Life in Athens

Just to share a bit about the personal side of this experience of staying in Greece and playing for Greece again....

Wow, I have really missed Greece! It's so beautiful to be here again and feel the beauty of my other home. When I live in California, my personal training work schedule has me starting my days at 5 or 6am and finishing at 8 or 9pm with my own beach volleyball and gym training in the afternoons/later mornings. I do this schedule because I love my job, I adore and love my clients, and I want to get everyone in during the week. I definitely crash at the end of every day, though, and find it to be a taxing schedule.

Every time I travel for beach volleyball tournaments, it's like I'm on a volleyball vacation, as I can focus on training, playing, resting, recovering, winning.... It's a beautiful thing and it helps me appreciate my work schedule, as well, as it is ideal for your training to be more greuling than the most difficult game so that you are "overprepared" and can relax and have fun during the games. I also really enjoy my time on these trips and feel so blessed to have so much purpose in my days during my working days and also so much support from my clients, coworkers, and management at Spectrum Athletic Clubs. It means so much to me to feel that support and I feel so fortunate for the connections I've made with my clients along with all I have learned right along with them about the amazing power and ability that the human body posesses.

Obviously, my schedule is completely different out here in Greece. Before and after our tournament on the island of Rhodes, Greece (the Continental Cup tournament that we two Greek national teams together earned the GOLD medal in....), we have had the great pleasure, fortune, and opportunity to train with the Greek national team Tsartsiani-Arvaniti and their amazing coach! This has been absolutely amazing and beneficial! The girls are currently ranked 13th in the world and they are absolutely wonderful people! They have been so kind and supportive and helpful! And their coach... Each time we train with him, we quickly improve and gain so much! Put all that together, and we have an amazing period of improvement by the moment during a time where we can focus solely on volleyball and recovery!

Of course I have the opportunity to visit friends and family out here and that has been beyond amazing!!! Last night, I got to see the youth team I used to coach play in a pratice match..... They were 11-13 when I coached them. And to see them all grown up (14-16 years old now!!!) and how much they've grown, improved, and developed as players.... WOW!!! Coaching those girls was one of the most inspiring things I have ever done and I hold them very strongly in my heart! They inspired me so much and I put my heart into training them. It was so rewarding working with them and sad and emotional to have to leave them (when I broke my hand and returned to the US for surgery about 3 years ago). WOW.... I love those girls!

Needless to say, this time period in Greece has been beautiful! I am gaining so much and improving by the moment, and am so grateful for this period of time!