Hello to all from Germany

So I figured that it was about time to start my blog that I have been talking about doing for the past month. I think that better late then never is in order considering I've been in Europe for 8 weeks already!!

Here is a quick summary of what has happened so far......I broke my nose 2 days after getting to camp in Slovenia and wasn't able to play for the rest of the time we were in Maribor. I was fearful that I wouldn't get a contract and that I would have to come home and start real life. But luckily Bring it was able to find a team needing a power hitter in Villingen-Schwenningen located in the south of Germany. So I started the long train ride ever to Mittenwald to pick up my face mast from the Chyzowski's.This beautiful piece of plastic found a permanent place on my face for the next 7 weeks as my nose healed. So once I finally arrived in Villingen after 24 hours of travelling I met with the Club presidents and the coaches. I trained for 2 days and they offered me a contract to stay for the duration of the season.

The second week I moved into the first apartment that had no kicthen. That was fun!! I stayed there for about 2.5 weeks until they were able to find a flat for me with Jana (girl from Czech). She arrived in late September and it was finally nice to have some company during the day! Probably the best thing that has happened since I've been here was the arrival of another Canadian in early October. Michele joined the team the week before our first game and it has been awesome having another canuck here!!

Besides playing volleyball here the three of us are currently enrolled in the most pointless German lessons ever.....I might know about 10 sentences when all is said and done. Hopefully the girls on the team will stop wanting to practice their English with us and help the three of us with our German.

Here's a little bit of info about the beautiful town of Villingen. It is located in the South of Germnay at the base of the Black Forest about an hour from the Swiss Border and less than 2 hours from the French border. It is a twin city with the team located in Villingen and Schwenningen being about 5 kms up the hill. We live inside the city walls on Färberstraße which is also conveniently the street where all the local watering holes are located! Our flat is 10 m from one of the club sponsors, Saki Bar!! The landscape is pretty similar to Canada but I do miss the big mountains of the west and the ocean from Vancouver or the puddle from the Pond!! Villingen wasn't damaged during WWII so most of the city wall is still original and in the proccess fo being restored. It is quite spectacular.

So that is all for now about where I am and what is going on.......more to come as we have already played 2 games and won both!! I have also been able to go see a few cities nearby with hopefully more to come!

Tschus for now!