Week 2 Update - Pihtipudas, Finland
Hello everyone!
Week two here in Pihtipudas is over. Volleyball is going really well. We have been working specifically on all the basic skills. 6 v 6 will start next week so I am excited to start playing. Next week I am hoping to introduce you to who the girls are! We have had two-a-days pretty much everyday for the past two weeks. The days for me have typically looked like this:
To give a little more detail of what happened this week: the beginning of this week started off when we found a beautiful beach/lake hideaway. It is around a 30 minute walk from the apartments. The view is super breath taking and really calm.
On Monday of this past week, the process of girls getting massages happened. I got my first "Finnish Massage" and it felt really good. I got my legs and lower back massaged. I think it's so interesting how you go from (in college) having your AT look at all of your "boo boos" and aches, and you go to having to completely be reliable for yourself and your body care. So kudos to all the athletic trainers out there having to put up with the nonsense of athletes neglecting their own bodies/self-care protocol.
Fast forwarding through the week to yesterday (August 10th), we had an early practice from 10-12:30. After that I cooked, napped, and then the dessert party started. Yassu, one of the opposite hitters, made a homemade blueberry pie. Maddie then cooked vegan chocolate chip cookies and vegan banana bread. It was all so so good. Later on in the blog you can find some "not so good" desserts we tried haha.
We spent the other time playing card games, then decided to go back to the beach for the sunset. This view, in the picture below, is by far one of the best parts of Pihtipudas. The beach/lake is in the perfect area and centered so that you can see the sun touch the land and bring light to everything. More photos of the sunset will be on my facebook photo album titled "Finland."
To further explain the apartment living situation here, Alexis and I live on the top floor of the apartment building. We have two teammates, Maddie and Pilvi, that live below us. Maddie just got into town this week, so to welcome her we decided to have "Finnish Candy Taste Testing" night. If you want a good laugh, click (or copy+paste) on the link below:
https://youtu.be/E2JZrbz_NoA
Week two here in Pihtipudas is over. Volleyball is going really well. We have been working specifically on all the basic skills. 6 v 6 will start next week so I am excited to start playing. Next week I am hoping to introduce you to who the girls are! We have had two-a-days pretty much everyday for the past two weeks. The days for me have typically looked like this:
9 - 10 = Setting skills
10 - 10:30 = weights
~Lunch~
sometime between 15:15/16:45 = a team meeting
then a 2.5/3 hour practice
In the time of being here for two weeks, I have a lot of time for things to pop up on my mind: home, my friends, family, dogs, and just life in general. To help with the small homesick feelings, I bought some items to put in my room to remind me of home/my people. Also, Alexis and I try to make a meal once a week such as "Taco Tuesday" or "Wing Wednesday" just to remind us of home. I try not to think about what I am missing out on too much. Being away is hard, but I am learning little things about myself and trying to find/create a better version of myself. I think that will be one of the biggest obstacles of this journey.
Small things that I have realized in these two weeks:
- I miss Rotel (for some home dishes my dad makes).
- I will run out of sour patch kids soon.
- It's okay to be alone...or to still be in the process of learning how to be alone.
- There is always a way to make time, even if it's a quick voice message, to talk to those who you care about. Those who care check on you and make time.
- I miss my dad's cooking!
To give a little more detail of what happened this week: the beginning of this week started off when we found a beautiful beach/lake hideaway. It is around a 30 minute walk from the apartments. The view is super breath taking and really calm.
On Monday of this past week, the process of girls getting massages happened. I got my first "Finnish Massage" and it felt really good. I got my legs and lower back massaged. I think it's so interesting how you go from (in college) having your AT look at all of your "boo boos" and aches, and you go to having to completely be reliable for yourself and your body care. So kudos to all the athletic trainers out there having to put up with the nonsense of athletes neglecting their own bodies/self-care protocol.
Fast forwarding through the week to yesterday (August 10th), we had an early practice from 10-12:30. After that I cooked, napped, and then the dessert party started. Yassu, one of the opposite hitters, made a homemade blueberry pie. Maddie then cooked vegan chocolate chip cookies and vegan banana bread. It was all so so good. Later on in the blog you can find some "not so good" desserts we tried haha.
We spent the other time playing card games, then decided to go back to the beach for the sunset. This view, in the picture below, is by far one of the best parts of Pihtipudas. The beach/lake is in the perfect area and centered so that you can see the sun touch the land and bring light to everything. More photos of the sunset will be on my facebook photo album titled "Finland."
To further explain the apartment living situation here, Alexis and I live on the top floor of the apartment building. We have two teammates, Maddie and Pilvi, that live below us. Maddie just got into town this week, so to welcome her we decided to have "Finnish Candy Taste Testing" night. If you want a good laugh, click (or copy+paste) on the link below:
https://youtu.be/E2JZrbz_NoA
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