The verdict is in: WE’RE GOING TO WASHINGTON! (D.C., that is.)
This past weekend was one of the most exhausting weekends of my life, as I am sure it was for many others. That being said, it was also a weekend that neither of us will ever forget.
In the days leading up to the draft, I stayed busy with school, completing a test and two presentations by Wednesday evening. I flew to Austin on Thursday night, where Samajé and Moose had already driven a couple days prior. I was able to spend the night relaxing with my family and getting my lashes done for the big days ahead. (Shout out to Pink Lady Lash in Austin!)
The exhaustion began on Friday, the first of a few very long days. Maj and I spent the majority of the first half of the day looking at wedding venues with our moms. Samajé was not too excited about this part, as it required a lot of wedding talk and even more driving, but he was a pretty good sport about it. After we finished looking at our third venue for the day, we went to his house to get ready for the watch party.
If any of you followed draft projections, you probably saw that many analysts had Maj projected to go during the third round, with a chance of going in the fourth as well. This meant that although the draft started on Thursday, Friday was the first big day for us. We spent the night surrounded by our families and friends and had a great time.
For those who have never heard the “behind the scenes” of draft day, here’s something you may not know. Players do not watch the draft to hear their name called; they actually do not need to watch the draft at all. Although we had it on, Maj did not pay much attention. When a team decides they want to draft a player, they actually call the player first, which happened 5-10 minutes before the pick is actually announced on TV. That being said, the majority of the night was spent watching his phone and waiting for that call.
Those of you who followed the draft know what happened next. The night ended, and the call never came. Of course, we were all prepared for it, as we knew going into the day that a fourth round position was very possible. Still, though, I will admit I was frustrated. Samajé has always been undervalued – at least, in my (very unbiased) opinion. 😉
Nonetheless, the next morning, we took one more venue tour and were back at his house by 11:00 am, when the final day of the draft began. Our families returned from the night before, and his agent flew in to join us as well. He assured us that Maj would be selected early in the day, and sure enough, the call came shortly after the draft began.
Here’s a funny story – Samajé missed the call! He ran upstairs for a few seconds and left his phone downstairs when it started ringing. His agent received a call immediately after and we all freaked out, rushing his phone to him. Of course, it was the Redskins, calling to tell him they wanted him on the team.
We were elated! Finally, we could relax. We discovered that our destination for the next few years will be Washington, D.C., which seems like such a cool place! Neither of us have ever been there, but we have heard so many great things about it. God knew exactly what he was doing.
From there, we went to Dave & Buster’s to celebrate. (You can see from the picture above how tired I was – I couldn’t even open my eyes all the way. 🙂 ) Later that night, we were finally able to get some sleep. We spent Sunday relaxing and getting our last bits of family time in before we left the next morning.
Now, we are back in Norman. I have five finals to take before graduation next weekend. Unfortunately, Samajé leaves a couple days before I graduate, so he will not be able to make it. I am sad about that, but I have always known that this journey would require sacrifices. Once he leaves, he will begin rookie mini-camps in preparation for training camp in August – the real deal. That being said, he will be in Virginia most of the summer, while I will be in Texas. During that time, though, we will get to go apartment shopping and prepare for our new life in D.C. We are so excited for this next part of the adventure!
<3 Meg
