The Past three months have had a completely different atmosphere than the rest of the time I have been here in Bekescsaba. We have had about three months of practices and very few matches. Our last official Hungarian season match was on February 1st against Miskolc and since then we have had four informal matches.
We have been practicing a ton (morning and night every day) with one or two days off each week in preparation for the playoffs.
Of the twelve first division teams in Hungary we finished third with seventeen wins and five losses. But the season isn't over yet.
Basically, all that we have been working for in the past seven months will boil down to our performance in the next eight weeks. Here's how it all works. So the top eight teams in Hungary go to the playoffs. In order to advance to the final four, you have to win three matches against the other team. So, our first playoff match is this Thursday March 19 against Nireghaza. We will play them again on March 22 in Nireghaza and then it continues every Thursday and Sunday until one of us has won three matches. The winner advances to the final four and the process starts over again with another race to win three matches.
I am really excited to see how well our team can do together.
In the midst of our hard working, we still find ways to have fun though- for sure. It is so exciting learning about a new culture. Even though I have been living in Hungary for seven months, I am still experiencing new things. Here we are celebrating Farsang, where we all dress up to scare away winter. I really hope it worked, though I don't mind the snow all that much.
During one of our weekends off, we spent some relaxing team bonding time at an adventure park in Sasta. It was really nice to get some fresh air and a new beautiful scenery.
The main event at the adventure park was the coaster ride. We all strapped in and went down this hill ten times. It was awesome!
The most adventurous part came when we walked across the "Indiana Jones Bridge." My fear of heights really kicked in. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made it to the other side if I didn't have Nikki walking along beside me the whole way, even with all the protective guarding on the bridge.
We got to experience all the adventure that comes from riding broken bikes. If you ended up riding the bike that you thought wasn't broken, you were doomed.
This is where I realized why I am a professional volleyball player, not a professional archer.
I am so grateful for all the people here that have really brought this adventure to life. I'm grateful for everyday that I get to play volleyball and be a member of the team here in Bekescsaba.
Thanks again to all the friends, family, teammates, coaches, and others who have made it possible for me to have this incredible opportunity!
