Letters From Home: Maya Nachtigal
5/5/2020
Hello to my Mav community!
Life has been great since I went home to Aurora. I am fortunate enough to have a job here, so I have been spending much of my time working as a Certified Nursing Assistant at our small-town hospital. I really enjoy spending time with my residents. They can’t leave their rooms much so they enjoy listening to me talk up Omaha and how great it was while I was taking classes and competing! If I am not spending time with my residents, you can usually find me running, lifting, working on schoolwork or hanging out with my parents and younger brother!
Classes have been going pretty well overall. Some weeks were crazier than others, but my “to-do” lists really kept me on track! My professors have been really great in helping me with anything that I needed. I really can’t complain, but I am definitely anticipating sitting in a chair at a desk again.
I would do anything to be back in Omaha, running for UNO and going to classes. I miss my crazy, hard-working teammates. I miss going to practice every day, seeing them and Cliff. Mostly, I just miss the community of Omaha, my home away from home. Whether it was running, going to class or doing something else fun in the community, there was never a dull moment.
Since I was supposed to be competing this spring, I find myself thinking about my meet day experiences all the time, thinking about all the memories we made. I’ll never forget my first track meet in Lincoln. I started to get nervous three days before the meet, and it only got worse once we arrived at Devaney. But when it came time to race, Cliff gave me peace, got me pumped up and my teammates cheered me on through all eight laps. That race was already better than all of my high school races. Racing gives me a feeling, a type of confidence, that is indescribable. I’m proud to wear Omaha across my chest, and I am counting down the days until I can again.
I miss you, Omaha. But I’ll be back soon! Until then, stay safe and GO MAVS!
Maya Nachtigal
Freshman • Aurora, Neb.
Omaha Cross Country/Track & Field
