Day 3: August 2nd

New days bring new challenges. I think the thing that I have learned over these last few days is that family means everything, and home is always going to be with them. I think that when you leave a place that is familiar it is often dark and sad other places. Today, I awoke around 9am Swedish time. This is 8 hours ahead of my family in Colorado. I don’t like not being able to talk to them or send them a text with an instant reply. I don’t like wondering what they are doing or how they are feeling. I awoke, and did the typical morning routine, shower, eat, brush my teeth and other essentials. I have felt like I have been waiting for something to happen or longing for something to take my time. I found myself writing about the first two days and reflecting on the time I had spent here already. I was eager to get started and head to the rink. A new rink, new locker-room and many new teammates. I am living with two girls currently at a temporary home until our permanent accommodations are ready. Alexa, is from Canada and Fumika is from Japan. I find comfort in them because they are all experiencing the same things. As we leave for the rink, I am excited to see where the day goes. From the temporary housing to the rink, it is 35 minutes by car. We arrive and get ready for workout. During this time, we great our new teammates and exchange the similar conversations of the day before. All very welcoming and excited. Then we head upstairs to the workout facilities. I think that the training style in Sweden is much different from your typical NCAA or college training. At home there is an emphasis on strength and an idea that the stronger you are the more it will translate to your on-ice play. I think that it is much different here. They have an emphasis on conditioning and speed. The workout that we did, was by far the hardest workout that I have done in my entire life. Mind you I had just gotten of a 16-hour plane ride, so my legs were a bit heavy. Either way it was very difficult, and it seemed like it was difficult for everyone. Funny the workout was called a cry baby since in previous years multiple girls left crying. We made it through with no tears and there is nothing to do now except hydrate and recover. I will say that my legs are tired and I definingly need to hydrate. I seemed to notice however that through this workout the darkness faded, and that I was at home, at the rink. I felt comfortable around my teammates and knew that this is where I am supposed to be. I was happy. August 3rd is my birthday and coincidently August 2nd is another girl on the team’s birthday as well. We all planned to go into the city of Gothenburg and have dinner. It was pouring rain and was not very nice weather for walking however we managed to find a very cute restaurant in the city. They all have very nice screened in porches with a lot of seating. It is the prettiest downtown that I have seen besides the one at home in Steamboat. I had a very delicious mushroom risotto and was full of food, laughter, and conversation from my teammates. In the summertime in Sweden, it doesn’t get dark until late at night and we drove home in adequate sunlight at around 1100pm. Still raining and windy, I sat down on the table to call my parents. It was only around 2pm for them and they were just getting home from the grocery store. Familiar faces make me miss home and with tears in my eyes I spoke to them longing from their arms to be wrapped around me. I miss them, and the comfort they bring. The comfort they bring is much like the comfort I felt at the rink, so I am excited to continue to spend time there and with my teammates. As I shower and fall into bed, I am grateful, for my family and for knowing I am loved even across the world.