Summers End Continued

Considering the problems I have been having with volleyball, leaving loved ones, and trying to stay in shape, it really hasn't been all stress and hard times this summer. You can't have bad times with out good times, thats the truth. I went to Lake Havasu for the first time ever with a bunch of old high school friends, who all together are one hilarious comedy show. Example: highlight of the weekend was when one of them decided to eat half an apple pie, spit off some insanely funny one-liners, zambonie vodka off an already filthy kitchen floor, and almost pass out with a half eaten bowl of ice cream and pie in his lap. We have all been there at one time or another I am sure, but maybe all of that doesn't usually happen in one night, for him it did. Thanks for making me almost pee myself laughing.

When you travel for a long time and come back to Manhattan Beach, it's almost as if you never left. Of course there are a few small things that change, like the rebuilding of El Sombrero on Highland, the opening of a new restaurant down town, or the ridiculousness that is Sand Dune Park now (reservations and 5 bucks to use the dune for an hour?....please!). But for the most part its business as usual when I get home after being gone for a while. I was asked to play in numerous dress up volleyball tournaments like the Smackfest, Lushness, Ooosshh, the Gillis, and Six Man. I played in them all, unfortunately not winning any of them....oh well, theres always next summer. The 6-man this year I thought was the best one they have had in a long time. I get that people were pissed about the music, alcohol, and security situations, but really, people got around the system. I was happy that I wasn't pushing people out of my way to hit a ball. That was frustrating enough how crowded it was last year. The team I was on, "Team Good Stuff", placed 9th which is the highest ranked team I have ever been on at the tournament, so cheers to that. I have one final tournament to play this summer and its an Ace tournament. Should be comedy.  

Traveled down South to my grandparents house in Carlsbad a few times as well. I always love going to their house, I can relax and not worry about anything when I am there. They live on a lagoon that empties out into the ocean, so from the guest house windows all you see is water and hear the soft humming of the distant freeway. My grandparents have traveled everywhere and it shows in the decor of their house and from the books they have lining the shelves. Not to say they are pack rats in the least, their style is very clean and cultured. They love to have European style breakfast (meaning coffee and toast) and read the paper. If they could live in France for the rest of their lives, they would. Both can talk for hours about their first trip abroad or how to execute a perfect strategic chess move. I love this. 

I turned 25 this year, wow, thats a big number. It's weird how fast time goes when you'r not paying attention or having to much fun. Which is another reason why I am starting this blog, so I can look back and read what I have done or take time to slow down and remember the good and the bad. I hope to take this year and make it worth while. To expand my horizons so to speak. Maybe rent a car even...it's legal for me to do now so why not, just make sure you watch out, I can be an aggressive driver. Three friends are having a conjoined birthday party tonight...what do you get for one you hang out with all the time, one you have met/hung out with twice, and one you barely know? Birthday cards all around and Tequila shooters should do the trick!

Summers End

4th Street Manhattan Beach Lifeguard Tower

Sandy shot, Rosecrans MB

Just as fast as the summer arrived, it is leaving us at the same speed. Teasing us with the deep blue, cloudless sky and warm weather....thanks mother nature! However the ocean is still jaw clenching-ly freezing (at least to us Californians). Thank you summer for your June Gloom lasting until August and your cold weather that I thought I had left back in Sweden. Thank you for giving me sun burned shoulders on a cloudy day. Thank you for forcing me to wear a sweatshirt on 4th of July. Thank you summer for scaring all the tourist with your ominous clouds and cold breezes mid summer. Thank you for putting our lifeguards into endless boredom watching calm, cold, empty water. Thanks for the incredible heat wave and huge waves you brought us mid August, I'm sure all the kids going back to school loved that one. Thanks. The weather wasn't all that was troublesome for me this summer. In fact it was at the very bottom of my list of worries. 


I left my second home, Sweden, May 4th. Arriving back to the states with a heavy heart, feeling like something was missing. Having to depart from my friends who had become like family to me was extremely hard. My best friend Sara and my Swedish Dad Ulf were the worst. After partying with my teammates 3 nights in a row, it was time to go. Ulf drove my Mom, Dad, Sara and myself to the train station in Angelholm. Sara and I were pretty much silent the entire ride because we knew if we tried talking we would cry. I felt like I was leaving for college again and saying goodbye to my high school friends. Call me a crybaby or emotional basket case, but this is what happens when you leave the people who made you feel so welcome in their country, in their homes and a part of their families. But there is some comfort in knowing that I will see these people again, I know this. We got to the train station and said our goodbyes. I actually saw a few tears well up in Ulf's Swedish blue eyes. Sara and I were trying to keep smiling and promising each other that a trip was going to be planned and that we will see each other soon. Red eyed and exhausted from all the hugs, kisses, and crying, we boarded the train watching Ulf and Sara wave up at us while it slowly left the station. That's when I stopped talking for the majority of the trip to Norway. The unhappiness of leaving had set in. 


The summer began with my arrival back to the US of A. It was bitter sweet. I was happy to be home but I felt weird being back. It had been such a long time since I had seen Manhattan Beach and all who goes with it, I had to re accustom myself a bit. Took me maybe 2 or 3 weeks to fully accept that I was going to be home for a while. Then I got the news that the club I played for wasn't going to need me back for the up coming season. Well, I was shocked to say the least. They said they wanted me back and then this. I talked to Sara about it and naturally she felt the same. Luckily my Mom was there to talk me through it and also to have a couple drinks with me. A friend came by later that night to cheer me up and make me laugh a bit. Since then I have "fired" my agent, signing with a new agency, a smaller one, and have been waiting to get another contract. It hasn't been easy but I will continue to push. To keep in volleyball shape I have been training on the beach and indoors. The beginning of the summer I started out strong and ambitious. I was ready to get going, to make things happen. I didn't want to make the same mistake I did last summer, being unprepared to go to work if and when I signed to another team. I had no distractions this time, I was ready. However, if you have ever played a team sport you know it is a lot easier to train when you have someone, a coach or teammate, pushing you through work outs. I was alone for the majority of my training. When I started to work for a local indoor club, that is when my support group grew. I worked the clubs camps and 2 weeks into them we began to practice for 2 hours after the camps were done. This was huge for me, getting to practice indoors, working on everything. Plus the people I worked with would coach me every so often which I invited them to do always. I respect them and their coaching me was important. Even though I tended to slack every once in a while this summer, I feel like I have kept myself in shape. When you know you don't have to do something, it makes it all the more difficult to do it. Being an athlete, I feel I can never sit still for too long. 


Besides digging for volleyball contracts, I have also been sifting around for jobs coaching in Australia and New Zealand. After sending what felt like 100 emails to both countries, I talked to a friend from New Zealand and told him what I was doing. He chuckled and then told me I was going about it all wrong, he said "all coaches for sports in high school there are volunteers only!" I was stunned. He then told me that he could try to get my foot in the door with New Zealand's volleyball association as a developer or officer. Only problem, there are 3 positions and so availability is sometimes sparse. I got one response back from OZ and she gave me advice on which schools to look up and to become a PE teacher instead. Sounds good to me. So contract or not, I will continue to dig around for jobs in those two countries. I absolutely loved New Zealand and have wanted to go to Australia since I was a little kid. Until then you will find me at the beach either running, playing, or sleeping. Take care!