Collette Kritina's Home Page

Welcome
to
Collette Kritina's World!

Bonjour! My name is Collette Kritina. I am currently a master's student at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI
The most important people in my life are my friends.
They are the people who have molded me into the person I am today.
They make me smile inside and out. I love to swing dance with them,
play tennis with them, rollerblade with them, listen to them, and just plain be with them.
They are all wonderful people. I suppose it will be easier to tell my story with a few photographs...

I loved going to all of my high school dances. Getting all gussied up, going out to eat, and then dancing the night away. I will never forget the wonderful moments of being with friends and a date who love me for who I really am!

My final dance was Prom '96. I can hardly believe that the years went by so quickly. I remember watching with awe each year, as a new homecoming court made their way down the field. Each year, I'd say to myself, "Maybe someday I'll be popular enough." That day never came and it's true that my friends aren't counted by the millions. To me that isn't important, however, because now I see that the friends I do have are not just acquaintances. They are truly spectacular. They are what friends should be. Hence, my final dance came to a close. Surrounded by friends that mean so much to me, it was a splendid evening, from the laughs to the tears.

Once upon a time, there was a boyfriend who thought that the perfect Easter gift would be a bunny! Little did he know they live as long as dogs! Nonetheless, I love Cheerio. He is potty-trained and runs around my house. He is great to snuggle up with; it keeps him from chewing the phone cords!

The greatest part about going away to school was meeting so many new and wonderful people.
The individuals I have met at Central Michigan University are some of the most unique, dedicated, and trusting friends I could ever find. They love to seek out mud puddles with me, sled down the icy slopes at midnight, and execute sneaky little tricks on the guys next-door. Who could ask for anything more?

I have an obsession with travelling. Perhaps it stems from learning to walk in Jamaica or taking a cruise to Bermuda and dancing every night on the ship. Maybe it comes from driving to Florida every year for Easter (and wondering how the Easter Bunny would find me) or maybe it comes from flying to London with 200 of my closest friends. New York was great for the 4th of July... I love traveling. In any form. From flying across the ocean to camping along Route 66. Above, you see me at the Mexican border, just before the neat shops and clubs. To take a look closer at my Route 66 experience, just click on the picture!

My second year at CMU left me in the hands of three great roommates.
At the beginning of the year, we had a Labor Day cookout at the park. Julie did most of the cooking, knowing my track record! I just goofed around, attempting to play a little ball!

We had great weather this year for our football games.
It was nice basking in the sun with all of our friends, while we cheered for our team.

I have been blessed with the perfect roommate. Julie truly is one of the most fantastic people in the world. She has grown to become so much more than my roommate. She has become my best friend. Somehow, she puts up with my ill-humored jokes, the endless stories, the rough days when things don't seem to go the right way, and the crazy 4 wheelin! She actually enjoys searching for the biggest mud puddles in Mt. Pleasant so that we can fly through them with the top down!

My most recent endeavor was the Miss Junior America State Pageant. I had a wonderful time. It was the first time I have ever been up on stage, under the scrutiny of judges. Julie and I stayed in the hotel and she helped me practice my modeling tunrs and speeches. She was a great help all day! Helen Keller once said, "Life is a daring adventure -- or nothing." Julie and I are attempting to live with this as our cardinal rule. It has been a superb year. "I'm a nut!"

As I finished up my second year at CMU, I was completely happy with my life. I became a member of Central's Maroon Coat Society, a prestigious 16 member organization. I was inducted into Golden Key National Honor Society and obtained a leadership position on their executive board. My roommates and I completed "beaucoup" community service hours, ranging from Habitat for Humanity when we painted a house to Golden Key when we helped out Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Plans continued to solidify with studying abroad in Paris and I anxiously awaited the summer of excitement that was ahead.

The summer of 1998 was the bestest! I got the chance to go camping with my CMU buddies. We had to hike in all of our equipment and then we took a canoe trip down the Chippewa River. We had a great time, even when it took a couple hours to get a fire going to make dinner!

I met a ton of great people. I went swing dancing at the Velvet Lounge with the love of my life, Anthony. The time at the Velvet was splendid. I met Niles, Karen, and Derek: three wonderful people. I appreciated all of their patience while I tried to learn a fraction of the swing moves they knew. We traveled to Columbus for the Fourth of July and saw Tony and BBVD. I got to see quite of few of their shows. They played the Warped Tour and the 89X Birthday Bash in Pontiac, MI. Besides that, I spent a lot of quality time with Tony and my friends. The Atomic Fireballs got signed with Atlantic/Lava, so they will be heading somewhere to record their album soon. The summer quickly came to a close. I was sad to leave the new friendships that had formed. I look forward to the day when I have my own house near them all! I love you guys! Thanks for a great summer!

As the school year began to get into full swing, I headed home for a weekend break. On September 18, 1998, Anthony asked me to marry him! And thus is stands, I am his fiance! I'm so happy!!!

I volunteered at Swingtime '99. It was so much fun! I got to bartend at the Bacardi bar. Renae and I had a ball mixing up drinks all night long! Maybe I'll be a bartender this summer!

All of this has been made possible by Mom and Dad! They are wonderful people. We love to travel together, as evidenced by this mug shot at the Hard Rock Cafe in Orlando. We brought in the new year in style. Here's to many more....CHEERS!

Add a Story About CK in her Guestbook!
Read What Everyone Has to Say in CK's Guestbook!