Our trip to Italy was very exciting and challenging. We did a lot of walking on top of playing some great volleyball teams. Being the only team there to represent America was a lot to take in, not too many 17 and 18 year old girls have the opportunity to travel to a foreign land and represent where they come from. When we first got to Pordenone, Italy it was a little difficult doing things the Italian way, but the more you did them the more natural it came. The hardest thing was getting on a different sleep schedule.

 

Playing different teams definitely opened my eyes to knew ways, but not only on the court. We lost to some very good teams, but we never stopped trying. We didn't have much practice time together but the more we played the better we looked, and team chemistry was never a problem. After our friendly matches we had dinner with the opposing team. The first team was a little younger than most of us but I think we had the most fun with them. We tried to have conversations, but our Italian is not very good, we took pictures, and traded t-shirts. We even traded Facebook and email information with them. We got to see how things really were in Italy, not just what the average tourist saw. You could say we got the "best of both worlds."

 

The three days of our tournament took place in Falconara, but outside of volleyball we saw some very cool places, with a variety of gorgeous views. In Italy we went to the cities of Venice, Belluno, and Rome. There is a private country, the Republic of San Marino, which is a little country inside of Italy that we also got the chance to visit. It was amazing waking up to something so beautiful like the Apennine or Dolomiti Mountains, or the Adriatic Sea. But, perhaps some of the most beautiful sites in Italy were the churches. The architecture was extraordinary! Overall we got to see some of the world's most beautiful and treasured historical sites; Such as San Marco, the Holy House of Loreto, and the Vatican.

 

This trip was a once in a life time experience. Thanks to the support from our coaches, parents, and especially one another as teammates, made this experience unforgettable. Friendships and memories were made that will last and be cherished forever.

Editor's note:  Sorry about the lack of updates.  We were without an internet connection for the last couple of days.