http://www.tv2east.dk/video/2011-09-25/vordingborg-vil-vinde-guld
This is the link for a Video that was on the news here about our team. Gives you an idea of the kind of volleyball that we are playing over here. It is good but not fantastic. Feel like a poser to call myself a "pro."
10/21/11
10/20/11
Hello Everyone. It has been a very long time since I have updated any of you. Oh wait...it HAS been a long time since I have. So sorry. I will try to sum things up and plan on writing more frequently now that I have this "wacky thing" set up as my dad would say.
Here is a recap of the past month or so:
The two Cali girls couldn't hack it so they quit our team and left within a few days. Jackie (the one who played at CSU) went to Finland to play for a better team. We actually got a lot closer after Branagan went home. There were a couple days where it was just Jackie here so that was nice to make another network, contact, and friend. I think it was for the best that they both left though. They were really unhappy here and it was starting to rub off on me. It became harder and harder to be positive about things here. They are both very happy with their decisions.
Schnake (one of my closest friends from my college team) came here to take one of their spots. It really seemed like fate. I called her to see if she was interested and she was sorta a mess. Things in her life were falling apart and she spoke to me about how she really needed a change. That is when I told her that we needed girls to come asap to play on our team. I have been so much happier since she got here. It is really nice to have a friend and someone to talk to. Also I really like having a partner to travel and explore with. The other girls are great and together the five of us really seem to fit together. Sage and Noelle (the other new girl) are really good friends. Ingrid (our coaches girlfriend or is the 5th American on our team) and Noelle were teammates in college so we all have our little connections between eachother. It is perfect and I am happy with the group of us. It just seems right. Of course there are my irritations but it is considerably better than things were with Jackie and Branagan here.
Since Schnake got here we have gone on walks, runs, to the gym, to town to sit in the sun and read, to site see, out in Copenhagen, and enjoyed watching movies in our apartment. A big night here is when the five of us decide we all want to play cards. It is a simple kind of like that at times I must say I really hate, but I also think it is something that is good for me to experience.
I am almost done with the Hunger Games book series and have really enjoyed getting sucked into them. I would suggest them to everyone. I am working on cooking a lot and have loved exploring my hand in the kitchen. I have had some great successes and so really big flops but it has been fun either way. I find myself drinking a lot of coffee (sorry dad). It is our social thing at the house and just a little bit of home that makes me really happy. Lately I have been also experimenting with making my own specialty coffee drinks at home since they don't have any Starbucks here. SAD DAy! Ok. I think that is enough of an update for now. I will get back on soon and add some pics with descriptions but wanted to give you something in the mean time. Miss you all SO MUCH! Hope all is well in the States.
Here is a recap of the past month or so:
The two Cali girls couldn't hack it so they quit our team and left within a few days. Jackie (the one who played at CSU) went to Finland to play for a better team. We actually got a lot closer after Branagan went home. There were a couple days where it was just Jackie here so that was nice to make another network, contact, and friend. I think it was for the best that they both left though. They were really unhappy here and it was starting to rub off on me. It became harder and harder to be positive about things here. They are both very happy with their decisions.
Schnake (one of my closest friends from my college team) came here to take one of their spots. It really seemed like fate. I called her to see if she was interested and she was sorta a mess. Things in her life were falling apart and she spoke to me about how she really needed a change. That is when I told her that we needed girls to come asap to play on our team. I have been so much happier since she got here. It is really nice to have a friend and someone to talk to. Also I really like having a partner to travel and explore with. The other girls are great and together the five of us really seem to fit together. Sage and Noelle (the other new girl) are really good friends. Ingrid (our coaches girlfriend or is the 5th American on our team) and Noelle were teammates in college so we all have our little connections between eachother. It is perfect and I am happy with the group of us. It just seems right. Of course there are my irritations but it is considerably better than things were with Jackie and Branagan here.
Since Schnake got here we have gone on walks, runs, to the gym, to town to sit in the sun and read, to site see, out in Copenhagen, and enjoyed watching movies in our apartment. A big night here is when the five of us decide we all want to play cards. It is a simple kind of like that at times I must say I really hate, but I also think it is something that is good for me to experience.
I am almost done with the Hunger Games book series and have really enjoyed getting sucked into them. I would suggest them to everyone. I am working on cooking a lot and have loved exploring my hand in the kitchen. I have had some great successes and so really big flops but it has been fun either way. I find myself drinking a lot of coffee (sorry dad). It is our social thing at the house and just a little bit of home that makes me really happy. Lately I have been also experimenting with making my own specialty coffee drinks at home since they don't have any Starbucks here. SAD DAy! Ok. I think that is enough of an update for now. I will get back on soon and add some pics with descriptions but wanted to give you something in the mean time. Miss you all SO MUCH! Hope all is well in the States.
Velkommen (Welcome)
“I write in order to be able to think, to sort out confused emotions, to record my life and the lives of those around me, to find meaning, to BE.” Andrea Dworkin
I have to admit that I am a little intimidated of blogging. It is something that I have never done before, but I love writing, and have a great adventure to share with the many people who I love at home so I am willing to overcome my fear and start playing with it.
For those of you who do not know I am playing professional volleyball in Vordingborg, Denmark. I arrived here August 5th and will be here at least until April. When I say professional I want all of you to understand that it is not nearly as glamorous as it sounds. It is for sure a step down from college ball, at least the league that I am playing in. I am being paid to live here though, and more than being here for volleyball I am here for the experience and to grow as a person… not saying I would be upset if we win the Danish cup though. You all know how competitive I am.
I think the best way to get everyone up to speed is to copy some passages from emails so sorry if you have already read this:
When I arrived here I was so tired because I couldn’t sleep on the plane at all thanks to a great book that Schwabe gave me called “Something Borrowed.” It sucked me in and wouldn’t spit me out until I finished it. My coach picked me up from the airport at 7am on Saturday. He took me immediately to the store so that I wouldn’t go straight to sleep in hopes of helping me with the adjusting period. I was so out of it that all I bought was a bag of spinach, a bell pepper, and some oatmeal. That was all that I had to live off of for about a week (poor decision on my part).
The stores are not that much different from ours except that they do not have nearly as many brands and options. Life here is just more simple which I really like.
After our trip to the store I finally got to take a nap. It was amazing but two hours later my coach woke me up and insisted that I had to get out of bed and that we were going to help our teams libero move into her apartment. It was nice to get out and meet her. She is a little, very sweet Danish girl. So far she is my favorite one on the team. I then went to bed at 6 that evening and stayed in bed until 1 the next morning. The next few days are a big blur but basically it was a lot of meeting people (I remember zero names), and running errands with my coach. I am glad that I got here before the other two american girls. It was nice to settle in on my own and get to know my coach. I got to ask him a ton of questions and got some time in the gym with him.
The time in the gym with my coach was both great and very very frustrating. It made me question everything I have every known. My hand was still really hurting me (feels like a knife stabbing me every time I set). For those of you who don’t know I had surgery right before I came here to get a bone taken out of my hand. The first few times in the gym I was basically just getting ripped to shreds by my coach. I was proud of how I handled it though. Every time he yelled at me I just nodded my head and said ok (This has now become my life modo here: Nod and smile). I just kept reminding myself that this is what I wanted…to be the worst again…to improve a lot…to feel like I suck and be completely uncomfortable both as a player and a person so that I can grow. As soon as I look at things that way I feel way better and smile to myself.
The other two americans got in on Monday and we had a team meeting. It was really exciting to meet everyone. They all seem really cool. I like the Danish girls a lot! The american girls I honestly didn’t like that much at first. I found respect for them though time in the gym because they work very hard and want to play every time I suggest it. We don’t need to be best friends but we will be great teammates…I can already see that. And we all get closer every time we play together.
Second Email:
Things are getting better with the other Americans (Jackie and Branagan) but the cool thing is that for the first time ever I don’t really care that much if they like me. I am here to play volleyball and explore so if I need to do that by myself…so be it. I have a ton of respect for both of them on the court. They are both amazing and work hard and are completely different on the court than off the court. So that is really all that matters. The last American got here a couple of days ago and I like her a lot more than the others for outside of volleyball stuff. She wants to get out and see stuff and take pictures and be a total tourist, but at the same time learn about the culture here and become a part of it. Her name is Sage. She is a little strange from time to time, and really concerned about spending money, but I think we are going to become good friends.
The Danish girls are all quiet but so sweet! They are just really nice and great girls. I don’t know them that well so I will let you know more as I get to know them. My favorite person here is our little libero that played last year in Sweden but is from Denmark. She is a short blonde but super strong. She is just a sweetheart to the core, but also knows who she likes and doesn’t bother with people who don’t accept that. I think she likes me and we are becoming friends
! Her name is Jeanetta, but it is said Shanetta. All of the Danish people are just pretty down to earth, and not loud attention striving as I have noticed the americans are. I never understood where we got that reputation from until now and it is very obvious. The customs and everything seem pretty similar but I don’t really know enough about the culture to be able to tell you the differences so I will keep you updated on that. They can all speak English fantastically. It really blows me away that it is their second language because they make it seem so easy. WHY THE HECK DONT WE HAVE KIDS LEARNING ANOTHER LANGUAGE FROM AN EARLY AGE?!
The Coach is kinda hard to play for. He yells a lot and is super hard on me. He was a setter so I guess he picks on setters a lot. It is a little hard to take, but ok. I just try to take the good feedback and forget the more jerk comments that he makes. I am sure it will get better as I learn the new system and how to set to the new hitters. We have only had two team practices so it is hard to judge how it will be so far, but our team is good and I think I am really going to like it. Jackie and Branagan are very good hitters, jump super high, and therefore are really fun to set to.
The food is expensive, but pretty similar to what we have in the states, although I have tried some new things. I have a new favorite cookie, it is like graham cracker outside, and dark chocolate in the middle. It is the perfect level of sweet. I also love dark bread( which is kinda like ezekeal dad) and Nutella.
They use the Kroner(Said Crown in English). It is 5 Kroner to 1 Dollar. Everything here is super expensive which has been a little tough to get used to. I spent $20 on a towel for example.
I think that is enough for the first post. I know a lot of you have already read all of that and I promise I will get another post up soon and some pictures because it is really amazing and I want you all to be able to see it here
I have to admit that I am a little intimidated of blogging. It is something that I have never done before, but I love writing, and have a great adventure to share with the many people who I love at home so I am willing to overcome my fear and start playing with it.
For those of you who do not know I am playing professional volleyball in Vordingborg, Denmark. I arrived here August 5th and will be here at least until April. When I say professional I want all of you to understand that it is not nearly as glamorous as it sounds. It is for sure a step down from college ball, at least the league that I am playing in. I am being paid to live here though, and more than being here for volleyball I am here for the experience and to grow as a person… not saying I would be upset if we win the Danish cup though. You all know how competitive I am.
I think the best way to get everyone up to speed is to copy some passages from emails so sorry if you have already read this:
When I arrived here I was so tired because I couldn’t sleep on the plane at all thanks to a great book that Schwabe gave me called “Something Borrowed.” It sucked me in and wouldn’t spit me out until I finished it. My coach picked me up from the airport at 7am on Saturday. He took me immediately to the store so that I wouldn’t go straight to sleep in hopes of helping me with the adjusting period. I was so out of it that all I bought was a bag of spinach, a bell pepper, and some oatmeal. That was all that I had to live off of for about a week (poor decision on my part).
The stores are not that much different from ours except that they do not have nearly as many brands and options. Life here is just more simple which I really like.
After our trip to the store I finally got to take a nap. It was amazing but two hours later my coach woke me up and insisted that I had to get out of bed and that we were going to help our teams libero move into her apartment. It was nice to get out and meet her. She is a little, very sweet Danish girl. So far she is my favorite one on the team. I then went to bed at 6 that evening and stayed in bed until 1 the next morning. The next few days are a big blur but basically it was a lot of meeting people (I remember zero names), and running errands with my coach. I am glad that I got here before the other two american girls. It was nice to settle in on my own and get to know my coach. I got to ask him a ton of questions and got some time in the gym with him.
The time in the gym with my coach was both great and very very frustrating. It made me question everything I have every known. My hand was still really hurting me (feels like a knife stabbing me every time I set). For those of you who don’t know I had surgery right before I came here to get a bone taken out of my hand. The first few times in the gym I was basically just getting ripped to shreds by my coach. I was proud of how I handled it though. Every time he yelled at me I just nodded my head and said ok (This has now become my life modo here: Nod and smile). I just kept reminding myself that this is what I wanted…to be the worst again…to improve a lot…to feel like I suck and be completely uncomfortable both as a player and a person so that I can grow. As soon as I look at things that way I feel way better and smile to myself.
The other two americans got in on Monday and we had a team meeting. It was really exciting to meet everyone. They all seem really cool. I like the Danish girls a lot! The american girls I honestly didn’t like that much at first. I found respect for them though time in the gym because they work very hard and want to play every time I suggest it. We don’t need to be best friends but we will be great teammates…I can already see that. And we all get closer every time we play together.
Second Email:
Things are getting better with the other Americans (Jackie and Branagan) but the cool thing is that for the first time ever I don’t really care that much if they like me. I am here to play volleyball and explore so if I need to do that by myself…so be it. I have a ton of respect for both of them on the court. They are both amazing and work hard and are completely different on the court than off the court. So that is really all that matters. The last American got here a couple of days ago and I like her a lot more than the others for outside of volleyball stuff. She wants to get out and see stuff and take pictures and be a total tourist, but at the same time learn about the culture here and become a part of it. Her name is Sage. She is a little strange from time to time, and really concerned about spending money, but I think we are going to become good friends.
The Danish girls are all quiet but so sweet! They are just really nice and great girls. I don’t know them that well so I will let you know more as I get to know them. My favorite person here is our little libero that played last year in Sweden but is from Denmark. She is a short blonde but super strong. She is just a sweetheart to the core, but also knows who she likes and doesn’t bother with people who don’t accept that. I think she likes me and we are becoming friends
! Her name is Jeanetta, but it is said Shanetta. All of the Danish people are just pretty down to earth, and not loud attention striving as I have noticed the americans are. I never understood where we got that reputation from until now and it is very obvious. The customs and everything seem pretty similar but I don’t really know enough about the culture to be able to tell you the differences so I will keep you updated on that. They can all speak English fantastically. It really blows me away that it is their second language because they make it seem so easy. WHY THE HECK DONT WE HAVE KIDS LEARNING ANOTHER LANGUAGE FROM AN EARLY AGE?!The Coach is kinda hard to play for. He yells a lot and is super hard on me. He was a setter so I guess he picks on setters a lot. It is a little hard to take, but ok. I just try to take the good feedback and forget the more jerk comments that he makes. I am sure it will get better as I learn the new system and how to set to the new hitters. We have only had two team practices so it is hard to judge how it will be so far, but our team is good and I think I am really going to like it. Jackie and Branagan are very good hitters, jump super high, and therefore are really fun to set to.
The food is expensive, but pretty similar to what we have in the states, although I have tried some new things. I have a new favorite cookie, it is like graham cracker outside, and dark chocolate in the middle. It is the perfect level of sweet. I also love dark bread( which is kinda like ezekeal dad) and Nutella.
They use the Kroner(Said Crown in English). It is 5 Kroner to 1 Dollar. Everything here is super expensive which has been a little tough to get used to. I spent $20 on a towel for example.
I think that is enough for the first post. I know a lot of you have already read all of that and I promise I will get another post up soon and some pictures because it is really amazing and I want you all to be able to see it here
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