The past two weeks have gone by fast and slow. Last week, we travelled to Lindesberg...proceeded to get our asses handed to us towards the end of each set, except for set 3. I don't think I will never get over how mad the coach for Lindesberg gets when his team isn't winning EVERY SINGLE point. The man has a very short fuse. I mean, come on! give them a bit of a break! Mistakes and good points happen, the game is not going to perfect every time. You will not win 25-0 in this league, sorry, not going to happen. I know you aren't supposed to pay attention to the other teams antics, especially the other their coach, they aren't even on the court. Hard not to notice though, when his booming screams stun the audience into silence. Now, I mean no disrespect, he is a very good coach. I wouldn't mind him coaching me. I would find it hard however, to keep a straight face when his eyes bulge out of his tomato colored face, if god forbid, the other team "miraculously" gets through the block. Perfection is a very high goal to reach in volleyball as a team, but hey, good luck! Been trying to reach that same goal since I was 10 and still have yet to have the absolute perfect all around match.
We traveled to RIG Falkoping Sunday at an unfortunately early time of 6:30 am, thanks to the mens team, wanting to get to the gym two hours before their match (understandable). I appreciated getting to watch the guys beat the absolute shittake mushrooms out of those teenage boys (RIG is a volleyball high school where the promising young volley stars go to ensure they are looked at first for the national team in the future...and also to get better of course). The first set was tough for our guys, those teenage boys aren't terrible in the least, they brought the heat indefinitely, just on an inconsistent note. Plus, our guys were better. Mr. Sean Anthony was having a phenomenal match. He made 17 points total and easily took player of the match. Big Tuna (my phrase for Sollentuna) prevailed in 3 sets. Then it was our turn to take that dubya!
RIG's girls team, were good in some areas and not so good in others. They had a hammer for a middle who was smart (very awesome combo). Tipping right over our finger tips in the block when the open angle wasn't there, see, smart. She saw the court well and took advantage, driving our libero's crazy. My old teammate Tilda, their right side, has improved a lot and was hitting harder and passing nails. I was impressed to see her getting better. Their small setter was just that, she was small. Good hands and consistent sets, but it was sure fun to hit over her since about half her hand cleared the net. The one other player I remember was their 6 foot something outside hitter. With time, this girl is going to be hitting the 10 foot line over the block. I see a lot of potential in that gal. OK, now for how we played! It was a bit up and down but not huge ups and downs. The first set was tight with us finally getting off our asses and starting to really play in the end of the set. The second set was a fairly easy win as we settled into our flow. The lows were higher and we were awake. The last set was tight as well. We got lucky with a net call on the last point (I had hit the ball out) and were able to take them a few points later at 28-26. I too collected 17 total points and the player of the match. I am very happy and proud of the team for finishing this team off in three sets, earning 3 points for the charts.
Today is yet another game day. We are up against Svedala at home. The guys play Linkoping (champs in the past and basically beasts, next to the mens team in Faulkenberg). Svedala has three Americano's, a setter, oppo and outside. Watching video last night it was obvious that their lefty oppo is a beast. She looks like a solid player. Their setter has a quick touch and is good on defense. Their outside is also tall but we didn't see too much from her in the video so I hope that we will be on our toes looking for options and cracks in this team to exploit tonight for the win.
HEJA BIG TUNA!
Some Swedish for you:
Tjena = Howdy
Vi ses = See you
Puss och Kram = kiss and hug
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Friday, October 10, 2014
Update #3 Weather, butterflies and of course, volleyball.
The past week and a half or so have moved along pretty fast, which I welcome, since I would like to get this season underway. To get after it, some may say. We participated in a two match scrimmage against our distant neighbors, Lindesberg. We played 10 sets in total and won 2. Lets face it, they are a good team, but I think we are and can be better with a little more time and practice together. Maybe I am delusional, or maybe I am just being an athlete. Never stop trying to win, never stop thinking "we are better, faster, stronger" and most importantly, never giving up. All teams in this league have strengths and weaknesses. Its all about exploiting those weaknesses, however big or small, during a match and taking full advantage of them for the win. Its about being aggressive in the moment, not through feelings of disappointment in the locker room, after the game is over. My thoughts about the game are simple, if I put my all into every match and do everything I can to win, there is no reason for me to be upset or down on myself after its over. Win or lose. On another related note, we will play against my old team, Orebro, this saturday. Some asked me if this was going to be tough for me or in some sense, like a grudge match...the truth...the team that is there now, is completely different then the one I spent 3 years with. Yes, there are 3 girls I played with before and one that went through all 3 years with me. So I guess it will be fun to play against them, otherwise, I have no idea who this team is. I am interested to see how our team has progressed or digressed and work on sharpening the rough edges before our first match next Thursday.
Taking a break from volleyball talk for a moment, the weather has started to take on the feeling that winter is on its way. I was told that the summer was warmer then usual, which apparently means a lot of snow. I love a lot of snow, so bring it on! Can't wait. Like common Swedish weather, it has been cloudy, rainy and cold since the beginning of October. Today is the first day I have seen the sun come out for longer then an hour. Does this bother me? Yes, sometimes, but other times, I like the feeling of cold and seasons when its supposed to be. I like feeling cozy and warm in my apartment when the weather is cold and wet outside. It is starting to get darker earlier now, but have no fear I say, its only dark for about 2 months and then it gets lighter again. Like I have said in the past, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, always. So bring on the cold weather and snow. This is how season should be experienced anyway!
I wanted to mention the butterfly house I recently visited. The amazon like tent is located in Haga park near Stockholm. It took me a little bit to find the area via bus, but I eventually found myself in the right spot. Once I walked into the huge tent of lush greenery, man made ponds and humidity, I instantly felt like I was in an actual rain forest. Hot, wet air and green tropical plants and flowers everywhere you looked. At first I didn't see any butterflies and felt a little disappointed. After looking closer and up to the ceiling, they began to make their presence known, flapping their wings all around and above me. One, that looked as big or bigger then a small bird, clumsily flew straight towards me and proceeded to try and land on my face. It took everything in me to not swat it away like I would a fly. There were so many different types of butterflies and some that were in the middle of hatching as well. It was amazing in there, I could have stayed all day if I hadn't felt like I was going to pass out because of the heat. My favorites were the ones with brownish wings and then when opened, a bright color would be shown on the tops of their wings. I also spotted one with green and brown spots on its wings. I could definitely see myself going there during the winter time, the heat alone would get me out of a winter funk.
Our first match of the season is the 16th next week. I, like many others, are excited to finally get this league started. We play Lindesberg and will hopefully find a crack in their armor and beat them. I believe we can and I hope that everyone else on the team feels the same. Just because they are ranked higher and seem better then us doesn't mean we can relax and just lose. Winning is hard, losing is easy. I prefer to win, however hard it may be. Until next time!
Swedish words:
fjäril (fee-ya-rrill) = Butterfly
Soligt = Sunny
djungel = Jungle
Taking a break from volleyball talk for a moment, the weather has started to take on the feeling that winter is on its way. I was told that the summer was warmer then usual, which apparently means a lot of snow. I love a lot of snow, so bring it on! Can't wait. Like common Swedish weather, it has been cloudy, rainy and cold since the beginning of October. Today is the first day I have seen the sun come out for longer then an hour. Does this bother me? Yes, sometimes, but other times, I like the feeling of cold and seasons when its supposed to be. I like feeling cozy and warm in my apartment when the weather is cold and wet outside. It is starting to get darker earlier now, but have no fear I say, its only dark for about 2 months and then it gets lighter again. Like I have said in the past, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, always. So bring on the cold weather and snow. This is how season should be experienced anyway!
I wanted to mention the butterfly house I recently visited. The amazon like tent is located in Haga park near Stockholm. It took me a little bit to find the area via bus, but I eventually found myself in the right spot. Once I walked into the huge tent of lush greenery, man made ponds and humidity, I instantly felt like I was in an actual rain forest. Hot, wet air and green tropical plants and flowers everywhere you looked. At first I didn't see any butterflies and felt a little disappointed. After looking closer and up to the ceiling, they began to make their presence known, flapping their wings all around and above me. One, that looked as big or bigger then a small bird, clumsily flew straight towards me and proceeded to try and land on my face. It took everything in me to not swat it away like I would a fly. There were so many different types of butterflies and some that were in the middle of hatching as well. It was amazing in there, I could have stayed all day if I hadn't felt like I was going to pass out because of the heat. My favorites were the ones with brownish wings and then when opened, a bright color would be shown on the tops of their wings. I also spotted one with green and brown spots on its wings. I could definitely see myself going there during the winter time, the heat alone would get me out of a winter funk.Our first match of the season is the 16th next week. I, like many others, are excited to finally get this league started. We play Lindesberg and will hopefully find a crack in their armor and beat them. I believe we can and I hope that everyone else on the team feels the same. Just because they are ranked higher and seem better then us doesn't mean we can relax and just lose. Winning is hard, losing is easy. I prefer to win, however hard it may be. Until next time!
Swedish words:
fjäril (fee-ya-rrill) = Butterfly
Soligt = Sunny
djungel = Jungle
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Update #2
The past week or so has been a mix of meeting new people, riding too many busses to get from A to B and of course volleyball. Last Friday I heard there was an IKEA "close by", this meaning about an hour. This is common, however a huge pain in my ass. That being said, I am forever appreciative for the efficiency and abundance of Sweden's public transportation. Let me just say, and this is a universal tip, pay close attention to the end station on the front of the bus, train, metro whatever. Unfortunately I ended up taking one to many busses to get to the IKEA and one to many to get back, all because I didn't think to make sure the bus number matched the direction I wanted to go. Rookie mistake on my part. I don't need to go into what IKEA was like since I assume that everyone reading this has been in one or at least knows what it is by now, and no I did not eat any swedish meatballs...I had a grillkorv med brod (hotdog in bread) and it was delicious!
Saturday I convinced two of my teammates to join me in taking part of what I thought was going to be a big food and beer fair called, "Elefanten". I was so excited to try some new beers and check out the food trucks they were advertising. We arrived, a bit after 1pm, to a small outdoor restaurant...that was it. No food trucks, no beers I hadn't heard about or wanted to try and the menu was weak sauce! I was so disappointed! Plus I felt bad dragging my two teammates all the way out there for a less then satisfying result. The three of us decided to ditch the food shack and head to Kungshallen, a food court with the right amount of choices and plenty of outdoor seating. We put up shop and grubbed on some grand steps over looking an open air market where foreign venders yelled things like "halva, halva, halva" (half half half), "Halva priset!" (Half price) and whistled at pretty girls, asking them if they were from Italy...not sure why. It was such a nice day, that we spent about an hour or so just sitting there people watching. After, we headed to a well known coffee spot called Espresso House for some Fika time (coffee and cake). That night, some of the girls and I had fun at a party and then got after it out on the town. Team bonding is always easy over a few beers and some dancing.
This week has been good and progressive volleyball wise. The team is finally all together, there were 16 of us at practice on tuesday! The one thing that has been bothersome, however, is the amount of hitting we are doing during practice. Personally, my shoulder will not be able to last the whole season if the amount of hitting continues. Therefore, a few of us decided to have a conversation with the coach. We asked him if we could limit the amount of hitting, so that we can preserve our bodies in order to make it through with minimal tension on the hitters shoulders. Now, my intention was not to change the way he runs practices, or to demean or disrespect him in any way. My point was to inform him on how we, as players were feeling and for him to help us in the preservation of our hitting shoulders. He responded with a simple, no. As in, "no, there will be no change in the practices right now, this is what we need to do. Everyone needs to take responsibility for their bodies and take themselves out when they need to." So, I nodded and said ok, what more could I do? Plus, he was right. Everyone on the team needs to take responsibility for their own well being. Therefore, I will do just that, especially since I was given the ok by the coach to do so. I will continue to believe he has a plan and trust him. This weekend will be the team and coaches first test as to how well we can work together. We play a team called Lindesberg. In the past 3 years they have been a force and have won the championship as well. I am excited to play them but mostly, I am excited to see what we can do, what we can handle and what we will learn from this pre season match.
Today was our day off (wednesday). I woke up around 10am, made my favorite, cinnamon whole wheat hazelnut milk pancakes with maple syrup (syrup wasn't cheap! but so worth it), watched a few episodes of New Girl including the most recent and then got on my way to Stockholm. My mission, to find an efficient yet not so over priced blender. Mission accomplished! Clas Ohlson was the spot and my two speed blender is the ticket to perfect morning smoothies, can't wait!
Once I was finished shopping, I decided to continue walking around a bit. It was cloudy, cold and a bit misty but there were people everywhere still. Fortunately it was the type of cold that didn't hurry you into coffee shops, department stores or restaurants. I walked to the end of one of the main shopping streets that opened up towards the royal families castle and old town, then cut across in front of the castle and down towards a bridge over the water. I stopped for a moment to look out at the harbor filled with guided tour boats and public transport ferries. My walk continued towards the park with the ice skating rink during the winter and the promenade covered with two lanes of trees with still full branches that blocked out the sky. I passed Fridays, which seems to be a hot spot for a lot of Swedes around here, and continued on passed the galleria and down to T-central for my train. During all this time, I figuratively, had to pinch myself. I am still in a state of slight shock that I am finally living in the Stockholm area. As I looked around at the buildings and listened to the hum of the city, it was all I could do but smile and think of how lucky I am to be here. I intend to fully enjoy every minute I have during this season.
Some Swedish for you:
Trevligt att träffas = Nice to meet you
En öl = one beer
Tack = Thanks
Saturday I convinced two of my teammates to join me in taking part of what I thought was going to be a big food and beer fair called, "Elefanten". I was so excited to try some new beers and check out the food trucks they were advertising. We arrived, a bit after 1pm, to a small outdoor restaurant...that was it. No food trucks, no beers I hadn't heard about or wanted to try and the menu was weak sauce! I was so disappointed! Plus I felt bad dragging my two teammates all the way out there for a less then satisfying result. The three of us decided to ditch the food shack and head to Kungshallen, a food court with the right amount of choices and plenty of outdoor seating. We put up shop and grubbed on some grand steps over looking an open air market where foreign venders yelled things like "halva, halva, halva" (half half half), "Halva priset!" (Half price) and whistled at pretty girls, asking them if they were from Italy...not sure why. It was such a nice day, that we spent about an hour or so just sitting there people watching. After, we headed to a well known coffee spot called Espresso House for some Fika time (coffee and cake). That night, some of the girls and I had fun at a party and then got after it out on the town. Team bonding is always easy over a few beers and some dancing.
This week has been good and progressive volleyball wise. The team is finally all together, there were 16 of us at practice on tuesday! The one thing that has been bothersome, however, is the amount of hitting we are doing during practice. Personally, my shoulder will not be able to last the whole season if the amount of hitting continues. Therefore, a few of us decided to have a conversation with the coach. We asked him if we could limit the amount of hitting, so that we can preserve our bodies in order to make it through with minimal tension on the hitters shoulders. Now, my intention was not to change the way he runs practices, or to demean or disrespect him in any way. My point was to inform him on how we, as players were feeling and for him to help us in the preservation of our hitting shoulders. He responded with a simple, no. As in, "no, there will be no change in the practices right now, this is what we need to do. Everyone needs to take responsibility for their bodies and take themselves out when they need to." So, I nodded and said ok, what more could I do? Plus, he was right. Everyone on the team needs to take responsibility for their own well being. Therefore, I will do just that, especially since I was given the ok by the coach to do so. I will continue to believe he has a plan and trust him. This weekend will be the team and coaches first test as to how well we can work together. We play a team called Lindesberg. In the past 3 years they have been a force and have won the championship as well. I am excited to play them but mostly, I am excited to see what we can do, what we can handle and what we will learn from this pre season match.
Today was our day off (wednesday). I woke up around 10am, made my favorite, cinnamon whole wheat hazelnut milk pancakes with maple syrup (syrup wasn't cheap! but so worth it), watched a few episodes of New Girl including the most recent and then got on my way to Stockholm. My mission, to find an efficient yet not so over priced blender. Mission accomplished! Clas Ohlson was the spot and my two speed blender is the ticket to perfect morning smoothies, can't wait!
Once I was finished shopping, I decided to continue walking around a bit. It was cloudy, cold and a bit misty but there were people everywhere still. Fortunately it was the type of cold that didn't hurry you into coffee shops, department stores or restaurants. I walked to the end of one of the main shopping streets that opened up towards the royal families castle and old town, then cut across in front of the castle and down towards a bridge over the water. I stopped for a moment to look out at the harbor filled with guided tour boats and public transport ferries. My walk continued towards the park with the ice skating rink during the winter and the promenade covered with two lanes of trees with still full branches that blocked out the sky. I passed Fridays, which seems to be a hot spot for a lot of Swedes around here, and continued on passed the galleria and down to T-central for my train. During all this time, I figuratively, had to pinch myself. I am still in a state of slight shock that I am finally living in the Stockholm area. As I looked around at the buildings and listened to the hum of the city, it was all I could do but smile and think of how lucky I am to be here. I intend to fully enjoy every minute I have during this season.
Some Swedish for you:
Trevligt att träffas = Nice to meet you
En öl = one beer
Tack = Thanks
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Europe, Round 7
Now, I didn't sign with this team just for the city access. It is a perk, but its not the only reason. I have always admired this teams defense and energy to keep the ball in play. I believe that will get us far in the league this year. All they have needed, is a few power hitters to put the ball away. I believe that is my role on this team, to help inspire the aggressive nature on court that I know is in all of them and to make points. This group of girls have been playing together for about 3 years and know one another pretty well. I feel they have grown together and become a strong force that has the ability to take on any team with the right mindset. I have no doubts that we can make this season one for the books. Its up to us and us only to make that happen. I am excited to see our team in action. (The picture above is of the mens team in the gym we play our matches in).
Some Swedish for you :)Hej = Hey
Hej då (hey doe) = goodbye
Vi ses snart = See you soon
Monday, April 8, 2013
Safe!
Praise whatever God or spiritual leader you believe in, we are safe from dropping down to a lower division!! This past weekend we encountered two very important matches that would determine our fate for the next upcoming season. Saturdays match was against the lowest ranked team, Vallentuna who took a set from us but we turned it around and killed them in the last 3 sets. Sundays match was against Goteborg, who currently held the second place position in the qualification rankings. The first set was shaky, Goteborg led almost the entire time in points. When we came to the end, we managed to pull through and secure the first set 25-23. The second set was a breeze, we beat them pretty easily with the pressure in our serve heightening. The last set was a little more even, but we came out on top in the end to secure our spot in the Elite Series for yet another season. WOOOO HOOO!! Winning qualifications will never be as exciting as going to the play offs but its a good note to end on and we are all smiles no matter what. Of couse it would have been great to see how far we could have gone in the play offs but its in the past and now we have some serious celebrating to do in the future. Here's to Orebro Volley for pulling out another Qualification win and for hopefully never having to do it again!! Cheers! :)
Awards, Volleyball and Me.
I'll start with the volleyball update just to get it out of the way. Whats been happening is we have started the Qualification series. There are two lower division teams and then the two bottom teams from the Elite Series, us and Ljungby playing for the two spots up for grabs in the Elite Series. Orebro Volley is two matches in and 1-1 in wins and losses with 4 total points which puts us in the second spot in the standings. We lost to Ljungby, the other Elite Series team fighting for their spot in the top league. We beat Vallentuna, a team that has been in the Elite Series before, however we beat them pretty nicely in 3 sets to non, first of the season. I say if we are going to lose to a team in this series I would rather it be another Elite team then one of the two lower division teams. Of course, I believe we will win the rest of the matches we have in this series. And we will. Four matches left and one objective, to win. We can do this.
Now, its me time. I have a feeling this blog will slightly turn into an open journal about my life. I promise not to put every little detail of my experiences here but I do promise to make this more about growth then about venting...but who am I kidding, there will be a little venting.
In my last post I talked about how I need to find happiness in myself instead of relying on others (guys mostly) to provide it for me. An ex boyfriend once told me he wanted me to be a more independent person. At the time I thought I was, by living in another country and being on my own. I didn't realize he was talking about being independent in my own feelings, my own happiness. As much as I hate giving this douche bag any credit for the way he made me a better person after our relationship faltered, sputtered and died...he was, is totally right. All my life as far as I can remember, things have been given to me and I have had a lot of help getting to where I am now. Any one who has participated in a team sport can tell you that it can be difficult to get your ass to the gym in the mornings, afternoons and evenings when you'r alone. Been there, done that, still doing it. This past summer, I felt more motivated to work out by myself because I wanted to get out of the house, get away from stuff happening at home. Wouldn't you know it, it was because of a guy. I understand that a man is at some point in my life going to be my other half, someone I can grow old with, to share my life experiences. Thats a no brainer, but what I want to feel is the security that I don't need a guy but instead want one when I am ready. I was still trying to figure out what I want and need in a guy and then it dawned on me, but in fact I always knew. I need/want someone who brings out the best in me, someone who likes/loves me for who I am as a person. Who helps me weaken my bad qualities and brightens the good. It wasn't until just recently that I found the type of guy who does that. I went on two dates with this guy and just from those two dates, my eyes were forced open and I could see. He was a gentleman, paid for everything I consumed with out question, held the door open for me, etc. His attitude was laid back and easy, he was charming, bottom line, he was a really cool guy. Now, I am definitely not saying that every man I meet from here on out needs to pay for me whenever we go on a date or cater to my every need, no. However, if a man wants to impress a girl and show her that he gives the slightest amount of shit for her, he will do what this guy did for me. Its that simple, but for some reason some don't seem to understand this concept of courtship. Those of you who have found a man who does understand this small but very significant little guideline, keep a tight hold ladies because you've hit the jack pot. Where is this mystery man now? He is back in London, living and working there. Will we see one another again? Maybe, I don't know, but for now all I can do is thank him for bringing me back to earth, pulling me back from the edge of desperation and making me realize what it is to be taken care of again.
Anyway, moving on from the male factor rant. We finish up the season pretty soon and I can honestly say that its a bitter sweet moment. A part of me is happy that we are almost done and can relax a bit for a while and the other half is very sad that I won't be spending my summer with this wonderful team of girls who have become my family over the past two years. For now we celebrate the seasons end and hold back the tears until the final days of my residence here in Sweden for this season.
Now, its me time. I have a feeling this blog will slightly turn into an open journal about my life. I promise not to put every little detail of my experiences here but I do promise to make this more about growth then about venting...but who am I kidding, there will be a little venting.
In my last post I talked about how I need to find happiness in myself instead of relying on others (guys mostly) to provide it for me. An ex boyfriend once told me he wanted me to be a more independent person. At the time I thought I was, by living in another country and being on my own. I didn't realize he was talking about being independent in my own feelings, my own happiness. As much as I hate giving this douche bag any credit for the way he made me a better person after our relationship faltered, sputtered and died...he was, is totally right. All my life as far as I can remember, things have been given to me and I have had a lot of help getting to where I am now. Any one who has participated in a team sport can tell you that it can be difficult to get your ass to the gym in the mornings, afternoons and evenings when you'r alone. Been there, done that, still doing it. This past summer, I felt more motivated to work out by myself because I wanted to get out of the house, get away from stuff happening at home. Wouldn't you know it, it was because of a guy. I understand that a man is at some point in my life going to be my other half, someone I can grow old with, to share my life experiences. Thats a no brainer, but what I want to feel is the security that I don't need a guy but instead want one when I am ready. I was still trying to figure out what I want and need in a guy and then it dawned on me, but in fact I always knew. I need/want someone who brings out the best in me, someone who likes/loves me for who I am as a person. Who helps me weaken my bad qualities and brightens the good. It wasn't until just recently that I found the type of guy who does that. I went on two dates with this guy and just from those two dates, my eyes were forced open and I could see. He was a gentleman, paid for everything I consumed with out question, held the door open for me, etc. His attitude was laid back and easy, he was charming, bottom line, he was a really cool guy. Now, I am definitely not saying that every man I meet from here on out needs to pay for me whenever we go on a date or cater to my every need, no. However, if a man wants to impress a girl and show her that he gives the slightest amount of shit for her, he will do what this guy did for me. Its that simple, but for some reason some don't seem to understand this concept of courtship. Those of you who have found a man who does understand this small but very significant little guideline, keep a tight hold ladies because you've hit the jack pot. Where is this mystery man now? He is back in London, living and working there. Will we see one another again? Maybe, I don't know, but for now all I can do is thank him for bringing me back to earth, pulling me back from the edge of desperation and making me realize what it is to be taken care of again.
Anyway, moving on from the male factor rant. We finish up the season pretty soon and I can honestly say that its a bitter sweet moment. A part of me is happy that we are almost done and can relax a bit for a while and the other half is very sad that I won't be spending my summer with this wonderful team of girls who have become my family over the past two years. For now we celebrate the seasons end and hold back the tears until the final days of my residence here in Sweden for this season.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Getting Close
Why hello there, its been a while. I know I have been slacking with this, my apologies, so whats been going on in the life and times of Whitney Turner? Well to tell you the truth, a whole lot of the same, volleyball, practice, eating and sleeping. However, there have been a few high lights and low lights that I would like to touch upon in this post.
VOLLEYBALL: Orebro Volley is yet again in turmoil regarding our finish in the regular season. Unfortunately we had 3 important games to win and we lost all 3 in 3 sets each. We could have taken advantage and killed at least 2 of the 3 teams but we were lost, our team was not present during the matches. So, we lost some great opportunities, ok, fine, its over with and there is nothing more to do, so we will be moving on from that. The result of us being in 9th place has pushed us to play in the qualifications. This means we play two top teams from Division 1 or All Svenskan plus the 10th place team for a place in the elite series next season. We have put ourselves in a slightly troublesome situation, however, I am confident in us and in myself that we will win the qualifications and will be back next season ready for vengeance. Yes, I am disappointed with how we finished the season, but will I hold on to that through the qualifications? No, definitely not. I will play my heart out these next 6 matches and every match will be played with no regrets. Mistakes will be made and great things will come from the opponents, but thats what to be expected, it is a game after all. We will make less mistakes though and more great things will come from us then from them. Loss is not an option in this situation, we will not fall, we will not fail.
As for me personally, my season has been pretty successful. I am jumping higher then I ever have before. My body doesn't feel as old as it has. One of my goals this season was to make double digit points in every match played. I am happy to say that I achieved that goal except for one match where I got 9 points. I am happy to report that I won the best attacker in the Swedish Elite league this year with 294 attacks. Its a great honor and achievement for me that I will carry forever. I owe a lot to my teammates and coaches of course, I wouldn't be where I am today with out their unconditional support. I thank them from the bottom of my heart. That being said, after these next 4 weeks, I will be needing some time off from volleyball indefinitely. This girl needs a vacation.
SWEDEN: Its nearly April and the weather is looking up. We have had uninterrupted sun for the past 2 weeks. Although its been frigid cold ever now and then. Regardless its beautiful weather with blue bird skies and clear starry nights. The one thing I am not so fond of is when the snow melts, all the trash and dirt that was covered by the snow starts to show. It makes any town or city look bad. The other day I was outside facing the sun with my eyes closed, doing what most swedes do when the sun comes out and I could have sworn I felt like I was getting sunburned. Pretty soon there will be no snow and ice left which means I won't be fearing for my life when I bike around town anymore. Its a shame that I am not able to stay here longer through the summer since I hear that is the best time of the year in Sweden. All I have ever seen of Sweden is the winter. Maybe next season I will try getting here in August so I will catch a few warm days. That is if there is a next season for me ;) We've got to finish this season out first with plenty of wins before I can say that there is a chance I will be back for another season.
ME: As for my personal life, I am doing pretty well. I have recently realized that I need to find happiness with myself with out a guy in my life. If I am constantly trying to look to someone else to make me happy besides myself then I might as well be miserable and lonely for the rest of my life. I have decided to find what makes me happy and live in the present instead of wondering and planning so far ahead in the future. Its time for me to make myself happy instead of relying on others (especially a guy) to do it. My plan is to do things that genuinely make me happy everyday. For example I could take more pictures in order to feel there is growth in my work as a photographer. I could also practice more yoga, set aside an hour every day. Eating healthier I believe will also help continue my journey on becoming a happier person in the long run. In all honesty I never thought I would be thinking this way at this age. If you would have asked college Whitney where she would be now, she would say married with kids. Things change so much in life and no one really tells you these things. People try to warn you but you think things will stay generally the same. They don't, change is a part of living. I intend on continuing to change but for the better. Like so many have said before us, "you only live once". So I am going to try and take advantage of each day and really search to find the things that make me happy. Because in the end I don't want to be looking back on my life wishing I had done something different. I want to say that I did all I wanted to do and learned so much more then I ever thought I would.
VOLLEYBALL: Orebro Volley is yet again in turmoil regarding our finish in the regular season. Unfortunately we had 3 important games to win and we lost all 3 in 3 sets each. We could have taken advantage and killed at least 2 of the 3 teams but we were lost, our team was not present during the matches. So, we lost some great opportunities, ok, fine, its over with and there is nothing more to do, so we will be moving on from that. The result of us being in 9th place has pushed us to play in the qualifications. This means we play two top teams from Division 1 or All Svenskan plus the 10th place team for a place in the elite series next season. We have put ourselves in a slightly troublesome situation, however, I am confident in us and in myself that we will win the qualifications and will be back next season ready for vengeance. Yes, I am disappointed with how we finished the season, but will I hold on to that through the qualifications? No, definitely not. I will play my heart out these next 6 matches and every match will be played with no regrets. Mistakes will be made and great things will come from the opponents, but thats what to be expected, it is a game after all. We will make less mistakes though and more great things will come from us then from them. Loss is not an option in this situation, we will not fall, we will not fail.
As for me personally, my season has been pretty successful. I am jumping higher then I ever have before. My body doesn't feel as old as it has. One of my goals this season was to make double digit points in every match played. I am happy to say that I achieved that goal except for one match where I got 9 points. I am happy to report that I won the best attacker in the Swedish Elite league this year with 294 attacks. Its a great honor and achievement for me that I will carry forever. I owe a lot to my teammates and coaches of course, I wouldn't be where I am today with out their unconditional support. I thank them from the bottom of my heart. That being said, after these next 4 weeks, I will be needing some time off from volleyball indefinitely. This girl needs a vacation.
SWEDEN: Its nearly April and the weather is looking up. We have had uninterrupted sun for the past 2 weeks. Although its been frigid cold ever now and then. Regardless its beautiful weather with blue bird skies and clear starry nights. The one thing I am not so fond of is when the snow melts, all the trash and dirt that was covered by the snow starts to show. It makes any town or city look bad. The other day I was outside facing the sun with my eyes closed, doing what most swedes do when the sun comes out and I could have sworn I felt like I was getting sunburned. Pretty soon there will be no snow and ice left which means I won't be fearing for my life when I bike around town anymore. Its a shame that I am not able to stay here longer through the summer since I hear that is the best time of the year in Sweden. All I have ever seen of Sweden is the winter. Maybe next season I will try getting here in August so I will catch a few warm days. That is if there is a next season for me ;) We've got to finish this season out first with plenty of wins before I can say that there is a chance I will be back for another season.
ME: As for my personal life, I am doing pretty well. I have recently realized that I need to find happiness with myself with out a guy in my life. If I am constantly trying to look to someone else to make me happy besides myself then I might as well be miserable and lonely for the rest of my life. I have decided to find what makes me happy and live in the present instead of wondering and planning so far ahead in the future. Its time for me to make myself happy instead of relying on others (especially a guy) to do it. My plan is to do things that genuinely make me happy everyday. For example I could take more pictures in order to feel there is growth in my work as a photographer. I could also practice more yoga, set aside an hour every day. Eating healthier I believe will also help continue my journey on becoming a happier person in the long run. In all honesty I never thought I would be thinking this way at this age. If you would have asked college Whitney where she would be now, she would say married with kids. Things change so much in life and no one really tells you these things. People try to warn you but you think things will stay generally the same. They don't, change is a part of living. I intend on continuing to change but for the better. Like so many have said before us, "you only live once". So I am going to try and take advantage of each day and really search to find the things that make me happy. Because in the end I don't want to be looking back on my life wishing I had done something different. I want to say that I did all I wanted to do and learned so much more then I ever thought I would.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)