Across Europe, playoffs are well under way and in the States, most leagues are finishing up their regular seasons. The 2011-2012 hockey season is about to wrap up across the world. Bags are being packed and players and their families are making the long (or short) journey home. The end of a season is almost always bittersweet. While you are excited to be seeing your family and friends back home, at the same time, you are sad to say farewell to the friends you have made that year, who have become your family, without ever knowing if your paths will cross again.
The off-season for individuals in the "hockey world" is just as busy as the season. Families have to get insurance, decide where to live (if they don't have a house), and find jobs. Players have to find a place to work out and skate so they stay in hockey shape. And then comes the daunting task of deciding where to play the next season or, maybe, deciding whether or not to play.
Making a decision on where or whether to play is a family affair. Kevin and I have always approached it together. We always weigh our options, make our pros/cons list, and go over contracts together. When Kevin decided he wanted to retire from playing, I supported him 100% and when he decided he wanted to get into coaching, I again, was behind him all the way. We work as a team and always do what we feel is best for both of us. When/if he decides it's time to get out of the "hockey world" as a coach, I will support his decision and I know, that if at some point, I'm ready to be done with the "hockey world," he'll understand.
When I explain our lifestyle to people, I am met with mixed reviews. Some people think it is great, while others look disturbed that we move constantly and live out of suitcases (in a sense). I truly believe that no one can understand the "hockey world" unless they have lived in it. Every summer, family and friends ask us why we don't just settle down and get "real jobs." We don't expect people to understand the "hockey world" and its lifestyle, but we do ask that they accept that this is the decision that we have made.
While the pro season here in Vipiteno is over and all the imports have gone home, we will be here until mid-May while Kevin coaches the youth teams. Since we do not have our own house, we most likely will be living with our respective parents for the summer (600 miles apart). Kevin will work his hockey schools and I will nanny. And we will decide, together, what to do for the 2012-2013 season.
Instead of dreading the 2/3 months I'll be living apart from my husband (we will still visit each other), I'm excited for the summer. I'm looking forward to getting back to Springfield to go shopping with my Dad and then hiding our purchases from my mom. I'm counting down the days until I get to lay on the back porch with my Mom while we work on our tans. I can't wait to get snuggled off the couch by two pit bulls on a daily basis. And I'm so excited to be standing up as a bridesmaid in my cousin's wedding. Summer 2012 looks promising and regardless of what Kevin and I decide for the 2012-2013 hockey season, I'm sure it will be the right decision.
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