Day 9 - Vienna

Our last day. It's always great to wake up a winner! Breakfast was better than the day before. I actually found the things that I liked on the buffet! We started off the day be heading to Vienna's amusement park. Our first ride was the famous ferris wheel. It was more of a sightseeing ride than an actual ride, but it was great to be far above the city of Vienna with my teammates and coaches.

Afterwards we had about three hours to spend in the park. I rode Vienna's match of the "power towel" (the thing that shoots you up and lets you fall) with Terri. The guy conducting the ride was speaking in German so we had no idea when they would shoot us up! Terri and I were having a conversation and then it turned into screams as we were shot hundreds of feet into the air only to fall back down again. It was crazy, but it was fun!

After the ride, we met up with the rest of our teammates and headed into the Haunted House. It was 4.50 Euro to go through the ride but Hey I was scared enough to hide in Brittany Holterman's back for half the way through. It was a great experience to share with my teammates. Gotta love the haunted houses!

We had a pre-game meal at the park. It was another Austrian native lunch of schnitzel and believe me it definitely helped us with our game. As you probably already read, we won by about 50. The team was composed of some very young players. We have been accustomed to playing against older women throughout our time here, but today was a useful experience to really work on running our offenses and breaking down the details of our defense. Both of which are vital to our success this year.

So, our trip ends. I've been with the UD women's basketball program longer than any of my teammates, coaches and staff. I have experienced so many different lifelong memories with the UD logo on my chest and this trip has topped them all! Ten days to travel around Europe and see the places my ancestors came from...I truly can not put it all into words. I have given much to UD and now I truly know that it is true when people say what you put in, you get back 10-fold. UD has benefited me so much as I head into my fifth year of basketball surrounded by such great people. Everyone here believed in the same thing - winning championships and being a family. I have one year left and I couldn't imagine a better way to start it than a 10-day basketball tour of Europe. Thank you UD! Thank you Coach Jabir! Thank you to everyone who made this possible!

I'll be home soon!

Day 8 - Vienna

Today was spent in Vienna. We got to choose between shopping on Maria Hilfer (a street full of any store you could think of) or check out the museums in the area. I choose to see one of the displays at the Albertina. It was a Picasso/Goya display. It was truly amazing to be inches away from paintings and sketches that I have only witnessed in pages of art books! We also walked through a display containing photographs from about the early 1900s. Some of the photos looked like paintings because of their texture. The experience that I shared with Coach Jaques and Brit didn't end after the art museum. We walked around some of the larger buildings and historical artwork of the city before heading up the street for some shopping. To our complete dismay, as the cliché goes, we could not find shoes in our size! Brit got a pair of Pumas, but Coach and I were left empty handed in the shoe department. Oh well...

We did end our day downtown with the most delicious ice cream I've ever had (and I've had a lot of ice cream!) I think that moment walking down the streets of Vienna with a gourmet ice cream cone will last forever. Also, as Coach Jaques said, we had gotten our culture and shopping in for the day too. I did find a great buy with some of those big sunglasses!

To complete the day..WE WON AGAIN! The first half was a bit rough. The team was somewhat sloppy and the refs seemed to think that only Americans could foul in this game! It was a great second half though and the other team was really nice. We took pictures with them afterwards and then headed to a festival with them in downtown St. Parton. The food was great and the company was better! I always seem to have a bigger appetite after a win anyways.

Tomorrow is our last day. It's been an amazing trip and I'm sure tomorrow won't disappoint. I think we will get to see more of Vienna, head to an amusement park to see the famous ferris wheel, then our last game until November!

Be Home Soon!

P.S. - Kiki's parents have been traveling with us the whole time and said goodbye to us tonight. It was so sad and her Dad gave such a beautiful speech. No wonder Kiki is so great! I'm glad they got to watch us play.

Day 7 - Vienna

Today was Coach Jabir's birthday! It was so cool to be able to celebrate with him and his family in Europe. He has touched so many of our lives and I know that I can say for all of us it was a pleasure to be able to spend this special day with him and his family.

We spent the morning in Bratislava shopping for simple treasures to bring home to our family and reminders of these special moments with each other. Cara Wright and I did some great bargain shopping and I hit big with some pearl and diamond earrings that I just couldn't pass up. Don't worry Mom, they weren't too expensive! Bratislava is very beautiful, but we were excited to see another city. As we went through the Austrian border our travel guide, Maria, told us a story of her youth. When she was six years old (about 15 years ago) the Austrian border as finally opened to the citizens of Slovakia as communism had been defeated. Her family took to opportunity to cross the old iron curtain and travel to Vienna. While they were there they went to a department store that had one floor totally devoted to toys. She explained to us, in her accented English, how she and her sister cried at their first ever sight of Barbie dolls. It truly made me appreciate my childhood that was surrounded by Toys R' Us and hundreds of Barbie dolls. Before communism was defeated, you had to go to a store and were only allowed to touch things if you were going to by them.

Vienna is beautiful. The only things that dampers the culture of the city is the graffiti that lines almost all the walls. It's sad to see such beautiful buildings and pieces of the city marked by spray paint, but it was also present in the other parts of Europe we visited. We are staying at the Renaissance, which is another beautiful hotel near the historic district. We got to tour the Schonbrun Palace and see the amazing ornate details of each room, all of which are done in gold while also witnessing pieces of Austrian history before our own eyes. The outside of the Palace and grounds reminded me of the Palace of Versailles. It was unbelievable to imagine the lifestyle of people such as Maria Theresa. It was gorgeous!

After the tour we enjoyed a hearty Austrian dinner including Schnitzel. Very tasty! It was a wonderful time with the team that ended by all of us singing "Happy Birthday" to Coach Jabir over his apple strudel. How Austrian (that's for you Coach Jaques)! Now its time to rest up for a day of shopping and a game tomorrow. We play Saturday and Sunday and then it's back to the U.S.!

I think the hills are definitely alive with the sound of music, but I'll confirm that tomorrow as we see more of Austria!

Love you and miss you all!

Day 6 - Bratislava

We woke up in Bratislava, Slovakia. Breakfast was awesome complete with CoCo Puffs which pscyhed everyone up. After eating, we met in the lobby at 9 a.m. (3 a.m. back in Dayton.) Our tour guide Jane, one of the daughters of the family we are traveling with, showed us around and gave us bit of information. Her English is very good and she always ends with "so it is like that." Anyways, we found out that out hotel is directly across from the "white house" which is complete with a fountain in front of it called "Earth, the Planet of Peace." She said it was a statue that looked plain because it was built during the time of communism. Slovakia still has touches of the ideals of socialism that can be seen in the architecture and art of the city of Bratislava. Kinda depressing, but still a very beautiful place.

Touring around the city we visited St. Martin's Cathedral and a castle that sits atop a very steep hill that we all climbed up. Believe me, it was a workout! However, both the chapel and the castle were filled with the history of this part of Europe. The town square held a beautiful fountain in the center depicting a famous soldier and around it were little kiosks that created a market for doing some souvenir shopping. We had to cut our time short though because our game was a two-hour bus ride away.

So the game..WE WON AGAIN! Yes, winners. It was a very fast paced game and the team had some really big and wide girls. I think we were up by 10 almost the entire second half, which here is the last two quarters. Towards the end of the game, one of their players fouled out and the rest of the team was hurt so they had to finish with only four people! They still managed to score once with some confusion with our matchups, but overall we pulled out the victory. It's so different playing here with all of the rule changes including an eight-second backcourt, a trapezoid lane, 24-second shot clocks and four, 10-minute quarters.

We have two more games in Vienna and we will head there tomorrow. Hopefully, we'll come back home 4-1. With the way we are playing that's a big possibility. Okay, the bus is getting bumpy and its time to take a nap!

Miss ya all!

P.S. - Hi Mom, Dad, Cyndi and Michael!

Day 5 - Bratislava

Today was a traveling day. We left Strakonice and headed out on the bus to Bratislava, Slovakia. With several gas station stops along the way, the majority of the team slept. I was one of those, but I did manage to sit up from time to time and watch the Czech countryside roll by. We went through several villages that seemed to lack any of the globalization effects all major cities have. Most of the towns were simple with orange roofed houses lining the streets and flower boxes full of color on every window.

We stopped at a mall right before the Slovakian border to eat lunch and walk around. Minus the language barrier, the mall was very much like any other American mall. Both of Coach Jabir's sons got a pair of "Puma" shoes there. I think Jackson, his youngest, called them his European shoes when they finally found a pair in his size! Don't worry they were dirty an hour later.

Our hotel in Bratislava, the Crowne Plaza, just opened last week and I think I might be the first person to sleep in this bed. It is very modern and everything smells ridiculously new. After being on a bus all day, everyone broke in their hotel rooms with a workout from Daniel, our strength coach, involving dips on the beds and even some lifting of our heavy suitcases. All of us have been lifting four days a week this whole summer so we have to maintain somehow! I just hope no one could see me through the window...how embarrassing!

Dinner was at an American classic...McDonald's. Yes, we traveled thousands of miles to eat at the "American Institution", but it was much faster and closer than anything else.

Tomorrow we get to see the city and play another game about two hours away.

Catch ya later!

Day 4 - Strakonice

We left Prague on the bus and headed out into the country and it was a beautiful drive. On the way we stopped at a castle called "Orlique" which means Eagle. I thought we would see many eagles because of the name, but we found the complete opposite. The castle was decked out in a haunting motif! There were antlers everywhere! We walked down a hallway with the upper walls decorated with hundreds of antler trophies complete with the hunters' name and weight of the deer. To sum up the sight in he words of Coach Vera, "Oh dear!"

Overall the castle was very beautiful and was very old with so many pieces of Czech history. In the grounds of the castle were many animals including peacocks and owls. They even had two white owls that looked very much like Harry Potter's owl, Hedwig (I like Harry Potter, if you can't tell!)

After the castle we checked in to the Hotel Garnet. The owner stood outside and waited for us to arrive. He had prepared a beautiful luncheon of sandwiches and tea. It was so touching to see him be so proud of his business. The hotel, though only three stars, was wonderful even though we were a bit worried from rumors that we were going to be "roughing it." We had a wonderful stay with three beautiful, authentic meals all provided to us to us free of charge from the man who also was part owner of the team in Strakonice.

So the game...WE WON! We played together as a team very well and our new offenses are really starting to work now that we have had this chance to apply what coach wants from us. This trip has helped us so much both on and off the court. We had dinner with the opposing team afterwards and hung out with them in downtown Strakonice. It was hard to communicate back and forth but it was great to just learn about their life and culture. It's so amazing here, I love it! The bathrooms are weird and you can only drink bottled water, but hey it's an experience I will cherish the rest of my life!

With love from Europe!

Day 3 - Prague

Ouch, my feet (and my wallet) hurt! It was our "day off" today and we got to walk around Prague on our own after a team lunch. I will say that one difference between Prague and the U.S. is restaurant service! We have spent hours waiting in restaurants for everyone to get their meals...we are definitely getting some team bonding in!

Another thing that the team is going through is CELL PHONE WITHDRAWL. Cara Wright still carries her in her purse and started talking on it a lunch today! It cracked us all up, but I really, really miss my cell phone. I think we all do.

Before lunch we met another basketball team from America. A men's team called "crossover ministries" and two of the players were from Dayton! They even asked us if we knew Emily Williams. How weird is that? We are standing in the middle of downtown Prague and we see people from Dayton. It truly is a small world.

During our free time today, I walked around the city with Ashley K., (our team manager). We had a really great time shopping and just enjoying the culture of the city. We watched the astronomical clock in the Old Town Square. It was basically like a giant coo-coo clock. When the clock reached the top of the hour statues of the 12 apostles spun past open window above the clock while a little skeleton danced and pulled a string ringing the bell. The finale was a rooster crowing to the cheers of the crowd below. After the display we joined the crowds of locals in the Square. We just hung out on the cobblestones and did some people watching...It was so Czech! I think it was one of those moments I'll never forget! We enjoyed some ice cream while we sat and I'll be honest, we got totally cheated on the size of the cup. Maybe that's why everyone is so thin here!

All of the walking today was crazy! I swear Ashley and I did a pilgrimage UP HILL to the back to the beautiful Cathedral from yesterday and it was closed! Then it rained the whole way down the hill, but that didn't stop me from shopping and I picked up my last purchase...a hand-made Harry Potter puppet! I guess some things, like basketball, are universal!

More tomorrow as we head to Strakonice. Miss ya all!

Day 2 - Prague

Prague is beautiful! The team got the chance to walk all over the city today. We saw Prague Castle, which is basically a very old Cathedral right along side the "White House" of Prague. The view was unbelievable as the cathedral sits atop the highest point in Prague and overlooks the entire city. We could even see the US embassy along the beautiful, green hills of the Czech Republic.

On our way back to the hotel, with a stop for pre-game lunch, we crossed the St. Charles Bridge. The bridge was covered with statues of religious scenes. Included was a statue of an old priest who apparently got his tongue cut off for not telling the King what his Queen's confessions. If you make a wish while touching the statue, and hold the wish as a secret it will come true!

So...the game. We lost, but I could hardly tell. The score was normally where the clock is, but that was not why. The game was more like a wrestling match! In don't think we have ever gotten away with so many fouls. If you take away all of their free throws, the score would have been much closer, if not even! It was a good game though and they were a great team to practice our new offense against. They definitely knew how to run the lanes. It was so weird to hear them all yell in Czech throughout the game. You had no idea what was coming and it was hard to recognize their plays the second and third time around. It was a very cool experience and I look forward to our next game on Tuesday night.

Tomorrow we are will spend our final day in Prague sightseeing on our own. Although we are having a great time we miss all of you at home!

Day 1 - Prague

We finally made it to Prague! It's so cool to see the place where my ancestors came from! My mother in 100 percent Czech, so I spent much of my time prior to this trip listening to my beloved Grandma's stories and tips on how to say some simple things. Our guides are amazing! They are so friendly and so full of info that I just keep asking them questions!

I made my mother proud, I'm sure, as I went to mass my first day in Prague! The Church, St. Giles, was unbelievable. There were so many bible stories and tales about Saints depicted in the gold art of the church. It was so beautiful. The priest switched from Slovak to English here and there throughout the mass to help us follow along. After the mass, he asked us where we were from and I replied DAYTON, OHIO! He said with a smile "Long Live Ohio!" and blessed us and our trip!

I feel so lucky to truly be able to see all this with my own eyes. My mother has showed me pictures of Prague throughout my childhood, but to be able to see it for myself now makes me wish she was here with me! I think I'm the first to come back to this area since my Great-Great Grandpa took to boat across the Atlantic Ocean. As my Mom says, "I am back in my homeland!"

I can't wait to see more of the sights tomorrow and play in our game tomorrow night!

P.S. - My legs still ache from the flight. WOW!