Finally, our first home opener against Svedala. This season, they have 3 foreigners and one or two Swedes who can hold their own on the court. The team we met was pretty well balanced but when it came to crunch time, the foreigners took control of their side. From my point of view, we were pretty well matched. I thought for sure, we could have beaten them, at least taken them to a 5th set. Unfortunately that was not the case and we ended in the 4th set, beginning to get momentum to late in the game. This match upset me the most so far. It was apparent that we were holding our own out there, it was just to inconsistent. I hope the next time we meet them, we will be sharper and can take them with out contest. Maybe I am being a little unrealistic, but I feel that this team gets better and better with every match we play. Until then, we continue practicing hard and perfecting our skill sets.
It has been said by many, that when you meet a good friend and you don't see them for a while, then come together again, its like you were never apart. It feels as if no time has passed. That is when you know you have found a friend for life. This is exactly how I felt this passed weekend when I travelled to Linkoping to visit my old teammate and friend Nikki. I met her three years ago during my first season with Orebro Volley. It was her first year playing in the top league in Sweden and the nerves were there, but she was ready to get after it. She was so excited to get the chance to play at a higher level, to play with others who knew all about it. That is why it was extremely unfortunate when her ankle took a turn for the worse, she was forced to quit playing for the season. After only about 5 months she had moved back to Linkoping to live with her boyfriend. I was sad to see her go, she was such a lively spirit on and off the court and extremely funny. We tried numerous times to visit one another but it never seemed to work out. Last weekend was the first time in three years we got to hang out with one another and it was awesome!
She prepared a "whit-tinerary" that we could loosely follow. The first day I was there, we walked through town, had brunch at her favorite spot, went on a bike ride through an amazing forest, met up with my old teammate Lena and her husband Magnus for their baby boys first birthday, ate some cake and went back to her apartment to have dinner with Albin her boyfriend and Calle who is also a friend I haven't seen in forever as well. After we ate, Calle, myself and Nikki decided to paint our faces for Halloween and to head out on the town. I hadn't painted my face since I was in grammar school, so this was going to be interesting. Nikki found a great tutorial on a really simple mouth skeleton. All three of us looked awesome! Nikki and I wore all black while Calle wore all white. Once out on the town, many stares were headed our way but all seemed to be stares of admiration. I even told one person it was a tattoo....amazingly he didn't believe me! Oh well.
Nursing hang overs with Espresso House coffee's and food the next morning, we headed to the Linkoping mens teams NEVZA match at 12. They were playing against a Norwegian or Danish team. Linkoping beat them easy in 3 to advance to the next round. It was great getting to see mens volleyball being played at such a high level again. Everything is so fluid and the players make the game look easy. I got to see parents of an old friend of mine that I hadn't seen in so long, I was a little surprised they actually remembered me. They hugged me like I had been around all along.
That night, Nikki made a wonderful chicken roast with potatoes. Her domestic side is pretty awesome when she wants it to be. That being said, they are pretty lucky to have one another regardless of who does what around the house. I envy their life together a bit. Although, Nikki needs to admit to tooth paste tube hoarding. I think she is on her way, with the picture she sent me the other day of the tubes in the trash. Bra job Nikki!
I left the next morning with a slightly heavy heart, but know we will meet again at the very least one more time before I go back to the USA. Until then, I hope nothing but the best for her and hope her man and his team do well in the Eliteseries.
Swedish words for du:
Flytta: Move (Pronounced Flee-tah
Känslor: Feelings (pronounced sh-en-slor)
Höft: Hip (Pronounced Huft)
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