DALY CITY, Calif. - Michelle Wie lives in Florida, grew up in Hawaii, but it is here in the Bay where she felt like she experienced her most growth as a person.
It’s here where she accomplished one of the proudest moments of her life – graduating from Stanford University.
“Going to Stanford, graduating from Stanford definitely is one of the proudest moments of my life,” Wie said. “I think coming back here, I just remind myself of that achievement. That definitely was a dream come true for me. Growing up I remember visiting Stanford. I always wanted to come here. It’s always great to come back.”
So often it’s easy to forget life’s biggest successes in the grind of the day-to-day, but this week serves as a tangent reminder.
“I think after you win tournaments you don’t really get to go back to a tournament site and really realize what you did,” Wie said. “Every time I come back here I just get to relive it and realize that I got to achieve that dream of mine. It feels great.”
That’s why although Wie was set to depart the 808 last week – a place that’s as embedded in her persona – it was easier knowing where she was headed. A place where the memories flood back as soon as the plane lands.
“It was definitely really sad to leave home, but the fact that I was coming to San Francisco made it that much easier,” Wie said. “This is definitely something I look forward to all year. Most of all of my friends from Stanford are still in the Bay, so it’s been amazing getting to see them.”
However, her trip back to Stanford’s campus yesterday to reflect and enjoy the sights of old wasn’t an entire success.
“I definitely love going to get Fro-Yo there, which I almost cried,” Wie said. “It was under renovation so they were closed. I was banging the doors, just crying.”
The trip down memory lane wasn’t a complete waste though. Wie stopped by the bookstore to stock up on gear, and she would normally stop by to meet with the golf team but they were away on a trip. So she went around campus and endured the realization that although at 25, she’s young in the game of golf, she’s not so young on campus anymore.
“I just like to walk around. I think the kids there now look at me strange,” Wie said. “I have this weird look in my eyes. Every time someone rides a bike by I’m like, ‘Hi!’ You know, I’m like this old person on campus now just creeping out. But it’s amazing. There are always new buildings, new stuff. It’s just nice. I just want to go back.”
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