it was very serene.  

Aside from my trip out west, I’ve spent most of my time daydreaming about a particular situation, I encourage you to try and see what I see. Find a comfortable place to sit, like your office chair, and stare off into the distance. It’s the year 2018 and you’re watching a Leafs playoff game. Nazem Kadri draws a penalty and the Leafs put their first powerplay unit on the ice. Auston Matthews glides into the faceoff dot with Mitch Marner on his right and James Van Riemsdyk on his left. William Nylander lines up at the point with Morgan Rielly to his left. It’s a wonderful thing.

My summer has been spent working.  That is literally it. If you stop by Canada’s Wonderland at any point, hit me up. ?

My summer’s going pretty well. Less than two weeks ago I officially wrapped up my undergrad, so there’s been lots of relaxing and good times lately, but now I’m gearing up for the future and trying to decide what I want to do next. I like to think of myself as an unrestricted free agent that’s ending his college career without a contract, and now I’m deciding whether I want to accept an invite to an AHL camp, play in Germany, or call it quits and move on to new endeavors.

Yeah, I’ve basically been here. Like, literally here; unlike the last two Julys, which involved playing street hockey across the country to raise money for food banks with Five Hole For Food, there was a point last month where I didn’t leave my house for a week because “this could make a neat post on TLN” kept crossing my mind.

My late-night free time has been spent playing FIFA 16, and taking Toronto FC from the bottom of the English system (don’t ask) to the absolute top of the world without buying a single player, only signing young free agents and developing prospects. It was more ambitious than the Shanaplan, but now we’ve won five or six Champions Leagues in a row. It feels good to be the king.

The good news is that I’ve mostly avoided the heat wave. The bad news is that I might have cabin fever. Anyway, I’m out of the house for most of today, so that’s something; the Kostka Kup awaits!