July 18, 2008
MARIBOR, Slovenia -
The past few days have been a pretty unique experience. With the addition of a
seven-hour time change, we traveled more than 24 hours yesterday and definitely felt the effects of it throughout the day. When we arrived in Zagreb, Croatia, we discovered that two teammates missed their flight, and one girl's luggage was left behind in the states!
While the coordinators of the trip waited at the airport for the rest to arrive, we left and ate lunch at a little cafe in Maribor, Slovenia, before the night practice. The food we ate was similar to food from home with items such as pastas, breads, and salads, so meals were not too much of an adjustment. After we ate, we left straight for the gym for a light practice to help wear off the jet-lag.
Practice went well, despite the fact that most of us had been awake for over 36 hours. After dinner we were told to stay up until at least 9:30 p.m. local time, so that our bodies could adjust to the time difference. Needless to say, it was not difficult to fall asleep that night.
We woke up this morning feeling much better after a good night's sleep. After eating breakfast at our hotel, we traveled to a different gym and had another practice. It was exciting to see all of the talent from the various programs across the country come together.
The biggest challenge is that each player has their own system, and we all have to find a way to make something work together. We will be put to the test later this afternoon, when we play our first match against the Romanian Junior National Team. We will have some time after the match to sight-see Maribor, hopefully in good spirits with a win under our belts!
More to come! Go Redbirds!
