journey – Five Feet High Thoughts

The Toronto Raptors are NBA Champions

June 28, 2019 manda_faromeiro

If you read my other blog post about the Toronto Raptors becoming Eastern Conference Champions and advancing to the NBA finals, you can only imagine the rollercoaster of emotions I experienced throughout the six games of the NBA finals against the Golden State Warriors. For those of you who know little to nothing about basketball, the Golden State Warriors are a team that has been the finals for the last 4 years and were defending NBA champions. I’m not going to go into immense detail here about the series but I just wanted to share my thoughts and feelings now that is has been a few weeks since that iconic and historical game six on June 13th 2019.

Before we get to June 13th, let’s backtrack just a few days before on Monday, June 10th. The Raptors were playing Game 5 and it was at home in Toronto; it was also my birthday. The Raptors had a chance to win their first ever NBA title and they had the chance to do it at home. The energy in the building was electric; I could tell this from the couch I was sitting on at home because even on the television it was LOUD so I can only imagine just how loud it was in the building, as well as outside in Jurassic Park. As per my previous blog, I love my birthday and it is always a special day to me, so just picture how special would it become if the Toronto Raptors won their first ever NBA title on the day of my birth? Insanity. I thought my heart was racing in previous games, but nothing like this. The game was a crazy bout of back and forth, the typical nonsensical calls from refs, but all in all exactly what you would hope for in a Game 5 with the chance to win the championship. The Raptors ended up losing that game by one point- not one basket- but one point; the final score was 106-105 for Golden State. My heart sank a little, especially because I kept thinking how magical it would have been if that 3 pointer Kyle Lowry shot at the last second went in and he was the one to secure the victory for the team he has poured his heart and soul into for so many years. It was devastating, but only for a moment. The Raptors have won so many games at the Oracle (where the Warriors play) they could definitely get it done on Thursday, and how sweet it would be to defeat the home team (and defending champions).

To be honest, much of the details of that Game 6 are a blur. I do remember being so anxious (in a good way) and my heart racing. I remember not being able to stay seated from the second quarter onward. I remember cheering so loud that my voice was giving out. I remember yelling and feeling so frustrated that all I could do was scream into my couch cushions. I remember tears filling my eyes when there was only a minute left on the game clock. I remember tears falling out of my eyes when there were only 0.9 seconds left on the clock and a play was in review for a potential foul. I remember sobbing like a baby when those 0.9 seconds ran out once Kawhi took his free throw shots and you could see the Raptors beginning to celebrate. I was crying and crying; I was so happy. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not much of a crier – but I couldn’t stop crying. I was truly so happy – and relieved. I say relieved because watching the entire playoff season was stressful, exciting, and emotionally (and physically) draining but in the best possible way. Staying up until 1 or 2 am to watch post game coverage, getting so invested and intensely engaged in the plays, shots, and games; every piece of it was exhilarating and historical. It was exhilarating to see a team that I had grown up loving finally make history in the best possible way. I couldn’t stop smiling for days and I genuinely was so proud and happy for the entire team. My facebook wall and instagram feed was filled with celebration pictures and videos – I couldn’t stop watching and I didn’t want the celebration to stop. History in the making and such an iconic moment. Oh, the final score was 114-110 for Toronto; the series was won 4-2.

The NBA Finals win was iconic and special not only because it was the first, but because of everything we as fans have witnessed and experienced over the last 24 years. I touched on much of this in my previous blog, so I won’t reiterate anything here, but it truly was such a journey to get here. My brother was lucky enough to attend the Champions parade on Monday, June 17th alongside approximately 3 million people; what a crazy experience! I loved watching clips on the parade and seeing all the videos; the support from the city and fans has been incredibly overwhelming and words cannot describe exactly what this means for any Toronto Raptors fan. Now that the celebrations are dying down and the serious talks begin about what key members of the squad will or will not return, I just have to say this: regardless of what happens I am thankful and grateful for the 2018-2019 Toronto Raptors team, and all of those who came before this legendary season. Should we ever repeat as NBA Champions, it will be wonderful to have Larry O.B. back on Canadian soil. Yet, should we never become NBA Champions again, nothing will take away from this emotionally exhilarating experience that was the 2019 NBA Championship journey.

Now would be the time to break out the salami and cheese!

WE THE NORTH. NORTH OVER EVERYTHING. WE THE CHAMPS.
*photo courtesy of MLSE on the Toronto Raptors Facebook page*

My Journey as a Toronto Raptors Fan (and What the Eastern Conference Win Means to Me)

May 28, 2019 manda_faromeiro

Whether you’re a fan of basketball or not, I am sure by now you’ve heard the news about the Toronto Raptors advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. As someone who has enjoyed basketball since I was young, witnessing this moment was tremendously special, and I’ll elaborate on why…

I first started taking basketball more seriously when I was about 12 years old. I began following players, Michael Jordan of course, but also Allen Iverson. Then, I began to root for my teams, those other key players of the late 90s and early 2000s era, and made time in my schedule to watch the games on television, as well as those novelty events like the NBA All Star Game and Skills Competitions. I always rooted for the Toronto Raptors; they were the hometown team, I loved the jerseys, the colours, and while I was NOT a Vince Carter fan, I still cared about what was going on with the team. While my heart always belonged to the Toronto Raptors, I also really enjoyed watching and rooting for the Sacramento Kings (the Bibby, Webber, Stojakovic era was fun) and the Detroit Pistons – who could forget Big Ben Wallace, Billups, Prince, Rip Hamilton – I mean six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals between 2003–2008 is insane. These teams really put into motion my passion for basketball; I always enjoyed playing on my school teams and for fun with friends, but these teams made basketball just as exciting and fun to watch as it was to play.

Seeing the Kings and Pistons have success was exciting, as it always is when a team you like is doing well, but it never felt as good as seeing what successes the Toronto Raptors were having. The early 2000s were coined as the Vince Carter era, and while again, I didn’t care for him, it was great to see the hype about Toronto basketball. I loved seeing how Alvin Williams, Jerome Williams and Davis all played together, despite Carter getting injured in the later 2001-2002 season, and let’s not forget making the Raptors making the playoffs! These highs were contagious! Imagine how I was feeling when Detroit and Toronto faced off against each other that year in the first round? Watching two teams you like go head-to-head was an emotional roller-coaster; a win-win situation really, but deep in my heart, I always wanted Toronto to pull out on top – root, root, root for the home team, ya know? More importantly, there was something special about seeing Toronto rise up, building momentum, and have the potential to be as great as some of those iconic NBA teams – I mean they could be as iconic as the Lakers some day, right? The plight of the Toronto sports fan is always setting that bar waaaaaaaaaaay high at the beginning of the season and believing your team can really do it, despite having that bar fall down and smack you in the head year after year. This is just the narrative of a Toronto sports fan right? Well, there was still hope.

Once Vince Carter left Toronto with the tears of many fans carrying him away, what were we to look forward to as Raptor fans? Rebuild phase? Really terrible Win records? 24-58 anyone? Well, as a fan you knew the sun would rise again, and when Chris Bosh came to town, it was starting to look a little promising. The sun was peeking through the clouds. Personally, I was a huge Bosh fan and loved seeing him on the court. He definitely was the new face of the franchise, and he kept hope alive and entertaining basketball afoot. But then it got pretty terrible, pretty quick. Sometimes I cringe when I hear names like Bargnani, Calderon, or Garbajosa. Another struggling period, but it didn’t look like it was going to last for long. Why had I become so emotionally invested in basketball? Well, the truth is – it was exciting, captivating, and the ups and downs kind of made you wanting more. When your team is down, the only place left to go is up. In an interesting way, the journey of the Toronto Raptors felt very similar to my own experiences on my school basketball teams; for the 6 years that I played, we had some really amazing games and finishes, and other years we were absolutely terrible.

There were a number of years where I remember watching the Raptors and thinking, we definitely are not going to be in playoff contention this year, but let’s see how things play out. Sure, there were many uneventful or exciting games, but I always made sure to keep paying attention; things were going to change. I was sure of it. I appreciated the Raptors of 2007/2008 era; a team showing improved defense and above all else fantastic team chemistry. This is what I remember the most when I think about what kept me engaged in Raptors’ basketball; the team looked like they were really having a lot of fun out there and truly playing as a solid unit. I remember those 2007 playoffs well; it had been nearly 5 years since the team had won a playoff game but the momentum felt short lived when they ultimately lost to the Nets 4-2; to rub salt in the wound, Carter was playing for the Nets at the time- boo! Before long it was 2010 and we were rebuilding again… good things come to those who wait, right? How does one stick through all of these changes? MY EMOTIONS!

Moving along, when Bosh left Toronto, I was quite upset. I remember part of me was beginning to lose a bit of faith in what would be Toronto basketball. As I sit here and write this, I recognize that I am very emotionally invested in basketball even though it has nothing to do with me personally – bahaha – this is strange. I think I felt that Toronto would never be able to lock in an All-Star player for long because we were forever going to be left out of the NBA finals and continuing to miss every opportunity to win the conference finals. I didn’t want to give up hope, and I really wished for the best for Toronto; how many times can you get hyped up for playoff time only to be knocked out again and again… how many times you say?

Now this is probably getting to my most favourite era of Toronto Raptors basketball, and once again it has a lot to do with team chemistry. Demar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry were instantly fan favourites, and these BFFs were reminding us all how to fall in love with the game and your team. Without boring anyone with stats, this era saw Division titles in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018. It was great to see such success, but for me, seeing the team really have fun out there and being so great with the fans was so important. The Toronto Raptors of these years made fans feel like the city and its fans were priority, not the money they were making in their contracts. These years were exceptional years as a long-time fan, not only because it felt as though the rebuild years were behind us, but because of all the excitement that came from watching the talent. Remember Demar scoring 52 points against the Milwaukee Bucks? Seeing your home team succeed and making the rest of the league take notice was exhilarating! The Raptors were making history; 59 franchise record wins in one season! For the first time in forever, it really felt like the team was going to go all the way…

The devastating loss to the Cavaliers in the second round of the playoffs in 2018 was heartbreaking, and had many fans, myself included, questioning what was to be done with this team. For a solid unit of players putting up impressive stats in the regular season, we were falling short in the playoffs. Was it coaching? Was it nerves? Was it mind games because we had to keep playing against Lebron James? A lot of people demanded some answers, but it shocked the system when we found out that the Raptors coach, Dwayne Casey was fired in May of 2018. As a fan, I felt that one pretty deeply – I always felt that Casey really connected with the team and proved to the city that he always had our backs when we were frustrated with bullshit referee calls or whatever nonsense was pinned against us as the only Canadian team in the league. Just when I felt I had come to terms with losing coach Casey and eager awaiting to see who would take his place, another shock to my system took place. Demar DeRozan was traded from Toronto. This one hurt. It hurt bad. Demar loved the city of Toronto and the fans, and that love was reciprocated immensely. Demar wanted to stay in Toronto for his entire career, and loyalty like that is hard to find! The reason the trade hurt was also due to the fact that it was unclear how healthy Kawhi Leonard was going to be and what his future in Toronto was going to look like. As a dedicated fan for so many years, it wasn’t important to get players just for a championship title and then for them to leave when its over; it was important to see players investing their hustle and heart into the city, and most importantly showing the fans respect. Afterall, the fans are the ones putting asses in the seats and showing up to support the team, and Lord knows we did our share through the good and bad times.

I remember having a good conversation with my brother about the whole Kawhi situation. I always value talking sports with my brother because he sure as hell knows a lot, and as a Raptors fan he thinks more logically and less emotionally than I do. My brother laid down some stats and we discussed some possible scenarios, and after our conversation, I was feeling a little less frustrated about the situation, but was still keeping my eyes on Kawhi. Anyone who knows me knows I still am pretty defensive about it. Ultimately, I just want everyone to remember that while Kawhi is doing some very impressive things, there is a bench full of players hustling and doing some really great things too – and many of whom were in Toronto before Kawhi. I could go on and on about this…

The past year has been a rollercoaster of emotions as a fan of the Toronto Raptors. The last few years have spoiled us, as we no longer hope to make the playoffs, but expect it and we demand to advance past the second round. Lowry and the boys said it best in all their interviews; we are happy but we are not satisfied. With all the talks of what Kawhi, Gasol, Green and Lin were going to do for our team, coupled with the power of Lowry, VanVleet, O.G, and Siakam, I had incredibly high hopes that the Raptors were going to go full-force this playoff season. These playoffs were the most intense Raptors basketball that I have ever witnessed. Incredibly close games, buzzer beating shots, amazing teamwork and hustle, and with every shot another reason to continue loving and pouring your soul into this franchise. I remember hours before Game 7 was about to start against the 76s, reflecting on my own thoughts as a fan, and writing a post about regardless what happened that night that I loved this team. I truly felt that in my heart. A loss would be hard to deal with, but I wasn’t going to let that take away any amazing memories of this 2018-2019 basketball season. When the Raptors beat the 76s in Game 7, I screamed louder than I ever screamed for anything in my life. I had a few tears roll down my face too. The energy was electric and it was unbelievable to think that once again we were going to the Eastern Conference finals. Writing this blog, I can’t help but smile and laugh to myself because I cannot believe how much the team has really been part of my life; almost without realizing how long I’ve been watching and rooting for them; waiting for a time like this.

When it came time for the Raptors to play Milwaukee, my emotions continued to be all over the place. I didn’t want to get so close to that Eastern Conference Championship and get swept in 4 games. It is so hard to put into words how much I wanted the team to succeed, knowing that apart from being a loyal fan and supporter, it was completely out of my control. It is weird to feel so nervous and excited, like you’re the one stepping out onto the court to play, yet all you are doing is watching. It was so intense! The Raptors had worked too hard all season long to go out AGAIN. We had seen this narrative before, and it was time for a new chapter to be written.

To avoid sounding repetitive, I can’t put into words the energy I was feeling watching Game 6 against the Bucks with my friends. I literally could not sit down for the entire second half of the game; the jumping, yelling, screaming, cheering, falling to the floor in nervousness, all of it was incredible intense! With the final seconds left in the fourth quarter the camera man panned over to capture Kyle Lowry’s emotions as he knew that he and the team were going to the NBA finals and were Eastern Conference Champions; that camera man deserves a raise because we all felt that. So many years of being so close. So many years of being so far off and rebuilding. So many years of trades, hoping to find a unit that would not only be strong together but strong enough to get us to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. As the clock went down to zero and it was official, the screams and cheers and tears were all so real. Pinch me, I must be dreaming! The Toronto Raptors are going to the NBA Finals. What a time to be a fan! What a journey.

As we inch closer to Game 1 on Thursday against the defending NBA Champs, Golden State, the nerves go away a little more each day. I’m excited for what is to come of this series. I can’t imagine what it might feel like if the Raptors become NBA Champions. I’ve never witnessed or experienced this before, and that is what I like to remind myself. We may never witness this again. If that’s the case, we best enjoy the moment right now. Although as fans, we are happy, but we are not satisfied. I keep reminding myself of the years that came before this one; and it is part of the reason I wrote this blog post today. The Raptors being crowned the Eastern Conference Championship reminds me that dedication, time, trust, hustle make a difference, and together something great will come. As a Toronto Raptors fan, I have witnessed a lot of changes, a lot of excitement, a hell of a lot of frustration, confusion and unknowns, but ultimately it’s been a lot of fun and immensely entertaining. I cannot imagine supporting any other team as whole heartedly as I do these Toronto Raptors.

And so, if we win it all this year, let’s break out the salami and cheese, baby!

WE THE NORTH.

NORTH OVER EVERYTHING.

My Journey of Homeownership

March 6, 2019March 6, 2019 manda_faromeiro

March 6th is a special day for my husband and I; a day that will forever be an important reminder of becoming responsible adults. On this day in 2014, my husband and I received the keys to our very first home! No more living in school residences, no more renting apartments, no more living with our parents! It’s true, on March 6th 2014 we officially became homeowners. What a magical, scary, exciting, and fascinating leap into such a common yet new journey. Let’s climb aboard the memory train and revisit the fascinating process that is buying a home…

In 2013 when my Dad suddenly passed away, there were many emotions that I was trying to process on a daily basis. Not even 6 months prior, I had just moved back home from Kingston after completing my Masters degree and was looking to start my career in the field of education. The plan was to stay at home for a bit, but my boyfriend (now husband) was going to move in with us, as we were planning to do some renovations which included finishing the basement and making a livable space down there. Picking out flooring, paint colours and planning out how to makeover some of the spaces in the house was an intriguing and exciting process. In the short time between August 2012 and February 2013, we had made considerable progress; brand new laminate flooring throughout the entire house (wow, ripping up carpet is NOT fun), updated fresh paint colours in every room, and some new furniture for the living room, dining room and kitchen. The short time we had to experience these homeownership-like tasks was preparing us for real homeownership, we just didn’t know it at the time.

Looking back at those 6 months now, it is evident to me how vital that time was in getting my husband and I ready for owning our own home. Since it was our idea to do the renovations, we had paid for all of them ourselves; scary yet necessary. We were fully prepared to stay in that house for a few years and live alongside my Dad, but still contribute to the home in the form of paying some bills, part of the mortgage etc. It really was going to be a trial period of homeownership. However, as the saying goes, life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans…

My Dad’s passing in February of 2013 was complicated, and it’s still hard to find the right words to describe just what I was feeling. There are a lot of details that need to be worked out when someone passes away, and while most of that responsibility was left to my eldest brother, there was still a lot of things to figure out and decisions to be made. One of the most pressing decisions was of course, what we were going to do with the house. I won’t go into the legal matters, but basically there was a choice to be made about staying in the house or moving out. For many reasons, not just financial ones, we had decided that the best thing to do was to sell my Dad’s house and proceed with the next steps… getting pre-approved for a mortgage!

We’ve all had those moments when we’ve thought about our spending habits and have had that self-talk about needing to buckle down and put more money away for your future. All these conversations come back in one giant wave when you’re about to meet with the bank to discuss your mortgage options. Yeah, I never imagined at 25 that I would need to be sitting down to discuss a mortgage, especially since I just graduated post-secondary again and yeah, I had a lot of debt. The funny thing about going to the bank to talk about your finances is that you take yourself on a rollercoaster of emotions; at least I did. I always thought I had a good handle on my savings, spending, and was on the right track with my responsibilities — and I was and STILL am — but WOW do you ever doubt yourself when you have to talk about signing you name to an agreement with the bank for hundreds of thousands of dollars. When you finally do sit down and get the green light to spend “x” amount of dollars on your new home, the nerves simmer down a bit and the fun part can truly begin.

It didn’t take us long to determine what we really wanted in our first home, and we knew that a fixer-upper or older home wasn’t it, at least not right now. Within about a week, we had narrowed our choice down to two different new-build subdivisions: one in Innisfil and one in Alliston. Even as it was happening, the decision seemed very simple and it just felt right. On March 23rd, 2013 we officially gave our deposit and signed our papers, oh, and we also got to put that symbolic dot on the builder map; that means that lot belongs to you! Wahoo!!

For the next several months, there were many decisions to be made and while they were overwhelming at times, they were all quite exhilarating. Choosing everything from flooring to cupboards, to fixtures, to where to put those cable outlets and how high you want your breakfast bar, nothing can really prepare you for making the right decisions other than experience (coupled with some valuable and truthful advice from people who have done this before). It is fascinating to think that when all is said and done, my husband and I had a lot of choice in shaping how our house was going to turn out. Piecing together the look of your home, your very first home, was such an unforgettable experience. I would be lying if I didn’t say that I was nervous how it would all turn out, would that countertop really look good with those cupboards? This was a huge deal, and we were pouring a lot of money into this, we didn’t want to mess it up. Pride of ownership is a very real thing, and I always have high expectations for myself, so this process was no different. There were definitely times where we questioned if we made the right choices, but at the same time, when you go to a showroom and stare at tile for 3 hours they begin to all look alike; at some point you go home and a few days pass and you forget what the tile even looked like altogether. Now is not the time to panic… bahahah!

Months go by and you continue to give deposit and after deposit, and the odd time you try to drive to the subdivision to check on the progress of your home (and perhaps sneak inside-even though you’re absolutely not supposed to do this). One time (very close to my Dad’s birthday in December), we drove to go see the progress of our house. At this point, our neighbours house on the corner lot was non existent, so we pulled up and immediately our jaws dropped to the floor. All that brick and all those windows, even those doors, those were OUR bricks, OUR windows and OUR doors! I remember looking at my husband in the driver’s seat and a tear or two started to fall from my eyes. I really couldn’t believe what I was seeing, and that in a few months, we were going to be homeowners! All those deposits and all that money was REALLY being put towards something, and so far that something was INCREDIBLE.

The months continued to pass and the closer we got to March 6th, the more heightened the hype became. We were able to do a complete walkthrough of our home to ensure that all the appropriate items we had requested (and paid extra for in some cases) were included. We also had to do a thorough check to make sure that nothing was forgotten (like a waterline for the refrigerator, for example). Before we knew it, it was days before we were set to get the keys. Anyone who has ever bought a home from a builder before can tell you that sometimes your home won’t close on time. Sometimes there are delays with materials or the work in finalizing everything for your home. Luckily, when March 6th arrived and we received a call from our lawyer, the keys were ready to be retrieved and we could officially step through the doors of our very first home!

When I reflect on all the steps it took getting to that day, I cannot help but feel immense appreciation and humility. My husband and I always understood that not everyone has the privilege of being able to buy a home, yet alone a brand new build; especially in their mid-20s and in today’s society. We are very lucky and blessed. With that being said, there is also a part of us that knows we worked very hard to get to where we are today, and due to some unfortunate circumstances, had to make some big decisions in such little time; all of these factor into how our life takes its shape. Since moving into our home in 2014 we have had the opportunity to celebrate many of life’s milestones and special moments here: our engagement, getting ready the morning of our wedding, birthdays, anniversaries, halloween parties, gatherings with friends and family, introducing new furry family members and so much more!

As we sat at the dinner table this evening, my husband and I discussed some of our first memories of walking into our home for the very first time. It is remarkable how quickly 5 years can go by, yet so much has happened. Not a day goes by where we don’t take a moment and think about how much we value being homeowners, no matter how stressful or uncertain it can be sometimes. We continue to take pride in our ownership and make our house a home built for us. Whether it’s what decor sits in each room, the paint colours, the backsplash for the kitchen, or completely finishing our basement into a pretty wicked hangout space, we’ve really enjoyed every part of the journey. Oh, and so much learning along the way…

Since 2017, I have been working alongside my brother and sister-in-law in Real Estate and have learned so much more about home ownership, housing, buying vs renting, and many other real estate topics. While there is still always things to learn, I am even more thankful for having the opportunity to work alongside them because it has allowed me to be more critical in my thinking and decisions about my own home and potential homes in the future. In addition, having people you love and trust who are also super knowledgeable makes everything much better. I can say with confidence that my understanding of owning a home (and all it’s steps/processes) is on the rise with each passing month and experience, and for this I am ever appreciative.

“A House is Made of Walls & Beams, A Home is Made of Love & Dreams”