University of Georgia Athletics
Noel Couch Blog: Hospitality Done Right, Northern Style!
August 08, 2011 | Gymnastics
Aug. 8, 2011
They say "friends are the family you choose." Well this summer I've been blessed to spend time at home with my family, while also staying connected to my friends in a variety of ways. For being so far away from Georgia these past few weeks, Christa and I managed to do a pretty good job of keeping a presence in each other's lives.She has been holding down the fort by herself in our dorm the past few weeks.It always makes me laugh when a video message pops up on my phone and.... there's Christa! Most of the time I hear can hear the loud beeping of the ECV elevator in the background as she excitedly tells me about what's been going on in Athens.I made her promise to tell me one new thing she learned in physics each day, so it's usually during this message that I get a little physics lesson in myself. And my fabulous friend celebrated her 20th birthday in July!I surprised her by sending an edible arrangement and princess balloon to the dorms and then coordinated with our good friend, Ben Reynolds on the football team as he picked up a cake, which of course attracted enough friends for a little party in the dorms.Nobody should go without a cake on their birthday!Oh, how wonderful life is with good friends.
Mikayla and I have been having a good time during our last few weeks at home before heading to school.Along with Papa Couch we managed to watch the entire Harry Potter movie series before seeing the final movie in theaters...SO good!And with Mama Couch we've been creatively planning our last summer bash, the "Everything is All White" party.We put together a guest list of all our closest family and friends, shopped around for decorations, and kept our eyes open for anything that would compliment our "white out" theme.
One of the highlights of my summer was meeting up with Russell at my club gym, North Stars to choreograph my new floor routine!It's original and animated and I'll be working hard the next few months on perfecting the dance and adding in the tumbling.After four hours of creating the masterpiece, the choreography was finished!I enjoyed having Russell come back to my house where we enjoyed a delicious Italian dinner as we talked and laughed with my family.Can't wait to see him again in September when he heads to UGA to choreograph more routines.
The following week I had another visitor... Sarah White!Sarah was the Gymdogs manager during her four years at UGA and she and I became close friends over the past two years.After telling me she couldn't believe my house in New Jersey actually had a backyard, I told her she'd have to come up and see for herself, and so she did.We set her up in The Couch Resort and ventured off to New York City the following day. I knew we were in for an entertaining weekend when she asked the vendor, "Do y'all have Cola?" and he gave her a confused look for a moment... "y'all isn't a word you hear too often in the city.We walked the streets, shopped, had lunch, and went on "The Beast," which was essentially a roller coaster boat ride on the Hudson River. We then ventured down the Shore for the weekend where we chilled on the beach, bike rode to the end of the Long Beach Island, went for boat rides, and laughed as Sarah fist pumped while tubing in Barnegat Bay. At night we made our way to the Seaside Boardwalk where we went on the chair lift that runs along the beach and had a perfect view of the house where the cast of the TV show, Jersey Shore stayed. Our Southern Belle earned her Jersey Girl title that weekend and returned home with a little Northern swag in her.
The next weekend we were greeted by two more guests...Connor Nolte, who recently began his graduate degree and final season on the basketball team at UGA, and his younger brother, Evan who recently committed to the University of Virginia to play basketball.They made a pit stop at my home on their road trip along the East Coast.We showed my very tall friends some "Southern hospitality" up North and enjoyed having them stay with us on their journey.My only request was that they cheered for the Yankees the following day when they attended the Yankees vs. Red Sox game in Boston.
Well, it's that time of the year again!The football team is well into their training at camp and I'm heading back to UGA on Wednesday with classes starting the following Monday.I've had a relaxing and enjoyable time at home with my family and I'm thrilled now to be going back to school where the Gymdogs will be reunited again and we'll jump right into the swing of things. We're about to embark on a year of exciting experiences, focused work, and joyful moments...can't wait!
Noel Couch, a native of Towaco, N.J., will be a junior on Georgia gymnastics team in 2012.
