Livin' On a Prayer!

Ohhhh we're halfway there! That is, I'm halfway through my Insanity program! Well, I'm done with the first month at least. Next week is "recovery week" (who knows how much recovery it will actually be) and then I have one more month left! So, I'm just gonna keep telling myself I'm halfway there and if you could play along with me that'd be great :) Best part is is that I can definitely feel myself more conditioned and in better shape than when I started. I haven't lost any weight (which is okay with me) but I have toned up a little bit! I can't wait to see what my finals results will look like! We can do it Eric (yes my brother, Eric, is doing the 60 day challenge with me)! It's all downhill from here!

Still nothing concrete to report about volleyball. One of the agents I'm working with is "presenting" me to a team in Greece. The league isn't considered a top league and the team I'd be on finished 4th last year in the Greek league. But damn, I'd take that contract just for the opportunity to live in Greece for 7 months. That would be amazing! Wow I can't even imagine. So say some prayers for a contract to come my way! This is the city I would be living in. It's called Thessaloniki and it looks absolutely stunning! And of course you all would be more than welcome to come visit me. I'm really hoping this one works out!

It's gonna be another uneventful Saturday night for me, which I'm totally okay with. I'm currently watching the Husker footballers play Ohio State while simultaneously getting updates from the Husker volleyballers taking on Indiana, drawing, and making brownies for Andy's birthday tomorrow! It's my first time ever making brownies so hopefully they turn out yummy!

The Husker vball team plays at Iowa on October 17th (Wednesday). I'm thinking I'll head to Iowa City on Tuesday for that match (and definitely plan on going out that night) and head home to Dubuque for maybe the rest of the week. So if you'll be in Iowa City or Dubuque and have on your party pants let me know!

I'm sure you've noticed the changes I've made. I decided to redecorate a little bit in honor of it being Fall in Lincoln. The most special time of the year for this city. Hope you like it!

Until next time...

Sending all my love to you!

Kayla

P.S. Today I was just thinking that all my friends are scattered throughout the country. Believe me, if I had the money, I'd visit you all! I miss everyone very much!

A Few of My Favorite Things!

There are a few things that I am obsessed with right now...wanna hear about them? Okay good :)

An epic Husker football win! Just like the one we got this Saturday in the first Big 10 game of the season against Wisconsin! Here is a picture of the crowd celebrating outside the stadium after the game! So amazing! Nebraska seriously has the best fans in the country! GBR!

Sparkling Ice! This drink is so amazing! It's ZERO calories and is a flavored carbonated water! It tastes so good! 10 for $10 at HyVee so of course I stocked up! It's a way for me to cut back on drinking pop.

Being artsy! In high school I took an art class every year and I loved it! Well, now that I have a little more free time on my hands, I've decided to start drawing and painting again. It's a good way to take my mind off the fact that my volleyball career has hit a little lull (I know I've said that I'm okay with being in Lincoln right now, but all you active people understand that not having much to do can drive you crazy). Here is the painting that I just completed a week ago. Not bad for my first one in about 6 years right?

Reese's Pumpkins! Tis the season! These (in my opinion) are the best food ever!!!!! I am absolutely obsessed! I know they are absolutely awful to be eating, but I can't help it! They are so good and addicting! I am in love! 

This quote Jess Yanz tagged me in on Pinterest! This is for all book lovers out there! For anyone who knows me, I LOVE reading! So this is pretty perfect in describing me!

Goodreads.com! This website is amazing! You have your own profile where you can list and rate the books you've read, and you can start a "to-read" list. Then you can add your friends and find out what they are reading, have read, and want to read. It's brilliant! And I will never be without a good book to read. I'm currently in the middle of "Divergent" by Veronica Roth. And once I'm done with that I've got 31 books on my "to-read" list. I'm a happy girl! 

Speaking of "Divergent" I'm gonna go see what happens next :) I love being a nerd! Until next time...

Talk to you later!

Kayla

I Can't Think of a Good Title :)

Hey all! Don't you just love fall weather? I forgot how beautiful this season can be! And for some reason, especially in Lincoln, fall is just a magical time of year.

On the volleyball front, nothing new to report. I'm still looking for a contract but nothing has worked out so far. So, I'm still in Lincoln just hanging out, staying in shape, and training with the Huskers. On a side note, I have applied for an internship at a publishing company here in town. I thought it might be interesting to explore some of the things my English major has to offer me. Plus, it's paid so it'd be a nice way to earn some cash while I'm in Lincoln. I've also applied for a few other temporary part time jobs so keep your fingers crossed for me. Hopefully something works out.

I'm in my third week of Insanity! These workouts are, for lack of a better word, INSANE! I still cannot get through an entire workout without having to take a few breaks. It is easily the best workout I've ever done. But you know what? I put on a pair of jeans today and they were a little bit loose on me! Woo! That might be the best feeling ever! Only 6 more weeks til' I complete the whole Insanity program!

Other than that, there really isn't anything new going on with me. I'm just hanging out in Lincoln being boring. I'm sure I'll be heading back to Dubuque sometime soon (even if it's only to get my fall/winter clothing out of storage). In the meantime, say some prayers for me that one of these jobs/internship works out!

Until next time...

Sending all my love to you from Lincoln!

Kayla

P.S. I don't know if I've told you this yet, but Larry the Cable Guy is coming to Lincoln October 13th and I can't wait to see his show in person! So here's a clip from one of his shows for your entertainment! Enjoy!

White Blank Page

Out of nowhere, inspiration hits me. This lit a fire in my heart today. Hope it does the same for you.

Kayla

#58

#58 Go for a walk on the Mississippi River Walk

Kayla

Insanity!

Hello all! I'm blogging to you from Lincoln, NE! I'm still living here working out on my own and training with the Huskers so I can stay in good volleyball shape. Life is good! I can't really complain about being in Lincoln in the fall. With football and volleyball going on, plus the beautiful fall weather, it's a very special place to be!

I am still looking for a contract to go play overseas somewhere. I was contacted by one of the agents I'm working with about a team in Romania that is possibly looking to sign me. Nothing is for sure yet so take this with a grain of salt. I'll for sure keep you updated as things occur.

In the meantime, I decided to finally take on the 60 Insanity workout challenge! It's #55 on my list of 101 in 1001. I'm super excited to see some amazing results! I did the first workout today and DAMN it is rough! It's gonna be super hard to get through the next 60 days but I just have to keep my goals in mind, especially my biggest goal: 2016 Olympics in Rio! Wish me luck! Hopefully I'll have an awesome "after" photo that I'll get to show off to you :)

Anyways, you'll have a few more blog posts coming your way very soon I promise! Until then...

Sending all my love to you!

Kayla

P.S. Larry the Cable Guy is coming to Lincoln in October and I'm definitely gonna go see him. Not only because he's one of my favorite comedians and a HUGE Husker fans, but also because it's on my list of 101 in 1001 (#85)! So here's a clip courtesy of Larry for your laugh of the day!

Life Update!

Hello all! So, a lot of things have happened since I last blogged. This has been one of the best summers of my life! But, wow, time sure does fly when you're having fun! So here's what I've been up to!

Well, you all know that I was selected to play for Team USA at the Pan Am Cup this year in Mexico. And I'm sure you know that we won! Woo! We were down 0-2 against Brazil in the finals and came back and won! This is one of the greatest matches I've ever played in. It's even up there with the Washington and Penn State matches my sophomore year. Yeah, it was pretty spectacular!

Match Point!

After Juarez, things started to get pretty hectic for me. We left Mexico on Saturday morning and flew back to California. Then I turned right around the next morning and flew to Lincoln because I was still committed to working Nebraska Team Camps. So, I landed in Lincoln around 4:30 and headed straight to the Coliseum in order to be there for the night session. Needless to say I was completely exhausted and delirious. And so were some of my fellow camp coaches...

This is where you'll find the camp coaches in between most sessions...passed out in the Coliseum!

Camp coaches pulling their hair out!

After about a week of camp, I had a few days to relax. On July 30th, I flew back out to Cali because a group of my girlfriends and I got a team together and signed up to play in the Manhattan Beach 6-Man tournament. Now if you haven't ever heard of this tournament, it's basically a giant party! Every team picks a theme and they dress up in costumes to play. It's just a lot of fun! Our team chose to be cops and called ourselves "The Joint". Kinda cheesy I know but whatever. We didn't place. In fact I don't know how we ended up finishing, but that's okay. Our main goal this tournament was to let loose and have some fun, and we definitely had a blast! 

I flew back to Lincoln after that tournament on August 2nd, and then had to turn around the next day again and drive home to Dubuque! I was invited to a wedding in town and decided to make the trip home for it and attend. I even brought home a date for the wedding (you'll be hearing more about him soon I promise).

Well we went to eat at Kalmes with my best friend, Alicia Sieverding, and her family. After that, we went for drinks at her uncle's bar "The Bronco" in downtown Bellevue. Well, we ended up drinking a little more than we planned on. And the next day, the hangover trumped any plans we had of going to a wedding. I know, I'm a horrible person. So what was supposed to be kind of a crazy fun weekend, turn into a nice relaxing weekend at home (which I'm not upset about at all). 

The very next weekend was another big weekend for me: the University of Nebraska August 2012 Commencement ceremony! Finally, I'm officially receiving my degree! Mom, Dad, and Eric all made the trip down to Lincoln to celebrate with me! I'm glad I decided to walk in the ceremony because it turned out to be a pretty cool day for me! 

I'm the front row on the far left! (Of course we lined up in alphabetical order...and I had to go first) 

Woo! I did it! 

Now since I, unfortunately, have not yet been able to find a contract to go play overseas this season, I'm living in Lincoln, training with the Huskers. For some extra cash, I'm reffing league vb games at a local sports bar and club called "Spike's". I "work" weeknights Monday thru Thursday. So, I go straight from the Huskers training session to this sports bar and it makes for some long nights. But, I can't complain because it pays well and it's the easiest money I've ever made. Hopefully a good contract comes up soon so I can head to Europe and play (keep your fingers crossed for me). But, I do enjoy being in Lincoln! It has definitely become my home over the past four years and I love it here. Plus, because I was in town, Coach Cook invited me to play in the Huskers annual Red/White scrimmage. I was so happy he asked because getting the opportunity to play in the Coliseum again is a dream come true for me! I got to play with my friends in front of a near sold out crowd in the greatest volleyball venue in the country! Needless to say, I felt very blessed to have that opportunity. I had an absolute blast!

And that brings us to today. The Huskers aren't practicing today, so after a quick run this morning, I don't have anything else to do the rest of the day. But, I'll be reffing away at Spike's tonight! Also, I'll be back in Dubuque this weekend for my cousin's wedding (which I'm super excited for) so if you want to get together give me a call!

Kayla 

P.S. My "date" and I watched the movie "Up!" last night and I was reminded why it is one of my favorite movies! So here's a little clip that I just love! Hope you do too!

Gold Medal Match!

Tonight Team USA will be playing in the GOLD MEDAL MATCH of the Pan American Cup! We had a great win over Dominican Republic in the semis. Tonight we take on Brazil! I feel a good vibe going through this team right now and I believe we are ready to take on this challenge! Hopefully it will end with us on top of the podium with a nice piece of GOLD hardware around our necks :) Wish me luck! 

The match is at 9:00 PM CST and again, you can watch live at this link:

http://www.livestream.com/copanamericana2

GO USA!

Kayla

Semifinals!

After a crazy win against Dominican Republic after being down 0-2, we came out of our pool on top! That means we have a bye today and are automatically in the semifinals tomorrow! I really have no idea who we're gonna play. This tournament has kind of a funky points system and I don't really get it. But, I'm gonna guess we'll play either Cuba or Dominican. We played both these teams in our pool. And like I said earlier we beat Dominican in 5. However, we lost to Cuba. So either way, tomorrow's match is gonna be a huge challenge for us. We play at 9:00 PM CST. You can watch it live at this link:

http://www.livestream.com/copanamericana2

The finals are the following day, and we travel back to California on the 21st. I'm ready to get back to the States. I've been eating nothing but rice, beans, and tortilla chips for the past week. You see we aren't allowed to eat the meat here because a lot of the meat is injected with steroids. And if we were to test positive for steroids in our next drug test we are SOL. So needless to say I'm excited to eat a real meal :)

I'm off to practice! GO USA!

Kayla 

Live Stream

Okay I have a couple more links. Our technical coordinator, Nate, posted these on twitter and said that you could watch the matches live here. So hopefully these work!

 http://www.livestream.com/copanamericana

 http://www.livestream.com/copanamericana2

Again, first match is tomorrow 3 PM Central time!

Kayla

Update

Okay folks, I found a website for the tournament . There is a button that says "Live" right next to our matches. I have a feeling that this is just live stats, and not necessarily live video. But, it's all I got so far. Of course, if I find anything else, I will let you know!

http://www.norceca.net/2012%20Events/2012%20XI%20Women's%20Pan%20American%20Cup/Calendar%202012%20XI%20Women's%20Pan%20American%20Cup.htm 

Now if you are on this page and you clicked "Homepage", that would take you back to the NORCECA homepage. However, to get back to the Live Updates/Results page, simply click on this picture

on the right side of the NORCECA homepage, and you will be directed back to the Pan Am Cup tournament homepage. From there, clicking on "Competition Calendars" will take you back to the page with the Live results. I'm praying that this is actually live video but I have no idea right now. I'll keep doing some research and try and get a more solid feed for you. 

We got to Juarez yesterday around 2:00 and went right away to practice. It was a good session to allow us to get the blood flowing after being on a plane. After that we ate dinner and had a quick team meeting. Everyone was exhausted by 8:00 so we called it a night. We were up bright and early today for a 8:00 AM training session. Another good practice in the books. I feel good about tomorrow and I think this team is in a great position to do well here. We have the rest of the day off (with an optional lift later on). I think a lot of the girls are gonna be heading to the pool, and I'm sure I will be there as well :)

Our first match is tomorrow vs. Canada at 2:00 PM (3:00 PM Central time). GO USA!

Kayla 

Juarez Here I Come!

So I'm heading to Mexico today! Juarez to be specific. I know it sounds sketchy but from what I hear it's not as bad as you'd think. Heading with Team USA to compete in the Pan American Cup! It's my first USA roster as the libero so I'm a little nervous but even more excited!  I still don't know about a live feed or not. But if I do find something I'll post the link on facebook and this blog for you so keep your eyes peeled :) Also I'm not sure what my internet situation is but if I do have internet I'll probably be on Skype a lot. So if you ever want to chat you'll know where to find me! I'm super pumped! Love you all! I'll be back in the States on the 21st! Go USA!    

Olympic Roster Announced!

Yesterday the Olympic roster was announced! This was a VERY exciting day for everyone that has been a part of USA Volleyball this past quad. It was even exciting for me, although I realistically had no chance at being selected. Just knowing that dreams were coming true for many of my teammates was awesome! Here is the roster that will be competing in London:

2012 U.S. Olympic Women’s Volleyball Team
# - Name (Position, Height, Hometown, College)
2 - Danielle Scott-Arruda (MB, 6-2, Baton Rouge, La., Long Beach State)
3 - Tayyiba Haneef-Park (Opp, 6-7, Laguna Hills, Calif., Long Beach State)
4 - Lindsey Berg (S, 5-8, Honolulu, Hawaii, Minnesota)
5 - Tamari Miyashiro (L, 5-7, Kaneohe, Hawaii, Washington)
6 - Nicole Davis (L, 5-4, Stockton, Calif., Southern California)
10 - Jordan Larson (OH, 6-2, Hooper, Neb., Nebraska)
11 - Megan Hodge (OH, 6-3, Durham, N.C., Penn State)
13 - Christa Harmotto (MB, 6-2, Hopewell, Pa., Penn State)
15 - Logan Tom (OH, 6-1, Salt Lake City, Utah, Stanford)
16 - Foluke Akinradewo (MB, 6-3, Plantation, Fla., Stanford)
17 - Courtney Thompson (S, 5-8, Kent, Wash., Washington)
19 - Destinee Hooker (Opp, 6-4, San Antonio, Texas, Texas)


I have no doubt in my mind that this team will bring home a gold medal. They are certainly capable of achieving great things.


Now, because the Olympic roster has been announced, the rest of the team was informed as to whether we would be going to Pan Am Cup. And, I am SO EXCITED to be able to tell you that I will be the libero for Team USA at the Pan Am Cup in Mexico next week! We leave Tuesday morning. The competition starts Thursday, and the finals are on the 20th. If we finish in the top 4, we qualify USA for the 2013 World Grand Prix. I'm super pumped! My first tournament as USA's libero! I understand it's no Olympics, but it's a start :)

Here is the schedule for pool play (CST):  July 12 Group A 1:00 pm: R. Dominican - Colombia 3:00 pm: United States - Canada 5:00 pm: Cuba - Puerto Rico July 13 5:00 pm: Cuba - Colombia 7:00 pm: R. Dominican - Canada 9:00 pm: U.S. - Puerto Rico July 14 5:00 pm: Canada - Colombia 7:00 pm: R. Dominican - Puerto Rico 9:00 pm: U.S. - Cuba July 15 5:00 pm: U.S. - Colombia 7:00 pm: Puerto Rico - Canada 9:00 pm: R. Dominican - Cuba July 16 5:00 pm: Puerto Rico - Colombia 7:00 pm: Cuba - Canada 9:00 pm: R. Dominica - United States

I'm not sure what the schedule for tournament play is, but I'll do my best to keep you informed when I find out more. Also, if I do remember correctly, in the past this tournament has had a website where you can watch the matches live. However, I don't know for sure. Again, as soon as I find out I'll let you know!

I'm so excited to be able to represent USA! It's an honor to wear the Red, White, and Blue! Go USA!

Happy 4th everyone!

Kayla 

P.S. I'm pretty sure I've used this clip before but it makes me laugh out loud every time so I'm using it again! Enjoy!

1 Down...4 To Go!

Welp, I survived the first week back in the gym! It went a lot better than I thought it was gonna. Before I got back to California, I really hadn't seriously played for about two months. And for any volleyball player, two months is a LONG time to take off. Normally, if I take a week off, I'm completely out of it. But, after two months, I was thrown right back into the thick of things, training with Olympians. Much to my delight, I held my own and had a pretty solid week!

So, the next month could go one of two ways...

Scenario #1 (preferred): I continue training for the next couple weeks. I play well enough to make the Pan Am Cup roster. This squad would leave July 11th and be competing in Juarez, Mexico until July 21st. We would be competing to qualify Team USA for a spot in next summer's Grand Prix. I'm not sure when this roster will be announced, but keep your fingers crossed for me. I'll let you know as soon as I find out. 

Scenario #2: I don't make the Pan Am Cup roster. However, I would continue training with the Olympic team to help them prepare for London. The team leaves July 20th and I would practice with them up until they leave. 

I would love it if Scenario #1 worked out. However, I'm trying to have a more positive outlook on volleyball this summer. So, I'm forcing myself to be happy with whatever happens, knowing that either way, I'd be competing hard, and continuing to improve.

I have to say, it feels amazing to be wearing USA on my back again and to be able to compete with some of the best volleyball players in the world! 

And there are some benefits. I get to spend my afternoons by the pool :) 

Rough life, but somebody's gotta do it :)

Sending all my love from Cali!

Kayla

P.S. Since this is a sports related post, here is a sports related "The Office" clip! Enjoy!

I'm Baaaaaaack!

Hello all! After a very long hiatus from the blogosphere I am finally back and ready to update you all on what's been going on in my life! I know this is 18 days after I said I would be back, and for that I apologize. But, life's been a little hectic lately, and you will soon see why!

I got back from Austria around April 26th (at least I think it was then). And I was SO relieved to be able to spend some time at home in Dubuque! I got to hang out with my two favorite men, Dad and Eric, and do some of my favorite things! While I was at home, I knocked out several of the things on my 101 in 1001 list including:

57. Go to one of my brother's baseball games.

I'm sure this is about to be a home run :)

61. Play softball catch. (I did this with Eric)

62. Pitch a softball. (And it actually turned out to be somewhat under control!)

63. Go to a driving range.

Perfect form....kinda :)

After having a conversation with USA Volleyball head coach, Hugh McCutcheon, it was determined that I would be an "on call" player this summer. So, that gave me the okay to head back to Lincoln to finish up my degree. I took two classes during the three week May session. Yep, two classes in three weeks. It was definitely stressful. I was in class everyday for six hours with a short break for lunch. After a full day of class, I quite literally had to go straight home and get on the computer to get all my homework done. And that was my schedule for three weeks. BUT, it was SO worth it because...

17. Graduate college!

And since I was at home for two weeks and in class for the next three weeks I didn't play ANY volleyball. The longest I've gone in awhile without training or competing. And that means...

30. Take a month off of volleyball to relax.

This is such a HUGE relief! I'm glad to finally be done! After my last day of class, I headed to Iowa City. For those of you who don't know, my mom has been in the hospital for awhile. She was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis about three years ago. When she first was diagnosed, the doctors gave her steroids and meds and got it under control. Well, she had a flare up and went back to the hospital during a trip back to Dubuque. The steroids and meds weren't working as well as they did three years ago, and she ended up having to have surgery to have her colon removed. Bad news bears. So I went and spent three days with her at the University of Iowa hospital. Good news though, she has been released from the hospital and is slowly but surely traveling the road to recovery. She will have to have a follow up surgery in 4-6 months but soon after that things should be back to normal for her. So please send up some prayers for her speeding recovery.

Next up was Nebraska Volleyball Camps! A week and a half of coaching young girls and hanging out with some of the coolest camp coaches ever! Let's just say I am super pumped for camps to start every summer and by the end of camps, I am just dying for it to end! But, it's a great paycheck and I get to spend a ton of time with my favorite people!

So after an awesome time at Husker camps, I got the call to come back out to California and start training with USA Volleyball again. So, I am currently sitting at my mom's apartment blogging to you. I'll be here until July 21st at the latest, and I'll do my best to keep you updated on what I'll be doing. My agenda for the month is pretty much gonna be train in the morning, sit by the pool all afternoon, watch TV and movies all night, and then sleep. That's the plan thus far. But, I will be getting out some more and I'll be trying to get some more of my 101 in 1001 things done. Here's to a month of adventure! 

Sending all my love from California!

Kayla 

P.S. I know you have all been desperately longing for more "The Office" clips. So, here ya go! Enjoy!

MIA

I know I have been MIA for the past few weeks. I apologize for that. I have a lot to tell you. However, I am currently in the middle of taking two classes in a three week session. Yeah, you could say it's a bit hectic. Basically, I work out every day from 7 AM to 9 AM, I have class from 9:30 AM - 12:20 PM, a short break for lunch, my next class from 1:00 PM - 3:50 PM. I then go straight home grab a snack and start attempting to get my mountain of homework done. Then I'm off to bed and resting up for the same thing the next day. It's definitely rough, but once I'm done with these three weeks, I'll officially be done with my undergrad! So, I apologize, but I truly don't and won't have time to put up another real post until June 1st. Then I will be back in the blogosphere I promise! Don't hate me!

Kayla

Things I'm Excited For: Part 8!

This is the final installment of my "Things I'm Excited For" series. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is because I will be on a plane home TOMORROW! Yay! I can't even describe how excited I am. Like I've had butterflies since last night. Those butterflies have been traveling back and forth between my stomach and my heart, sending random waves of excitement through my body!

The thing that I'm MOST excited for is....REUNIONS! I can't wait to see all of my friends and family! Here are just a few of the people I can't wait to see!

Like I said, these are just a few! There are literally too many people I'm excited to see to include all those pictures in the blog. So, no hard feelings please :) Basically I'm excited to see everyone! Love you all! I'll be home SOON! :) :) :) :)

Kayla

P.S. Here is your clip for the day! :)

Things I'm Excited For: Part 7!

Hello ladies and gentlemen! I woke up this morning only to find out that my internet connection has gone kaput! Being the computer wiz that I am (insert sarcasm here) I could not figure out what was wrong or how to fix it. So, I've been chillin' at Starbucks for about three hours now. Therefore, this is gonna be a short post. That being said, next up on the list of things that I'm excited for is:

MASSAGE

The very first opportunity I get, I will be treating myself to a hot stone massage! After a long, hard season, I need a good massage more than ever! Oooo I can't wait!

Like I said earlier, my internet connection in my apartment is not working. I'll try and find another source tomorrow sometime. So, just a heads up if you're trying to get ahold of me for something, you probably won't hear back from me until tomorrow. Don't worry, I'll be home soon! :)

Sending all my love from Vienna!

Kayla

P.S. Here is your clip of the day! Some more bloopers for ya :)

Things I'm Excited For: Part 6!

Hello all! Okay, I know I broke my promise of posting something that I'm excited for every day until I'm home, but I've been a little busy WINNING THE AUSTRIAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP! Woo! My first professional title! It feels pretty good!

So that's my excuse for not blogging on Wednesday. My excuse for not blogging yesterday is that I was ridiculously hungover from the celebration on Wednesday that I spent most of the day in bed! Oops! :) Anyways, I'm back now! And I will officially be back in Dubuque Monday night! So, you'll get three more days of my "Things I'm Excited For" series! Next on the list of things I'm looking forward to is...

THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

No German, no foreign accents, no language barriers, no "lost in translations", just plain old American English!  Granted I was lucky to have a couple American teammates this season, and a few of my teammates speak very good English, but a lot of them don't. My head coach didn't speak any English. So there were a lot of moments that I was completely lost. A lot of things were lost in translation, and it was hard to build relationships with people that barely spoke the same language as you. But, probably the worst thing about the language difference was when I went out in public to places like the grocery store, the gym, a restaurant, a clothing store, or even just a gas station, every conversation I had with a worker or waiter started with them saying something or asking me something in German and me having to say "Sorry? English?" It is just a pain and it's kind of embarrassing because it makes me feel stupid. Luckily, in most cases, the person has been able to speak some English, but it still sucks because they are still difficult to understand. Other times they can't speak any English and then you just kind of stare awkwardly at each other, neither one able to communicate what they want. Or if you are in a restaurant and you have to attempt to read a menu. Good Lord! It's near impossible! I've learned to read a few German words, but an entire menu is impossible. Basically, if I can find the word "Hühnerfleisch" which is chicken, I order that. I realized the other day that I might end up hugging the first American flight attendant I have on the trip home. Just hearing them ask me "Would you like something to drink?" in English is gonna make my day! :)

Sending my love from Vienna! 

Kayla 

P.S. I know I've already used this clip, but it seems very fitting for this blog, so I'm using it again :) Enjoy!