Better and Better

I have been in Sweden for just over a month now and it seems like everyday here gets better and better. I have met some amazing people and been able to travel and see some incredible places! I had a friend come and visit from California for a couple weeks, and I had a blast showing him what European living is like. We walked around town and shopped, then walked around the lake to take pictures and it was absolutely gorgeous. I had a free weekend while he was here, so we took a 6 hour train ride to Copenhagen, Denmark for a couple days of vacaction. OH MY....what an amazing place Copenhagen is. The city is huge and sits right on the water, so there are little boats and canals that run all through the city. We were able to take a canal boat tour and it was so much fun to be on the water and see all the amazing architecture throughout the city. Our first night in town we decided to go to a little hippie town on the outskirts of the city. What an experience that was. It was a totally different world there with no laws or limitations. The next day we went to the castle around noon to watch the guard change. This is about an hour long ceremony that takes place every single day. When the ceremony was over we decided to stop at a little Danish cafe for lunch. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. The lunch ended up being a three course meal, with some very interesting food choices, most of which we tried but did not finish. Two hours later, we were happy to be out of there and enjoying the beautiful day. Even though it was a short trip, we got to do and see a lot of amazing things. Copenhagen is definitely a place I would love to go back to in the summer time.

So now on to the reason I am actually in Sweden, Volleyball. It was a little bit of a rough start when I first got here, with the transition from beach back to indoor, but I finally feel like I'm playing good volleyball again. Just like every other experience I've had, volleyball is getting better and better everyday. We recently got a new coach, which I was a little nervous about, but the team seems to be responding well to him. I'm very excited to see what these next 6 weeks have in store for us. It was hard enough to join a team in the middle of the season, and then to find out we were getting a new coach, I was a little skeptical but things are definitely looking up. We won our last match in 3 straight and we have our first two matches this week with the new coach. We are tied for 2nd place in the league right now so these nexts few weeks are critical for our team. Hopefully we can continue to play well and keep a good standing going into the playoffs, which start in mid-March. I am super excited for our match tomorrow because I have a friend from California that plays on the team. It is always fun to compete against other Americans when you're playing all over the world, especially when they are your friends.

I cannot believe how fast the time is going by. I am having so much fun and know that it will only continue to get better on and off the court. I am super excited to be sharing this amazing adventure with everyone and hope you all continue to enjoy the journey with me!!!

It has been a while.....

Wow!!! Where do I even start? The last time I blogged I was just starting my Professional Volleyball Career in the Maldives and Paris in December 2010. Where has the time gone? So much has happened since then and I cannot wait to share my adventures with you all!

After finishing my first professional indoor season in Paris I moved to Hermosa Beach, CA where I began my beach career and training with the USAV Beach National Team. My first official season on the beach was definitely an eye opener for me. I knew playing beach was a totally different game than indoor, but how was I suppose to know all the obstacles that came with it? I was beyond excited to be living in California, right on the beach, and to have one of my friends from high school as my teammate. We had talked about playing together for a while and when it finally happened, we were "living the dream." Before too long reality set in. As most of you probably know living in California is not one of the cheapest places to live, especially being two blocks from the water. Our rent was outrageous, neither one of us had jobs, outside of volleyball, we did not have a coach, training facility, trainer, etc. Yes, we were having a blast, but funds starting running low and we were not training consistently. In time, we both found jobs working in the restaurant industry, which made it even more difficult to train on a regular basis. Sure the money was good, but this is not how we pictured our "professional volleyball career" turning out. I did not understand how all these other girls were making ends meet. After talking to some of these players, and my family, I decided going overseas and playing another indoor professional season would be the best way for me to make good money. Within a week I was on a plane headed to a little place called Pihtipudas, Finland. And when I say "little" I mean small small town consisting of 2 grocery stores, a gas station, and a couple of restaurants (one of which burnt down while I was there).

Upon arriving in Finland I was very excited about this adventure and the many experiences it would bring to my life. I was in Finland for about 7-8 months playing for Pislaploki Volleyball Club. Instead of telling you EVERYTHING that happened within that 7-8 months period I'm just going to give you the gist of it. Most days were long, dark, and cold, but I met some amazing people, learnt a little Finnish, and went on some crazy, once in a lifetime adventures (dog sledding being one of them). Our season was kind of a roller coaster ride, but in the end we finished in the top 4 of our league and felt overall it was a successful year.

On my return back to the states, I was eager to get back to California and continue my training on the beach. I saved all the money I made and was ready to focus solely on my training. I continued training with the USAV Beach Team and on my days off started working with another coach, so I was touching a ball just about everyday. I played in multiple tournaments over the summer including CBVA's, Jose Cuervo, NVL, EVP, and USA sanctioned events. My teammate and I were having a pretty successful summer and were able to receive some sponsorships here and there. However, summer was once again nearing its end and so were my funds. Going back to Europe to play was not in my plans, but after contemplating getting a real job in the states or playing volleyball for money, you can guess what my final decision was.

It was not as easy to find a team in Europe this time, because once I made my decision to play the season was a couple months underway. Thank goodness for my agent's hard work and determination to help me, I was able to sign a contract with Lindesberg Volley, in Lindesberg, Sweden. As always, it is a fast process and I was in Sweden within a week of signing my contract. I am now coming up on my two week mark of being in Sweden and everything is great thus far. The town is super cute and everyone is very friendly. I played in my first matches last weekend and we ended up going 1-1, taking 3rd place at the Grand Prix tournament. I am very excited about this journey I am about to embark on, and know there will be many new and exciting adventures that will take place along the way.

I am so blessed and so thankful for all the opportunities I have been given and hope that you will all continue to enjoy this amazing journey with me!!! Thank you for all the love and support from my family, friends, fans, and teammates....this would not be possible without all of you!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR AND GOD BLESS!!!