Day 70

Well it was back to reality today..we had practice and there were literally 6 of us barely. Carro was sick, along with Petra, Rebecca and Miyuki..and Joosey had to work..so ya it was crazy..and i felt like shit all day..Ive had the worst toothache known to man. I t started on the night train on my way back (greaaaat timing) I was miserable..so ya and then today all the jumping made it feel greaat also..it was awful. I hate when you have a toothache..theres nothing you can do about it and it just consumes you ugggghhh so I went to the dentist after practice and the only dentist in town is sick!!! The whole town is sick...what the hell! So i made an appt with a dentist in Skelleftea..so Jessica is going to take me tommorow and hopefully they can fix me up..thank god. So ya..let you know how that goes..anyway i didnt do too much else with my day...just trying to distract myself from my tooth..I watched a couple movies while i sat with a hot washcloth on my face..I wish my mom was here right about now:( So anyway..gonna see if I can get some sleep..More Later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 69

So today i woke up early early and said goodbye to Britty and Mark and Dez drove me to the airport. I got there just barely in time..i cut it close for sure..but i made my flight..slept the whole way..then got to Stockholm Skavsta and took the bus to Central station where i waited around forever..well for like 5 hours for my train..So we were waiting outside for a really long time before the train came so i was freeezing. So i get on the train and sit next to this woman who doesn't speak english..but she touches my hand and puts her gloves on me!! It was very very sweet but what is it with people putting their gloves on me! haha..then she hands me a sandwich..after a whole day of traveling..i imagine i did look pretty haggard though..ahaha so ya she was sweet though:) Then I finally made it to Bastutrask, got a cab and made it to Norsjo by 6am ugghh..such a long day! So ya basically didnt do too much today..went and got groceries..and thats about it! Well..I need to get some sleep cause i have practice tommorow..More Later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 68 Last Day in Paris

Today was our last day in Paris:( So sad..but we made the best of it.. We had lunch at this great resturaunt..the courses were so good. We had frnch onion soup, followed by a ham and cheese crepe and then chocolate mousse..mmm so good..then me and Britt polished off Mark's cheese plate haha..then we made our way to Sacre Coeur where we were gonna meet up with my friend Dez. So we got there..took some pictures..It's surprising because you get off the metro and youre not in a good neighborhood and then you see this massive gorgeous structure! It was fun though..we climbed like 1000 stairs to get to the top..then once we were there we walked around the artists square where a million people ask if they can draw you..but its fun to look at the portraits..theyre really good. So then we finallly met up with Dez and we all sat down at this cafe outside with outdoor heaters thank god..and had some wine..and people watched. It was a very french place, so i'm glad we did that our last night..Then we made our way to St Michael area..which is a really young fun place for young people to go out..so we went to a bar there, then went for a walk around the neighborhood..and finally back to our hotel..So it was a great and very relaxing last night. I dont't want to leave Paris though..its such a gorgeous city..with endless things to do..but anyway gotta catch my flight tommorow. More Later!

xoxo Kerri

Day 67 Christmas in Paris!!!

Today we went to Euro Disney!!! We got there around 3 and didnt leave til it closed at 10. We had so much fun. Mark was so happy..he literally was skipping around all day..no joke..haha We went on a bunch of rides..let's see..We did the Aerosmith roller coaster which was fun, then we did Tower of Terror, Pirates of the Caribbean, the teacups, space mountain..we did everything..and we saw the castle in Fantasyland all lit up and sparkling, and Christmas music was playing..it was so pretty!! So we made it to all the lands Adventureland, Fantasy land..everywhere..i was exhausted by the end!! Right as we were leaving we saw a couple of the characters and wanted to get a picture with Rafiki from Lion King..so we went up to him..although we figured out he has to be a girl...we me, Britt and Mark went up to him and wanted a pic..so he throws his hands in front of Britt and backhands me to block us out of the picture so he could get a good pic of just him and Mark!!!! We were like what Disney character would do that???? ahahaha so we figured whoever it was..guy or girl..really liked Mark! haha..so then we went and got some hot wine and walked around people watching..then went home to the tiniest hotel in the world and slept.. More Later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 66 Christmas Eve in Paris!!!

Christmas Eve in Paris! :) We woke up today and got our daily coffee and Ham and cheese sandwich from this cafe by our hotel..so so good..french bread is amazing:) Then we hopped on the metro to meet Mark and Jen at the Louvre!! We got there and took a ton of pictures an then met them inside. Inside was crazy..It was visually overstimulating..I was a bit overwhelmed actually. I dint know what to focus on..All of the pieces are so amazing ..you really need like 3 days to walk through and fully appreciate everything. But it was still amzing to be there..and we saw the Mona Lisa and got alot of pictures of everything..so it was a good day:) Then we went to get some wine for our Christmas dinner back at our friend Jen's hostel. jen is a friend we met our first night in Paris..Mark knows her, and she actually plays for a team in Austria in Britty's league..small world..but ya so we got to the hostel and there were just a ton of people there..all young tourists..and all the people who worked there were our age and doing like a work abroad program..so they spoke good english:) So dinner was greeat..we had salmon, mussels, turkey and really good ice cream for dessert:) Then we got in trouble a few times..once for bringing in our own wine..and then Brittney got yelled at cause she popped the champagne and it was soo loud..haha after our dinner we went downstairs and kareoked for the rest of the night..we made friends with pretty much everyone down there..there were a bunch of australians who we had so much fun with. o we stayed up like all night doing that..then we got on the metro around 6 am..but i couldnt find my coat anywhere and it was soooo cold!! I had on a short sleeved shirt and my scarf and Britt's scarf..so i guess i looked kind of homeless..so we get on the metro and we're next to this guy ..and he was sleepin..but when we got on..he woke up, and looked so startled by my appearance..and he was the one that was homeless! So he starts talkin to me in french..and handed me a glove off of his hand! Yes..one glove. Then a couple minutes later he hands me the other one..but sais that he wants them back before he gets off. Then he offered me some of his drink..which was orange juice in a waterbottle..and i'm pretty sure it was mixed with vodks..so i politely declined haha..then he offered me some change!! Like he reaaaally felt bad for me! I was like wow..what the hell do i look like right now that this guy thinks I'm so much worse off than him? hahaah so that was defientely a trip highlight..Mark and Brittney were dying..so the rest of our trip we were always offering eachother 1 glove haha..So yaaa great Christmas Eve for sure..More Later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 65 2nd Day in Paris

Today we went to Mt Saint Michael and to Notre Dame. We went in and walked around and it was absolutely beautiful. There were huge columns and the ceiling never ends. There were candles everywhere and the music was so pretty. We sat down and prayed and just took everything in for awhile. It was so gorgeous..I still can't believe I was actually there. After that we got crepes and walked around..looked in shops..then we went to the Eiffel tower as it got dark. I guess it's a different color every month..and tonight it was a really pretty blue and it was sparkling..so pretty. So we took a bunch of pictures..then walked around the Christmas market going on right next to it. After that we were kind of hungry..so we stopped in this really nice little place and got a cheese plate and some wine..which was amazing. It was a really cozy little place:) Then we made our way to the world famous street Champs! We kind of stumbled upon it which was funny..we were like hmm i wonder if theres any good shopping on this street! ummm yaaa there definetely is:) there were soooo many people..and the street is lit up beautifully and the street is so wide and goes on for miles it looks like. So as we were walking down Champs me and Britt were talking about how we wish we could meet someone who could show us around the city..cause we really didnt have any plans that night..So out of nowhere this guy pops up and starts talking to us and asked us if we were American blah blah..and he asked us what we were doing that night and said he could show us around..Britt and I figured it was safe because 1.) He was 5'5 and 2.) We were surrounded by a million people..so he took us to St Michael area and we sat down at a bar for awhile and talked..then we went and walked around outside and sat by the Sienne river:) Then we went and got crepes of course..im totally obsessed with crepes now..theyre so so good..the ones with Nutella in them:) So that was really really fun. So we ended up getting the metro back to our hotel around 6am..got some breakfast at the hotel and some stares from alot of people haha and went to bed!! More Later
xoxo Kerri

Day 64 First day in Paris!!!

Well I made it to Paris finally! I got my bag, then caught the bus to Paris..then the metro to get Britt from the airport..which took me forever to figure out! And i had the most disgusting experience on the metro!! This guy was sitting right to the side of me and i could feel him stare at me so i turned around and he was definetely playing with himself completely out in the open..it was so disgusting so i moved..but then he moved seats too!! So i got off the metro and finally got to Britt thank god..annnyways..not quite the start i was hopin for! So ya I finally made it to Britt and we started our trek around the city to find our hotel..Le Classe Roissy Parc de Exposition..longest name ever..so ya we got to where we thought it was and started falling in love with our neighborhood and we asked where our hotel was..and this guy told us that OUR hotel was on the other side of the city..like an hour away!!! No one told us there were TWO Parc de Expositions!! So we just ate some food in what we thought was our neighborhood, before we started our journey to our side of the city. 2 metros and 2 wrong busses later, we finallllly got there!! We were supposed to have a King bed..but instead we got this beyond tiny room with 3 bunk beds!! hahaha The bathroom was the smallest thing ever..the shower was literally above the toilet! So ya it was quite the adventure trying to shower..water got evvverywhere. haha So we hurried and got ready and then we were off to meet Mark and a few of his friends who he knew here. We went to this Canadian bar called moose and it was really cute. So we hung out there for a long time having cider and playing games and getting to know eachother..it was really really fun..k well More Later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 63 TRIP TO PARIS!!

Well I made it to Glasgow..but with alot of hassle and a really embarrassing story:) haha So first of all when i was trying to board to go to Glasgow..they wouldnt let me cause they said i had no visa..so they took me in this back little room while they called Anders and tried to figure it all out..I was so scared! I dint know what to do! But it all worked out and they let me on the flight..then I finally got to Glasgow and the guy taking my passport was like oh what are you doing here? And i was like well I'm on my way to Paris..so im just gonna be spending a night in England. He was like..ummm youre in Scotland hun!! I was like wwwooow..ooopsies haha..He was like you dont know where you are, do you? I was like apparently not..how embarassing so ya note to self..Glasgow is in Scotland..not England..hahaha Ive been telling people Glasgow England for weeks! ahh Annnnyway so i was pretty productive at the Glasgow airport..I wrote a few poems and looked over my french phrase book:) So yaa and i kinda tried to plan my day out for when i get there..i have to make my way from BVA airport which is like an hr from Paris..into Paris..then i have to figure out how to get Britty from her airport..Orly. So that should pretty much take all day:) haha K well more later!!!
xoxo Kerri

Day 62 TRIP TO PARIS!!

So I've been writing in my journal throughout my trip..but didnt have much time to get on the computer to catch up on my blogg..so I'll start with on Saturday. We played Katrineholm. Theyre like 3 in our league. They had a really really good setter, so that helped them out alot..but we played a pretty good game..so ya we lost 3-1 though. Carro was the libero beacuse Becca is still sick..so she did a good job..and Anders wasn't there cause he was sick too..so all things considering, we played well as a team. After the game we had a team dinner at the thai resturaunt which was really good..then i went over to Emelie's with Jill and Tina and we had a little girls night which was fun..then evelina and carro drove me to the the train station:) The girls from Katrineholm were taking the same train..so I was talking to them for awhile and made a couple friends:) Ida was my fav though..she was really funny..We were gonna eat in the resturaunt on the train but it was closed:( So i just went to bed.. and slept surprisingly well for being on the train..from like 12-7am..so ya I feel energized for my day of shopping in Stockholm now:) So my trip could have been totally ruined though..I got off the train and didnt even realize i didnt have my purse! This girl who was in my same car came sprinting after me with it! Thank God!! Ahh so that shook me up a little..After that..i stored my luggage at Stockholm central and fround a cute little coffee shop and just wrote in my journal and listened to music on my computer. Being in Stockholm by myself having no plan whatsoever was really invigorating..i felt really free..so i shopped all day..and didnt get lost once! I was so proud of myself! haha..I shopped all day then caught the bus from the train station to the Skavsta airport..and my flights delayed..not that it matters cause i'll be spending the whole night in Glasgow anyway! So ya basically i spent my time at Skavsta people watching and writing in my journal.. So ya i get into Glasgow at 1040 and dont depart til 640..so it'll be along night..but im so excited..i love little adventures like this..hence all my greyhound trips:) So ya More Later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 61

Team Christmas Pic:)

This will be short because I'm tired kind of early for once..so i'm gonna go to sleep! But today was okay..I went over to Mac's house for lunch. Mac is a girl who plays on the Division 1 team. She's originally from Chile and is really really really sweet. So she invited me over today for lunch. We had lasagna..it was really good..then we played video games for awhile haha..then I went home to start my to do list for the day..before i leave..I went to Novicom to get new headphones, and more money on my phone. Then I had practice which went ehh not so hot..now im at home..just finished packing for Paris, took a shower, cleaned my apt, did some laundry, took out the trash..lots of stuff:) So ya now im pretty tired and tommorow is going to be a looong but great day. We have practice at 930 am, then play Katrineholm, then a team dinner, then hang out for while until I catch the night train!! Ahhh sooo excited I cannot wait!!!!!!! Oh and Mom and Natalie..you know i have a photo album on here too right? Hopefully you did..but if u didnt now u do!! k well More Later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 60

Wow I can't believe I've been here for 60 days..thats crazy. It feels like I just got here..but it feels like home kind of too because Ive made some really good friends:) Today was a really long but fun day..I woke up early..like 11 haha which is early considering i went to bed at 4..so ya..went tanning at the gym, and caught up with Jill..then I met up with Tina and we went to konsum to get some snacks and watched the Shining at her house..well most of it anyway..which was fun. Then I went over to Jessica's and we made "risgrott"? Christmas porridge..which is like rice pudding..so gooood. And we made homemade eggnog..which was even more amazing:) Then we just sat around and talked..it was me, Jessica, her sister Josephine and her hubby Andreas and all the kids..so the kids were making gingerbread cookies and making Christmas decorations..So it was totally a perfect Christmasy day:) Now I'm just at home..updating you guys and watching a lame Ben Affleck movie on tv haha..I have so much to do before I leave for Paris..so I need to get to that..packing, laundry, figuring out where I'm going when I land in Paris! Ahh..and me and Britt are flyin into different airports..so since im flyin in before her i think i might just take a bus to her airport and we can get lost together at least! K welll..More Later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 59

Well yesterday I woke up and didnt do too much..I had lunch with Tina..so that was the highlight of my day haha. We went to Petra's cafe and caught up on life..and I convinced her to buy a plane ticket to the States before I leave..to make sure she actually comes! So ya haha..then I went home for a bit and relaxed before i went to coach for the last time until next year:) The girls got to choose what they wanted to do, so it was alot of playing:) Then I walked to ICA to get a snack before practice cause i was starvvving..and then we had our practice. Practice went really well I think..I'm really excited for Saturdays game..it feels like everyone is focused and on the same page..so its good. Then I cam home and talked with one of my friends on Skype for like 2 1/2 hours..haha which was good..then I went to bed at 4am..haha..Well More Later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 58

So today was a fun day..we had practice which went pretty well. We worked alot on defense which was really good..After practice we changed into our uniforms, got ready, and went to the studio to get our pics taken. We took a new tem pic and then we took a bunch of Christmas pics. They are gonna turn out really really cute I think. I was Santa..I had on a glittery hat and a glittery robe and sat in a big chair in the middle of all the girls..All the girls had on Santa hats too..So that was pretty fun:) I'll post those when we get them..After that me, Sofie, Miyuki and Evelina went over to Mac's house for ficka..which was amazing by the way..we had sandwiches, cookies and Mac made a delicious cake for Miyuki's bday. The cake was so good! It was like angel cake with chocolate pudding and blueberries..yummm..So ya it was really sweet of her to have us over..and she's gonna have us over on Thurday so we can go sledding with mattresses! Funn..can't wait:) So now I'm just at home hangin out watching one of my fav movies..The Bodyguard. And I've been talkin to Mark on facebook and he told me he messaged Britty..so that's good..so now hopefully shes more comfortable with the idea of him comin with us:) Oh ya and Miyuki is gonna be in Paris too!! So we're gonna meet up one night for dinner or something..K well More Later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 57

Well today was a pretty mellow day. I did make an addition to my Paris trip though haha.. Listen to this..So the guy I met on Saturday, Mark, seemed pretty cool, and it's always nice to talk to another American, so I decided to facebook him..We messaged back and forth for awhile and he didnt have any plans for Christmas, but was thinking about maybe going to Germany or Paris..so basically long story short..he's coming to Paris with me and Brittney hahaha..this is so my style..to meet new people and go on trips with them like i've known them forever! I told him he could come as long as he likes to shop and go out at night..and he's in.. haha..so I talked to Britt and she's cool with it..so he's gonna get a room at the same hotel hopefully..so the more the merrier! So it's official..in a time span of 12 hours I made a new friend and we're gonna be in Paris together ahha..i love it. He's already planning things he wants to do..like go to EuroDisney..haha..it'll be really fun, im so excited..4 days til i leave!!!! Then I had weights today, and coaching. Not too interesting today..didn't hit anyone in the face like last time..Oh but Paola did forget her shoes and played in her socks again haha..gotta love her..Then I got home and have just been messaging Chelsea, Mark, Zee and Jordana back and forth..Now I'm going to email my Mama and Natalie..who if youre reading this..Ive been trying to get ahold of you!!! K well I'm gonna try and go to bed soon..its 2am so if i lay in bed now..i might be asleep by 4 haha..K More Later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 56

Yesterday we had the same schedule pretty much as Saturday. I was pretty exhausted since i only got like 4 1/2 hours of sleep..uggghh..I dont know why I have such a hard time sleeping..My head hits the pillow and i want to go to sleep so bad, but my mind just races..so annoying. Anyway so we had our game against Solletuna..and it wasn't pretty. I don't know what the hell went wrong. Our whole team was off. Our warmup was slow..everything felt really slow..our game was delayed a little bit and on top of that the floor was so slippery it was ridiculous..but still no excuse for everyone to have an off game. I played horrible. Like horrible. I couldnt do anything right..I just wasnt in the game at all. So I was really upset with myself for sure..I just want to forget about this game and focus on having great practices this week and a good game against Katrineholm on Saturday. So after the game a girl from Solletuna came up to me and we started talking. She was American and from Laguna Beach, CA and this was her first year playing so we had alot in common. She was really nice..so hopefully we can chat on skype or something sometime. This was a good weekend for making friends i guess haha..Then we went to the mall to eat dinner and look around a bit. i didnt buy anything though..I'm saving up for when i have a whole day by myself in Stockholm..and Paris. So ya, then we went to the airport and waited aroun..by then it was like 630 and our flight wasnt til 10:15 ugh..so we had awhile. Yvonne wanted to look at all my pictures on my computer..so that kept us busy for awhile..then we were all just talking for a long time..My team is so funny..They say the funniest things and they dont even know they are being funny..i love it. We're getting to know eachother better and better everyday and i just like them more and more. So thats good. So then we got on our plane and like 20 minutes into our flight we're told we have to land because we have an air leak:( Scary..but ya so then we deplaned and finally made it to Skelleftea, where we took a bus to Norsjo..such a trek..so I finally got back to my apt at 230..and went to sleep within an hour..so not too bad i guess. K well more later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 55

Today we woke up and had our wonderful breakfast at the hotel at like 9 am..The breakfasts here are amazing mmm:) Then we hung out in our rooms for awhile, then took a little walk outside the hotel before driving an hour to have lunch..We had lunch at this hotel that was near the gym..it had a buffet..I wasn't to hungry but ate anyway;) Then we headed to the gym for the game. The game was really good. We played Orebro..the champions from last year. We ended up losing in 5 games by a few points..We had it in our hands and just let it slip at the end..which was so so frustrating ugggghh..We should have won that game. Everyone did a good job though..Carro and Yvonne did a really really good job passing, and Miyuki was our libero (since she still can't jump, and Rebekah is sick) I played good until the 5th game so I was pretty pissed..I should have played better in the 5th game..I can't change anything now..so im not going to dwell on it..We have another game tommorow and a chance to pull off a win against a top 5 team..so that would be pretty cool. Anyway, so after our game tonight a guy came up to me and asked where I played college..the first thing outta my mouth was "You speak English..like really good!"..I sounded like a freakin retard haha..but anyway..He said he's playin volleyball for a team like an hour away..and he's from New York..He was really cute too:) So ya..anyway..After that, we had dinner with Orebro in this room at the gym..we had pasta and salad..After that we drove for an hour towards our next hotel..but made a pitstop at this huge grocery superstore for snacks..Although evveryone went straight for the candy aisle haha..So ya, then we were on the road for another hour until we reached our hotel..had a quick recap of the game..went over our plan for tommorow..then went to our rooms. Joosey is my roomie again, which is really fun..we're really comfortable with eachother, so its good. So I've been having the woooorst problem sleeping though!!! II have not been able to sleep for the life of me..And it sucks because last night I was so tired..physically and mentally, but couln't go to sleep until like 230..ugghh..so I think I'm gonna get some sleepin pills at the pharmacy or something when we get back..anyway..so big game tommorow against Solletuna..I think If we play just one step up from how we played today..we should win..We just need to kill the ball more, instead of rallying all the time..that's all. K More Later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 54

Well today I woke up really early and went to Lucia with Jill. It was still dark outside when we got to the church. The huge scary, but really really pretty church, in town. The contrast of the dark sky with the bright snow was gorgeous..Then we got inside the church and there were candles everywhere..it was so pretty. The actual program was only like a half hour long, but it was really fun to experience. All the kids were on stage with candles, singing Christmas carols and "Lucia" stood in front of everyone with a wreath of candles on her head and her hands together..she was the only one who was just supposed to stand there, not singing, and look pretty:) Jill told me that usually at least one person passes out because of the heat of the candle..so I was kinda hopin to see someone faint haha, but i didn't:( It was fun though..Then I went home and slept until it was time to leave for the airport. So we drove to Skelleftea, then flew to Stockholm..then made it to the hotel..Big game tommorow. We play the champions of last year..Orebro..so it should be a really good game. More Later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 53

I woke up really late today..but I woke up feeling alot better than yesterday. I drank like 6 cups of tea last night before i went to bed, so maybe that had something to do with it:) Anyway..practice was good today..alot better than the other day. It felt like everyone was more focused..so that was good. Rebekah..our little 15 yr old libero, wasn't at practice..she has a migraine and a fever..so she's not travelling this weekend! :( So we have no libero..wtf. I guess Miyuki will play libero, since she's not 100% able to jump yet. So ya..i'll let you know how this weekend goes..should be interesting for sure. Not much else went on today..I got home, took a shower and did some laundry. I was going to go to Skelleftea tommorow and shop, but I think I'm gonna save my money and wait til I have a whole day in Stockholm by myself..to spend it:) And in Paris of course:) :) :) So ya..tommorow I'm going to this thing tommorow morning with Jill..It's called Lucia..it's the celebration of Light..Im not sure if it's at the church or in a school..I really dont know too much aout it..Jill and Emelie tried to explain it to me..but im gonna have to ask again..haha..anyway.so I'm gonna go to bed cause Lucia is pretty early in the am..and i need my sleep:) More Later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 52

Well I felt like shit basically all day today. I woke up and I was really dizzy and light headed and had a huge headache. I took some ipren but it didnt help at all. I spent today brainstorming idead for Christmas presents for my Mom, my sissy and Jordana. I want to send my sister Noelle and my little brother something too..and little somethings for my nieces and nephew..I've never bought anything for babies before though..what do you get a baby for Christmas? haha..i'll figure it out. So I walked to coach my team today..It wasnt that cold out..not too much wind like the other day..I was dying! But today was ok..I mean i still go outside in my full attire (boots, coat, scarf, gloves and earwarmers) but today was a good day:) Coaching was good..It was really hard to be there though..I was NOT feeling good at all. We worked on controlled passing and setting, then we played for along time..so it was good. Oh we also hit at the girls so they could practice staying low and moving their feet to get under the ball..but a couple of the girls just not listening! I hit 2 of them in the face. One on purpose (not hard, just hard enough for them to wake up and pay attention!) And the other one I hit on accident:) Then we had our practice..We started off running for like 15 minutes..i was really light headed, then we did jumps over hurdles which made me feel worse..I had to run to the bathroom and throw up:( So ya..didnt feel great. I really wanted to stay and practice, but the team and Anders voted I go home and rest..ugghh I really wanted to practice! We have 2 big games this weekend..but i guess theres nothing i can do about it..so I came home and rested..Now I'm gonna go to bed..hopefully i'll feel better tommorow..i really have no choice..I have to feel better. K more later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 51

So today not too much went on..same old routine..Today I was on skype and a bunch of random people started messaging me..and i was pretty bored and it never hurts to make new friends..so i was talking to them for awhile..haha. They were from Egypt, Turkey, France..everywhere really..i know im kind of a loser for making online friends..but it was fun:) Annnyway..then we had practice..which went well up until the last 5 minutes. We did this drill where we go down the line and serve our game serves until we miss..so most everybody got like 3 tough serves in..and then there were 2 girls who were left serving back and forth forever..not really serves that would win games..Im not trying to mean or anything but they werent great serves. Anders was pissed because he thought we should have put more balls in the court..and i tried to explain to him that when you serve tough, errors happen..and if he wanted us to serve back and forth all day..i couldve done that, but i thought we were supposed to serve tough balls..anyway he didnt quite understand my frustration..and to make things worse..he yelled at Miyuki for stepping over the line (one time) when she served. He was like "Why did you step over the line when I told you not to?" Poor Miyuki..its not like she did it on purpose..But she did manage to say.."I would never do that in a game..but in practice its okay"..oops..that made Anders furious..he told her to not give him attitude. At first I was really pissed at the situation and that he didnt get my point, but after the Miyuki thing I was almost laughing..because she doesn't have an attitude at all, its just that she doesnt understand..and he gets so worked up about it..its really funny i think. Anyway..im goin to bed now..its like 3am. More Later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 50

This morning I woke up early with a toothache:( So..I shoved some "ipren" down my throat and went back to bed til it was dark outside:) My tooth hurt pretty much all day, so I def need to make a dentist appt. So I went to weights today, then had to coach. Today we worked on serving overhand. Some of the girls are way ahead, and others are seriously lacking hand-eye coordination..and it's awful because me and jessica just sit back and laugh whenever the girls do something totally wrong, or just fall:) Like today one of the gitls, Paola, forgot her shoes and practiced in her socks. She was falling all over the place haha. the funny thing is, she usually falls even with shoes. And then today we also worked on "sprawling" (diving). So we had the girls start at one end of the court and practice diving until they reached the other end of the court. Everyone was doing a great job..except for one girl..who when we said "sprawl" she would fall to her knees and crawl. Me and Jessica just looked at eachother and died laughing..we're horrible i know..But it was really rewarding today when working with the girls on their overhand serves. There were 2 in particular that I spent alot of time with, who finally got it by the end. I was so so proud of them! PS one of them was the crawler;) haha..Anyway, then Jessica invited me over to eat Thai food..and since I had been craving thai food and didnt get any yesterday:( I said yes..Her friend B, who is from Thailand, had cooked this amzing meal. We had swordfish soup, and Hare meat and rice. Hare was really good actually..once I got the picture of a poor rabbit out of my head:( So ya..then we just sat around and talked for a long time..We made plans for another day..to make homemade eggnog..mmm..my idea:) Cant wait for that..Anyway More Later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 49

So today I woke up and went to practice. We had it early today..from 1-3..It was nice to have it semi early..made me get out of bed! haha..Practice was really fun today..we did alot of queen of the court and back row attack..which are my favorites:) Then I went home and was craving some thai food, so i decided to walk to the thai resturaunt and get some food. Worst idea ever. 1.) It was -25 outside and my face was freakin frozen..literally and 2.) The damn place was closed! Ughhhh..So I just went to ICA and got a pizza..and some chocolate mmm..But tommorow it's back to eating healthy for the week..so tonights my night to get all the eating unhealthily out of my system:) So I talked to Britty tonight and we were talkin about our trip to Paris..We are soo soo excited..I still can't believe we're going together..for a week! It's gonna be such an adventure..especially with me taking the train, having a whole day in Stockholm by myself, and an overnight layover in england! haha..cant wait:) Then she told me the most hilarious story I have evr heard... seriously..You kind of have to know Britty, and how she is, but it's still hilarious. So I'm going to cut and paste what she wrote me: On December 5th in Austria they have a pre-xmas celebration called Krumpas Day. What a Krumpas is, is a demonic being who beats you with a stick if you've been naughty the last year. Yes, I'm very serious. They have full attire and bells around their neck and lurk around the villages attacking people at random! Today at practice we could hear their cow bells lurking around the halls and locker rooms. I was actually scared. Does this sound horrifying to anyone else? As I'm running a lap, I see a mound of fur pop through curtain and he has a huge horn and red eyes. I pretty much freaked out, it just caught me so fucking off guard! It was so much more frightening than the girls described! I'll attach a picture so you can understand my horror. It was so unreal to see how elborate this celebration was!!! As we left the village we saw about 10 parading in the street with massive pyrotechnics displays and the whole village there to celebrate. I'm pretty sure I'll have nightmares tonight and every december 5th for the rest of my life. So I was dyyyying laughing after I read this hahahahahaaha..I'll attach the picture so you can all see how scared poor Britty must have been! Anyway...that pretty much made my night..so I'll end with that for now. More Later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 48

Today was a great day. I had morning practice, which went very well..so much better than yesterdays practice..then the team had lunch together like we always do..in Sara's work, at the school..Josephine and I were feeling like we needed a little extra inspiration for the game..so we watched some highlights of Cuba, Italy and the U.S. playing on Anders computer..That got me pretty fired up:) Then we had an hour to kill, as we usually do, and i got ready for the game (did my hair,ext, listened to my ipod and visualized the game) The game went well. We won in 4. I didnt really feel into it until the 3rd set though..but I did pretty well..I know I can definetely do better..I need to work myself into my blocking game alot sooner than I did tonight..but I'm generally happy with my performance:) Josephine got Player of the Gme:) She did well tonight..she had like 8 aces..so that was really good. After the game Carro picked me up and we went to Evelina's place and baked gingerbread cookies (Pepperkochan?) Jill, Emelie or Tina..if youre reading this I'm sorry for the spelling..stop laughing. So ya we made a ton of cookies! Then we watched handball Sweden vs Russia..which was really really fun to watch..Then we had some rhubarb pie, and cenuck? Which is this hard candy..you boil it and then freeze it..It wa really good..tastes like Werther's Original kinda:) Then I tried "Glogg"..You drink it hot..It tastes kind of like wine..but non alcoholic..you put almonds and raisins in it..I thought it was pretty gross..but I'm glad I tried it:) After Eve's I went down to Emelie's where her and Jill were hanging out..doing more baking. Eveyone is so damn domestic! haha..So they baked more "Pepperkochan"..then we were just hanging out..talking about how bad of a temper Emelie has when it comes to being competitive. Watching her and Jill go back and forth talking was hilarious. The conversation went something like this: Emelie: "I like team sports..I think I'm a good team player"..Jill: "What? Emelie, you have the worst temper..you should not play team sports..and you are not a team player." Emelie: "Youre right...damn ."It was hilarious..Then it was them going back and forth..Emelie asking what sports she WOULD be good at..and Jill pretty much shooting down every sport she suggested hahaha..Then we watched Britney Spears "For the record"..which was good. Then they took me home..they had to drive an hour to Skelleftea to get their boyfriends..so now i'm just gonna go to bed I'm so so tired! More later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 47

Today was kind of boring..I didnt do too much..I looked for things for me and Britty to do in Paris and downloaded songs:) Then I went to practice..it was okay today..not the best..which makes me nervous since we have a game tommorow! Soo hopefully we'll have a great morning practice tommorow:) Then I went to the boys' hockey game with Jill. I love watching hockey now:) I've been to 2 games so far.and I watch it on tv sometimes..as well as handball haha:) So the game was kind of bad..they lost 0-3..but I just go for the fights anyway:) Its so freakin cold in the rink..its like being outside! I need to get some snow pants sooon..So after that I came home..had something to eat...and taked to Jordana..finnnaally:) ugh..Its been so long since I've talked to her! Its so hard because shes' going through a really tough time right now and I want to be there for her as much as I can..which is hard to do over the computer:( So I talked to her for a good half an hour which was good. Well Im going to try to go to bed..although it takes me like an hour to fall asleep these days..its so annoying. I go to bed and my brain just won't shut off! So we'll see. Game day tommorow:) More later!
xoxo Kerri

My Address

Mom, I told you I would put up my address so here you go:) I love you!!!
Kerri Beck
LOMTJARNVAGEN 4 I
93531 Norsjo, Sweden

Day 46

Today I went tanning over at the gym..Jill lets me tan there for free:) I really need to bake her some cookies or something cause she is always so sweet to me..After that I went to ICA and got some groceries..then I went over to Miyuki's to see how she was holdin up. Her ankle looks pretty much the same as mine did..so hopefully she'll have the same recovery time. They want her to play for our game on Saturday..so I reaaally hope she'll be ready. After that I came home and did some writing, and then Freja came over. I told her I would help her with her English paper:) She had to write a 2 page paper on the Beatles..so it wasn't bad:) It's been forever since I've written a paper..so I hope she gets a good grade:) Now I'm just looking online for things for me and Britty to do while we're in Paris:) We figured out the hard part..trying to coordinate our schedules and book flights and accomidation..now we need to figure out what we'll do when we get there! I talked to her and we both have the same general idea of what we want to do..go to the Louvre, The eiffel tower, go ice skating in the famous park, and shop shop shop! I need to get quite a few Christmas presents:) Oh and I decided today that Im not going to be teaching english anymore..I just dont really feel like they need me to do anything! I just sat there when I went..and felt retarded..So I was gonna go tommorow kind of out of obligation, but Jill convinced me that I shouldnt do anything that I dont want to do..I should do whatever makes me happy:) So I thought..ya she's right..i dont HAVE to go..so I called the woman and told her i wouldnt be coming anymore..Instead Im going to focus on working on my book, and working on my swedish cd:) That would make me more happy than sitting in a classroom not being useful. So ya. Welll..now im goin to try and call my sissy and Jordana..so More Later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 45

Today I went over to my host family Malin's. I got there and the little kids Julia and Ludwig were playing in the snow in their little snow suits..They are so adorable! Then we went inside and had some ficka and caught up..I hadn't been over there in awhile. They are such a sweet family though..I should go over there more often:) Then I went over to Jessica's house and she helped me book my ticket to Paris..so it's official..I'm really going..and Britty booked our hostel! Aahh i absolutely cannot wait! So ya Jessica was a huge help:) So I stayed over there for awhile..she always has the best food she feeds me:) Then we went to coach at the gym. Practice was good today..the girls seem to be getting better and better and it makes them so much fun to watch. Then I had practice. Today went alot better than yesterday..still needs to be better..but it was a step up from Tuesday. Miyuki sprained her ankle today! It's seriously a curse of the foreigners that they have here in Norsjo! But I am pretty much fine. My ankle was hurting at the beginning of practice..but once I got pretty warm, it was okay. Anyway, then i got home and got to talk to my Mama! It was so so good to hear her voice! I miss her so much:( She said shes getting me a calling card though..so i can call her more often:) And I got to talk to Jordana!! It was sooo good to talk to her too..she's goin through alot right now and i feel so bad that i cant talk to her everyday. It's so weird going from texting her all day and talking at least once a day..to hardly talking to her at all:( We keep in touch on facebook everyday and Skype..but it's not the same. I tried to call my sis like 4 times but she didnt answer:( So i'll try again tonight..Anyway..More later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 44

Today I got a couple things accomplished. I cleaned my apt, and did my laundry..which hadnt been done in I wont say how long..oops:) Then I went to the bank to get my money! And not all of it was there..so I have to talk to my coach about why that is..anyway, not too worried about it. I ran into Carro and Yvonne on my way from the bank..and me and Carro talked about New Years and how we want to do something really fun..No one really celebrates it here..and im done letting my holidays go by without celebration! First Halloween, then Thanksgiving and I refuse to let New Years go by! So we're going to try and reserve a cabin in the woods and have people over there and have music and festivities:) Or if we cant do that, there's a big event room in the middle of our apt complex that people can rent out..so if all else fails we can do that:) Anyway..I gogt home and compared hostels and think I found a really good one that had great reviews..then off to practice. Practice was pretty shitty actually. It seems like evrything/everyone was in slow motion. I was for sure. I wore my ankle brace so tight, and taped it on top of that..I felt like I couldnt move! But it didnt feel like a good practice at all. Tommorw has to be better..we have a game this weeknd and we have to show up. After practice I went over to Jessica's house..she was going to book my flight for me, since i dont have a credit card here. It was her twin daughters birthday..so there were a ton of people at her house, and a ton af amazing food. I had moose meat in this amzing casserole type dish..(im going to ask her for the recipe, it was the best thing ive ever had) and I had reindeer meat and thai salmon soup..mmmm..and kiwi meringue cake for dessert. I was seriously in heaven. We ended up not booking my flight because I still need to figure some things out. I need to call the bus station, because Im taking the bus from Skelleftea to Stockholm..and i need to figure a couple other things out too..anyway, Im goin to bed now..I have a long day tommorow. Im having lunch with my host family, then going over to Jessica's to REALLY book my ticket, then coach my little team, then practice:) So more later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 43

Weell yesterday I slept in..and woke up and it was pitch black outside..ahh crazy. I kind of like it though..its just so different. So I walked to weights. I love walking in norsjo at night (if the wind isnt blowing and freezing my nose hairs) The sky is black, but the snow brightens everyhting uo..It looks gorgeous. Anyway, weights was good..mt ankle feels so good I cant believe it..definetely the shortest recovery time for an ankle sprain I have ever had..and i've had a few:) So..really thank God! After weights I coached my little team..it went fine..I taught them about moving their feet to the ball tonight..because they seem to think that just standing and watching the ball drop is okay..so thats gonna change! Anyway..then I came home and watched some tv and was searching for hostels for my trip..then i tried to go to bed but my mind would not turn off..ughh. I have alot on my mind..I was thinking about practicing and how my ankle would feel jumping around, I was thinking about how much I miss my Mom and sis and Jordana, and I was thinking about Paris and finding the right hostel and a good flight sooon! Anyway..i finally fell asleep..so more later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 42

Mom, this is Tina...You said you wanted to adopt..so here ya go. She really wants to come to the States and be my replacement/the best roommate you've ever had...

Such a sweet Swedish girl...she cleans...

and happily cooks...

and looks desperate in this picture..but she swears she'll be the best roommate you've ever had... hahaha

Today I woke up late..and it was almost dark outside..so that was crazy..Then I looked online for hotels/hostels/flights..I need to book my flight and hotel sooon..like tommorow, so me and Britty are trying to agree on a place. I think together we found a few really good places..so now we just need to pick one. Then Tina came over and we hung out here for a bit..compared nights from last night..then we went over to Sara's and had hot chocolate and pie:) Our team was supposed to be on tv tonight, but they didnt show it..so hopefully it'll be on tommorow or something. The guy who did it came all the way out here for the whole weekend..so it should be a pretty good piece. It was really fun hanging out with the girls..They are so so sweet. Tina was talking about how bad she wants to go to the States..and I told her she should go and live with Mom. haha..My Mom would love it..Tina could be my little replacement..maybe a little better because she semi cooks and has less attitude than me! haha..but my Mom would love the company..and Tina could work at my old job at the winery! It would be perfect:) So I took pictures of Tina tonight..Im going to try and sell her to my Mom..so I took pics of her doing dishes and cooking hahaha..hopefully that'll seal the deal!! Are you reading this Mom? haha..Anyway..now it's 4:05 am so Im going to upload some pics and go to BED! More Later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 41

Well last night I spent the morning getting ready to go to Skelleftea:) Then Freja and I caught the bus to go to Skelleftea for our team get together:) We got to Joosy's and then went to ICA to get stuff for dinner..we had tacos mmm..Then we just sat around and played singstar which was hilarious..we sang duets of oldies songs for over 2 hours haha..then we played a couple other little fun games..truth or dare, never have i ever..it was pretty fun:) And we took tons of pictures! So it was just us girls hanging out for a long time, then Joosey's bf Anders, came over with his hockey team..and we played more singstar and truth or dare haha..took more pics..then we headed to Station 8, the club. The line wasnt too bad, but only those of us who were 22 could get in! Yve and Joos got in, but I had to sneak in Freja and Carro. I played the stupid tourist card with the bouncer..I was talking about the weather and how freaking cold it was, while I slyly unhooked the rope for Freja and Carro to sneak in..haha It was pretty smooth..i impressed myself:) So it was good we all got in. Once we were in we basically just danced for 2 hours straight..mostly just with the girls..but i did dance a little bit with one of the guys from the hockey team for awhile.. It was really fun. I met a guy from Pakistan in there..which was really random! But he was really nice..and cute too. He didnt look Pakistani at all..maybe he was lying to me haha..Anyyway..After the club we stopped at Statoil and got hotdogs and then Jessica drove us back to Norsjo..so I was in bed by like 5:45 am..It was a really fun night! More later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 40

Today wasnt so interesting..I spent most of the day lounging around, keeping my foot up..But I have tried to put some pressure on it and it feels surprisingly okay! Sofie brought me over cookies today, and stayed and hung out awhile. Shes really sweet. Then I went off to watch practice..booo for watching:( Id so much rather be playing ugggghh. Anyway..we did this little exercise at the end of practice..which was really important. We all had to write down what we feel when we are each under pressure and what we wat our teammates to say and dont say to us. So I figured out who can kind of take what..in terms of what to say and how to say it. We have some girls who are pretty young and sensitive on our team..so i have to be conscious of that..and then there are girls who can handle my intensity, so I just have to adjust to everyone:) Anyway, after practice I went over to Sara's, with Tina, and Sofie was over there too. We had ficka and candy and watched The Holiday..my favorite movie uo there with Love Actually:) So it was a fun girls night. Tommorow im catching the bus with Freja and we're going to Josephine's in Skelleftea. We're going to have dinner at her place and then her bf's hockey team is coming over and we're all going to hang out together. Anyway..Im going to do some exercises with my ankle tommorow so I can maybe walk without looking too retarded with my crutches:( The crutches they have here are so unstable..very different from the ones im used to..so all the more motivation to start walking sooner! haha..anyway..more later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 39

Today was good. I woke up early ish, like 9:45..my ankle was throbbing..ugh..so i took some painkillers and started my day. Tina came over with chicken salads and candy and we watched movies all day:) We watched the Devil wears Prada (one of my favs) and studio 54, which I hadnt seen before..it was good. So it was a fun day. She really helped me keep my mind off my foot. Later, she even took me grocery shopping:) After that, Tomas, the coach of the second team, came over to look at my ankle. He was on the phone with Anders the whole time so I couldnt understad what the hell they were saying..so it was kind of frustrating..but basically they dont think that its broken, or fractured..but it definetely seemed like i knew more about my ankle and how to take care of it..they said if its not feeling better by Monday..Ill go to Skelleftea to see the doctor and get an xray (which i would have rather had done today)..but thats the way it goes..Just very different over here the way that injuries are handled. Just makes me nervous a little bit. Anyway, tommorow i am going to try and flex it back and forth and get some flexibility back..and just hope its not too soon:) So now im watching this show with Bill Gates and Warren Buffet discussing strategies for success..so im taking notes:) Warren Buffet just said something that I completely agree with and is the way I want to live my life. He said "You really want to be excited every morning you get out of bed." (in terms of choosing your career path) He said you need to follow your passion..do something that really turns you on. Which is cliche but makes sense. Its like this : You choose to do something you love, become passionate about it, if youre passionate about your career you have a strong work ethic, and if you have a strong work ethic you WILL be successful..no matter what you want to do. Hearing that quote by Buffet about getting out of bed excited, got me excited about working in the future..I just have to find the right job. I know my Mom and sister are probably laughing if theyre reading this.."What, Kerri excited about working?" haha because i havent been too excited in the past..volleyball has always been my job..and i love it so much..but eventually i want to explore other areas and reach my potentail mentally as well as physically. Buffet also said that it's sad how many people go through their whole lives only using so much of their brains and only reaching a certain level of their potential..and that is sad. I want to live my life continuously striving to reach my full potential..learning and growing each and every day:) Well i think thats enough for tonight..More later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 38

Well today started off as a good day, and ended horribly! ahh..I'll start with earlier..I spent the day with Tina, my teammate Sara's younger siser. Shes my age, and she's awesome. Shes a travel agent in Umea and Skelleftea, and she's really fun:) She cam over here to see my apt, then we walked (it wasnt too cold today..-2 outside) to this store that has lots of random stuff. We looked at all the Christmas decorations. Then we went to this second hand store, where her mom works, to look at stuff. We didnt buy anything though. Then we went to Petra's Cafe to get something to eat. I got a kebab "chicken" sandwich..which was kinda gross actually:( Then we sat around and were talking forever. Shes such a sweet and genuine girl..Then we walked to Konsum (one of the grocery stores) to get chocolate to wash the "kebab" taste out of my mouth:) Then I went back to my apt and was researching fashion design schools online. Im really trying to figure out if that would be something i could commit to. Which is huge for me..because I thrive on constant change:) Anyway, more research tommorow:) Then I went to practice, which was going very well until I sprained my fucking ankle. UGH. I was blocking and Freja, our other middle came under the net and I came down on her. I was so pissed. Not at her..shit like that happens, but just pissed that I hurt myself and am going to be out of commission for awhile. One really wierd thing is that Anders doesnt want me to go to the doctor though. I think that is so soo wierd. Like why woul I NOT go to the doctor? How the hell am I supposed to know what i did, or how long i'lll be out, if i dont see the doctor? He said that they would "mess me up" by pulling my ankle or wanting to get an xray or whatever..He said to just give it a couple days and then we'll see? I was like oookkay..never dealt with this situation like this ever..but whatever. Im just praying that its only a level 2 sprain and not a level 3 like ive had before, where i was on crutches for a month and a half..oh my god that was the worsssstt. Anyway, for now I have it wrapped in an ace bandage, and elevated, and im gonna go to bed with it elevated and try and keep it still. Then tommorow Tina and I are goin to watch movies and shes gonna take care of me:) Its our day off..so in a way im thankful that 1>) We have tommorow off, so i can rest it and 2.) We dont have a game this weekend..we have it totally off..so I can rest even more..thank god..K well More later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 37

Today I didnt do too much..I went over to Jill's..she made me homemade soup, which was amazzzing. God i wish i knew how to cook! Then we just sat around and talked until i had to leave for practice. Practice was good. Then i did my sam old routine of coming home, eating, watching tv and keeping in touch with friends on facebook and myspace..then bed..boring:) More later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 36

It felt so so good to sleep in today! So good I slept in til 1..oops..good thing i didnt have anything to do! I just facebooked and made myself something to eat..if you can count making popcorn and tea "making food" haha. Anyway, I began my trek to the gym at around 4:45..I had weights and coaching my 12's today... At weights, I found out that our libero, Rebekah, broke her thumb!! She did it right before our game on Saturday..and it was just confirmed with xrays she got yesterday! Ahhh..so shes out for at least 2 weeks from practice and we dossnt have another libero!!! I dont know what the hell we're gonna do!! Im just thankful that we dont have a game this weekend, and im praying that she can play in 2 weeks for our next game!! Practice went well with my little team today..we practiced diving "sprawling" as they call it, and then played for the rest of practice. The rest of the night ive just been skyping with Brittney and uploading pictures:) Tommorow im going to go try to teach english again at the school, in the morning, then i need to do laundry desperately haha..well more later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 35

Today I woke up at 7am to go to my 12's tournament. I was really tired becauase I went to bed at like 2 last night. Last night I went over to my teammate Sara's where the girls were going to watch a movie..i hung out for a little while there, and then me and Freja left..Later on we met up with Jill and Emelie and their boyfriends Frederic and Andreas. Then we went to Adam's place where there were more people..mostly just a bunch of guys watching hockey..which i've learned to like watching:) I spent most of the night talking to Adam and this guy Daniel..they are really sweet. They wanted me to explain the rules of American football:) It was so funny..They were like "So what does the kicker do"? And "Whose that guy with the ball"? It was really cute. haha..Anyway, so today was a very long day. Jessica, the other coach, picked me up this morning and we drove 45 minutes to a nearby town where the tournament was held. The girls did really well:) They are all so cute. I took a bunch of pictures of them:) Poula is still my favorite..shes always having a good time even though 90% of her time spent on the court shes on the floor. haha..shes always falling I swear:) The rules are very different for 12's here. They play with only 4 on the court at one time..and the ball is allowed to bounce one time during each play. It was a long day..but very rewarding when I see them put some of the things we worked on in practice into play. Maybe I will enjoy coaching after all. There was this one mother who I talked to forever at the tourney..Hannah's mom. She was so so sweet. She was talking to me about how her and her daughter moved to Norsjo from Stockholm "escaping" from Hannah's dad ( she said something really awful that i dont want to repeat on here)..and how hard it's been on Hannah..and how much volleyball, and the friends shes made in volleyball, mean to her. I was like wow..I will definetely take Hannh under my wing after listening to her mom today. Her mom ( i forgot her name) also was talking to me about how important it is for me to travel and experience the world..She asked me what I wanted to do in life and I said evrything:) But lately ive beedn thinking about designing clothes. I know its a competitive field, and i have to make sure i really really want to do it and commit to it..but clothes are all i ever really think about..it sounds shallow kind of..but im obsessed with shopping and constantly creating new outfits.. we got to talking about her sister and how she moved from Stockholm to Paris to learn french and eventually ended up going to art school there..and is now THE designer of H&M's underwear collection! Talk about an amzing connection...I was like, I would LOVE to talk to her!! Her life sounds amazing..she went to art school in Paris..is fluent in Swedish, English and French, and travels from Tokyo to L.A. every few weeks. So it was a great day actually:) We had practice from 4-6..Rebekah wasnt there..she was getting x-rays because she totally dislocated her thumb before our game yesterday and popped it back into place..eww..so hopefully shes ok because we definetely dont have another libero..oops. And Joosy wasnt at practice either..shes sick..She should be back on Tuesday though..Practice wasnt that great today..we did the same damn drill for like 45 minutes..it was kind of annoying, and it really changes the dynamic of the team when 2 of the starters are missing you know..anyway..Im gonna go to bed now..im really tired..More later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 33

Well today we had our usual pregame routine..practice, which felt really good, then lunch and a break before warm up. Warm up went really really well. I felt really good about the game. I havent played too well the past couple of games..so i spent alot of time by myself before the game just visualizing myself playing well..and I told myself to just relax and go for it. I think I spend too much time overanalyizing my game..and its so so hard to play when u are constantly critiquing yourself. Its like i cant just let balls go..I hold on to all of my mistakes..which makes it impossible to play well. So today I went for it..I scored 18 points and got player of the game:) I am so so happy!! I'm on top of the world right now:)I finally feel like me and Joosy (my setter) connected, and we have confidence in eachother, which is something we've been missing the past couple of games. So from this point on, that just needs to grow, and i need to continue to play well in practice, work hard, and get better everyday. I feel good though. So good. It was a good win for us. Now we have 2 weeks til we play again..so lots of time for practice and room for improvement..which is really exciting. So tonight I'm going over to Sara's and some of the girls are going to watch a movie and eat some candy:) Then I mighgt go hang out with Isa, or Freja later..who knows..I need to try and get to bed early though..I have to wake up at 7 tommorow and go to a tourney with my 12's team:) Then practice. I love my life! More later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 33

Well today I slept through teaching my english class..oops its okay though..next week:) Before practice i went over to Emelies to hang out for a bit, and borrow a swimsuit for after practice today (we're goin in the jacuzzi and sauna). Practice was really good today..Although I did have a mini breakdown during this one drill where it's just middles hitting, but we couldnt pass for shit..and nobody was hitting anything..it was soooo frustrating!!!! So aftter that drill i had to really collect myself to make it through the rest of practice. I went to the bathroom and just took a couple deep breaths and got back out there:) It was much needed. Anyway the rest of practice went really well after that. Swedish National tv was there covering our practice and the game tommorow. So I got interviewed today..the same questions really.."How long have u been playing?".."Why Norsjo?"..."What can we expect for tommorow?"..So its really exciting that our team will be on national tv here:) The girls are all really excited. After the game I went to the hockey game where a couple of my friends were playing..Theyre Division 3, but it was still fun to watch..my first hockey game!! It was an undoor arena, but it felt like we were outside..so freeaaakiingg cold..wow. Its like 20 below here..its crazy. The game was fun though..the guys won..then i just went home..big game tommorow! More later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 32

Well today was my day off..didnt do too much..just layed around. I did go tanning though and to ICA, the grocery store, because my kitchen is totally empty:) Then I had Emelie and Isa over for ficka (hot chocolate and brownies). It was really good to catch up with Isa. I havent really seen her since she left the team..and I can tell shes really sad. She said Im the only person who has made an effort to hang out with her..which is kind of sad because i just got here and shes been playing with these girls forever. Anyway..It was good to hang out with Emelie too. Shes like the sweetest girl ever. She looks like Jordana..but is nothing like her:) We were trying to make plans for New Years. I really want to go out and dance, maybe in Umea (2 hours away). I just want to be around alot of people and have an actual countdown..Anyway more later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 31

Today I went to Skelleftea with my friend Jill. She was going to get her hair done, and i figured I'd go wander around and shop since I didnt have practice til 7 tonight. Shopping was fun..I got some boots and a few other things..and a Christmas present for my Mom. And Im going to get her late birthday present in Paris:) Along with Natalies, and Jordana's. On the way to Skelleftea I saw my first reindeer!! Well actually it was more like 20 of them..they are soo soo cute:) Everybody hates them here though. My friends tell me that semi's speed up when they see them and just hit them..Isnt that so sad? ;( poor things. Anyway, practice was so hard today! My body is so so tired! I feel heavy, like my muscles are weighing me down..it was a good practice though. I feel physically exhausted. Tommorow is our day off ..thank God. My body needs a break. ugh..K well more later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 30

Today I woke up early and went to the high school for my first day of teaching english:) well kind of. I dont really feel like I did anything..I introduced myself, and the techer, Susan, said for them to ask me any questions..but I think they were a little shy. Theyre 9th graders..so they're really concerned with sounding stupid I think. So I sat there and read the svenska/english dictionary..Then I stuck around for the next class which was a bigger group of 19, who said even less than the last class did..I felt even less useful in that class. So, I think I'm going to go again on Friday..to try again..see if it gets better..but i really want to learn swedish..not "teach" english. So if I still dont like it by friday I think Im going to ask if i can join Miyuki's swedish class. Anyway, after that I walked home..theres some snow on the ground so i cant bike anymore..and walking sucks. The town is small, but its still a long walk home! Practice went well today. Im hurting a little..I think I pulled my hamstring. It really hurts when i walk and run..and I was a little low on energy midway through practice. We did this drill that killlleedd me! And Freja too. Our other middle has asthma..and had to sit out the rest of practice. Poor thing. Anyway, tommorow will be better. Now I'm just watching Desperate Housewives and eating some crackers..gonna go to bed soon Im exhausted..More later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 29

Well today was kind of boring..I slept in late..went to weights, and then coached my little team afterwards. I actually like coaching alot..maybe its just this team or age group..but its really rewarding. One little girl couldnt get her serves over the net when I first started a few practices ago, and now shes so good! And she told me its all because of me:) So cute..anyway..not much else is happening..I need to book my flight soon for Christmas in Paris! My friend Tina is a travel agent here, and shes gonna help me get a good deal on a flight..then me and Britt only need to worry about finding a hostel:) K well..more later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 28

Well today we had breakfast at the hotel..breakfast at hotels here is my favorite meal of the day. So good!! Then we hung out in the hotel before we went to lunch at the galleria in Stockholm. We ate at the food court..I had pizza for the 3rd day in a row..its like the only dish that ive memorized all of the ingredients..so it's easy to order evrytime..i know exactly what im getting:) Then we walked around the mall, just looking in stores for while. Then we headed to the gym, about a half an hour away. This gym was alot nicer than the gym we played in yeaterday in Lindesburg. The game was very frustrating today. We won the first set..we played so so well, then we let the 2nd set slip away 23-25 because we had back to back to back service errors..it was awful..we missed 6 serves at critical points in the match..so we beat ourselves. If we just wouldve won that second set..we couldve taken the game. ugh. And I still have not played up to my level yet..Its so frustrating. I think Im just overthinking and putting too much pressure on myself to play so well, that I'm playing that much worse. So this week in practice, Im going to really focus on one thing I can do offensively, and one thing I can do defensively..that way I wont have to overthink..After the game we ate at this place..the food was awful..ugh..I basically had macaroni and cheese with uncooked shrimp on top of it. After that we went to the airport and waited around for our flight back home. Then we took the bus from Skelleftea to Norsjo..like an hr. ride. So we got home at 1:15am..so now..bed. More later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 27

Today we woke up and had a really nice breakfast at the hotel..buffet style. And i love all the different stuff they have for breakfast here. Today i had cereal, bread with tomato and cheese, some turkey and some warm mik/chocolate milk. Then we bought some pasta salad from the hotel for lunch..and After awhile we left for the gym for our game. We had to drive like an hour..then we got there and were going to eat outside the gym, but it was too windy so we ended up eating in our cars:) Then we went to in the gym. The gym was really small, and the floor looked like it had been through hell and back..it ws awful haha..We definetely have a nicer facility in Norsjo, so im grateful. So we played our game against Lindesberg..and won 3-0! We lost to this team just 4 weeks ago in the Swedish cup..so we've gotten alot better..I played like shit though..but overall the team played really well. Tommorow is a new day and a new and better team, so hopefully i'll play better:) After the game, we went to dinner at a chinese place..and almost everyone got a pizza haha..then we drove 2 1/2 hours to Stockholm/Valletuna area where we'll play Elsverket tommorow..Josephine's old team.. Now i'm just in our room at the hotel..watching "Singing Bee" in Swedish with Josephine..my roomie again:) We'll probably go to bed soon because we didnt get too much sleep last night..hopefully i'll report back tommorow with a win! More later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 26

Today I woke up eaarly and caught the bus to Skelleftea. It was a pretty ride through the forest:) It took a little over an hour. I got there and made my way to Josephine's apt and we hung out until the stores opened at 11. Then I went off shopping! I had so much fun, just wandering around, being free in this little city. I got some really cute stuff too:) Then Josephine, me, her boyfriend and a couple of his teammates went to lunch at this place called Station 8, which is a club at night, and has an amzing lunch buffet during the day. The food was really good, except for when I accidentally ate this stuff called "sill" which was covered in sauce, and I thought i was being adventurous and trying something new..but once i saw what the sauce was covering up i was disgusted. It was like raw fish..with the scales and everything..eww. Anyway, then me and Jossan shopped some more. Then we went and got some food..at the Dalles which is this pizza/hamburger place. We got pizza. All the pizza here is so so thin..I want some real crust! Its still good though. Then our team picked us up in this van, and we went to the airport. This was the first airport i didnt have to show my ID once! Everything was done by fingerprint. It ws cool. The flight was good. Short..one hour. We got snacks at 7-11 haha..and then got our rental cars and went to the hotel. The hotel is nice..they are smaller than those in the US..the beds are twin, bu they are really comfy. My roommate is Josephine..so Im happy about that:) Ok..well we are going to watch V for Vendetta, then go to sleep..big game tommorow! More later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 25

Today me and Miyuki had lunch with the politicians here in Norsjo. Im not sure what the place was called where we ate..its kind of a combination of a movie theatre, classrooms and a restaurant..so what do you call that? haha..anyway the food was amazing. Lunch was good..they spoke zero english, so good thing Anders cam along to translate. They were really nice though. They gave us flowers and a gift ( a backpack) to welcome us here. It was nice. Then I ran errands..went tanning, got a flu shot, and did laundry before practice. Practices just keep getting better and better, and I think were going to play really well this weekend..i can feel it. So im really excited. Anders told us the dates that we get off for Christmas..the 20th-27th..so I talked to Britty and I'm pretty sure we're going to Paris!!!!! Ahh!! I'm so beyond excited for that:) :) So as soon as she knows her dates..we can book our flights. So now I am just going to take a shower, and pack for this weekend..we fly out of Skelleftea tommorow night to Stockholm, where we play Lindesberg on Saturday (We played them in the Swedish cup a couple weeks ago and lost..but we're alot better now), and we play Elverket on Sunday..they are really good i guess, and that's who Josephine, our setter, played for last year. So tommorow morning I'm going to take the bus to Skelleftea and spend the day looking around..and shopping:) And when Josephine (Joosy) is done with work she's going to come meet me:) So it'll be fun Im really excited! K well I definetely have to go to bed early tonight because tommorow will be the earliest I've ever woken up while I've been here..haha..Good night..More later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 24

Today I woke up at like 1pm..I stayed up until 330am trying to watch an episode of Greys anatomy..I dont have full internet access yet..so it took like 4 hrs to watch one episode..and i was determined to finish the damn thing before i went to bed..so i did:) Today I went over to Jessica's house. She's the other coach on my 12's team. She has twins that play on the team, Petra and Louise..and a 6 yr old, Sophia. Her house is really nice! Its all IKEA'd out..like all the other houses here..haha. Everyone has a 42" plasma tv, and they all keep their houses really clean. She has 2 horses, and she herds reindeer in the winter..so in a couple weeks they'll start to come out she said. Im so excited:) I want to get a picture of me on one..she said we can work something out:) We had lunch there, and then went to coach at the gym. Today I taught the girls how to dive on the floor, instead of the mat we've been diving on..They werent too happy when they figured out they cant bounce off the floor, like they can on the mat..haha..the transition was pretty funny to watch. Then I had my practuce, which went really well today. We worked alot on blocking..alot of the things Anders teaches are very very different almost backwards from what I've learned my whole volleyball career..so its a little difficult. Anyway, so now I'm home, showered and starving..so im gonna get some food and attempt to watch another episode of Grey's online, and pray to God it doesnt take 4 hours..ugghh..K more later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 23

Today I woke up and there was actually sunlight outside..wierd haha..I watched the Ellen Degeneres show and ate my usual bowl of cereal. Then I just was on the internet until practice at 4:30..Practic ewas really really good. It felt like we had alot of intensity which was a nice change from the lack of energy we had this weekend in our game. Yvonne wasnt at practice..she has a fever i guess..which reminds me i need to get a flu shot! I think everyone on the team has gotten theirs except me..and apparently Yvonne:( We got our itinerary today for this weekend. We leave on Friday for Stockholm, and we can only travel with 12! 10 players and 2 coaches. So right now we have 11 players..so i wonder who will have to stay home..its kind of sad that just one person will have to stay behind..but thats what the budget calls for i guess. Anyway..I just got off the phone with Natalie, my sister, and it was so so good to hear her voice! I thought i was never going to get ahold of her. She said shes going to come visit..hopefully for the huge snow festival in Kiruna..in January. That would be so much fun..I just have to see what my schedule is..which is hard to judge right now because it all depends on how well we do in league..and we havent played many games yet. Anyway, Im watching Desperate Housewives now..and am going to eat something..More later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 22

Today I woke up later than usual..at like 1pm...Its just really hard when it's dark outside almost all day! The sun doesnt "rise" (it never officially rises because its always gray outside) until like 8am and it gets dark by 3pm. Its pitch black by 4pm ahh..haha. Anyway, today we has weights, and I coached my girls today. I taught them, well attempted to teach them, how to hit a ball. They try so hard to impress me..its really, really cute actually. My favorites are Paola and Emelie. They are the most outgoing and are always smiling and try so hard:) After coaching I went to ICA for groceries..then home to my cozy little apt, which I love. I just finished watching the season 4 finale of Grey's Anatomy online..so so good! Now i'm going to watch an episode of season 5, and then go to bed..More later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 20

So today we all met at the Thai restaurant to get our lunch to bring with us for team building. We drove to a cabin thats in the middle of the woods. The drive out there was so so pretty..The sky was white and it was really foggy, but you can see the silhouettes of the trees still..so pretty. There werent many houses on the drive out there, but the ones i did see looked like they came out of a scary movie..It was probably the combination of the white sky, fog, and the seclusion of the house from the rest of the town..kind of creepy. And I found out today that one of the houses really IS haunted! My co-coach of my 12's team, Jessica, lives out there and wants me to come visit her on Wednesday, but not after what she told me today! She said that she sees two ghosts on a regular basis. She said that they are really particular about changes she makes to the house, so she has to ask them before doing anything to the house..like putting up pictures and things like that. I just stared at her in awe. She made it seem so normal..She said that I shouldnt be afriad of ghosts..I should be afraid of people..because people can actually hurt you. Anyway, while we were at the cabin we went around the room and gave a short presentation of what we were all about: like/dislike, family, and what we liked about ourselves. I said that I like that I am a risk taker, and love trying new things. Then we talked about the game yesterday and I let my mouth run a little bit about what I think needs to change in order for us to be successful. Hopefully Anders appreciated my honesty and wasnt offended that I kind of critiqued his coaching style a little bit..oops. I was just being honest and saying how I feel though. It made me feel better that Josephine, our setter, said that she completely agreed with everything I said though, So that was reassuring. So after that we went to the gym to watch our Division 1 team play, then we had a really good practice. Now I'm at home watching Dukes of Hazzard on tv..goin to bed soon I'm exhausted..More later!
xoxo, Kerri

Day 19

Well, we lost our game today. We couldnt pass to save our life..and I played horrible. I felt helpless because i have no control over whether we pass well or not..and we cant run anything out of the middle if we cant pass a ball to the net..so frustrating. We lost in 3..and i feel like the game went by so fast and no one really seemed to care that we lost. Anyway, after the game I went over to Jill's apartment. She had invited a bunch of girls over to hang out. They were all so sweet. They kept telling me how excited they were that i was here, and that they want me to move here:) Sara and Evelina came over too (my teammates). Then we all went to the "club" to dance. They call it the club, but it's really a hotel that has a dance floor and stays open until 1am like 4 times a year for the young people to come and dance. It was really fun though..There was a dj and it was on 2 levels. There were quite a bit of people there too..I was like where did you guys all come from? haha..Dancing was a good release of my frustration from the game though. After that I walked home with my friend Tina..(Sara's younger sister, whose my age)..so i'm going to bed now..i have team building tommorow..so i need some sleep. More later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 18

Today I had an individual with Miyuki and Josephine, and Anders. We just worked on hitting for an hour. It went pretty well. Then Josephine (my setter) and I spent the day together at my apt. Her and Anders commute from Skelleftea, which is the biggest city near us, like 50 minutes away. So she came over so she didnt have to make an extra trip before practice later. Anyway, we had a good time, ate some lunch, talked volleyball and watched the movie 'Taken'...really good movie by the way. Then we walked to practice..practice sucked. It was terrible..we didnt play well at all, which is horrible because we play the number 1 team tommorow. So now Im just watching the movie 'Just like Heaven'..not even comparable to 'Taken'..but its all thats on tv:) Well, Im going to make myselflunch for tommorow, do my shoulder strengthening exercises and get some sleep..big day tommorow. More later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 17

Today was my day off. I cleaned, and went to get groceries..then i basically spent the day trying to connect to the internet. I did go over to my host familys house for lunch though. Marlin is my host mom. Shes a nurse here in Norsjo, and Frederic, Marlins husband, works at this factory making stairs. All the guys in this town work there..Dont ask me what they do there haha..anyway so we had lunch..chicken with pasta and swedish meatballs..it was really good:) They have 2 little kids too..Julia who is 5 and Ludwig is 3..theyre really, really cute. I'm going to be going over there more when I have time, and Marlin is going to teach me how to cook..I'm pretty sure she feels sorry for me because she knows all i eat at home is cereal :) Anyway, more later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 16

Today was a good day. I met my girls I'm going to be coaching..theyre a 12's team. They are adorable..but dont speak much english..so its going to be challenging for sure. I'm not the most patient person in the world, and I don't really like coaching, so we'll see how it goes haha. 12's is a good age group though..you get em when they idolize you...before they get attititudes:) So that will occupy some of my time. I also found out today that I'm going to be teaching English to 9th graders at the high school here. And they are going to teach me Swedish..so that should be fun hopefully. Not too much else happened today..More later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 15

Today was an okay day..nothing really happened...practice..trying to get an internet connection..same routine! Hopefully tommorow will be more evntful:)
More later!
xoxo,Kerri

Day 14

Today was a good day. We had practice at 9:30 am. .which waskinda rough cause i went to bed at 3am..no game this weekend. Today at practice we took our height, weight, and did speed tests, agility tests, abs, jump reach...it was good, just a measurement of where we are right now. I definetely have room for improvement:) but I did well..Then tonight I went and saw the new James Bond movie with Jill and Andreas and my new friend Maria. It wasnt that great of a movie..I actually kept nodding off because i was exhausted and it hit me the second the lights went out..haha..anyway i went for the experience, not the movie. Swedish people call it going to the cinema. It was a building with classrooms (people go there to learn swedish, and english), so thats one part of the building, and the other part is the theatre. It was the same size as a theatre in the US, but had a curtain..a big, red, velvet curtain, with ropes.. like we were going to be watching a play or something..it was cool..it looked like the whole town was there! It was packed.We got popcorn before the movie..in old fashioned boxes..it was fun. I wanted to take a picture of the theatre, but decided that i would come back when the whole town wasnt there to talk about how much of a tourist I am:) After the movie, and the lights came back on..i was feeling more energized. I went back to Jill's for ficka, and Liz and Isa came over in Halloween costumes. (They were 80's girls)..They didnt know halloween was the day before haha..anyway. In our apt building, there is a big room in the middle of the complex taht you can rent out for special events..so it was rented out for the night for Halloween party. I went down there to see what everyone was dressed up as, and what everyone was doing. It was a big dance party, with food from the thai resturant there (oh ya theres a thai resturant in Norsjo!) and people were dressed up in typical costumes. The only thing that was different was that guys were dancing with eachother alot, and not girls haha..you wouldnt really see too much of that in the States..unless you were at Dempseys:) Then, Isa and her boyfriend Nills came up to see my apartment ..then i went to bed! I'm tired..More later!
xoxo, Kerri

Day 13

Well today was Halloween!! It came and went without anyone even saying Happy haloween:( I didnt even see anyone dressed up! Oh well..i guess its just not that big here. It was the first halloween I didnt dress up and go out..instead I went over to my friend Jill's house and had "Ficka" (coffee and cake) with her, her boyfriend Andreas, and our friend Adam. So that was fun. Then I went home and it was a crazzzy night of me watching the new Sex and the City movie by myself and eating some cookies and drinking my tea:) So today was my first day of getting yelled at at practice..so i thought it was noteworthy haha..it was bound to happen sooner or later! I misunderstood the drill Anders told us to do, and was hotting the opposit direction we were supposed to be hitting..for a good ten minutes..oops:) So its 1am and i have practice at 9:30am..so good night! More later!
xoxo, Kerri

Day 12

Well, today was a boring day..the highlight was talking to Jordana and going to the store and getting chocolates..oops:) I really didnt do anything today. It was my day off. I just caught up with people on facebook, and myspace, and on my emails. I'm kind of lonely today:( I havent ever actually gone a whole day without human interaction. I have just been looking at pictures on myspace and facebook of all the places I have been, and how amazing it is that volleyball has taken me so many places. I am so lucky to have the opprotunity I have to be in this beautiful counrty of Sweden, doing what I love to do. I am so excied for all the opprotunities that lie ahead, and hopefully alot more travelling:) I'm really thankful for all the people that have shuffled in and out of my life, because I think I have learned at least something from each person...and I'm most grateful for the people who have consistent ly been there for me. My mom, Natalie and Jordana are the 3 that come to mind:) They have kept me grounded, questioned my decision making when it neede dto be questioned, listened when I needed someone to just listen, and I wouldnt be where I am today without them in my life. Ahh the perks of only working for 3 hours everyday..you have so much time to reflect!! And I'm sure taking advantage of it..I need to be even more productive, and replace watching tv with reading..thats next on the list..anyway..more later!
xoxo Kerri

Day 11

So, today was kind of boring actually. I woke up at like 12:30pm, watched some tv while i ate my cereal, downloaded some songs to my ipod, and talked to Jordana on Skype. We had weights today, which were easy, and then we had practice. Tonight was our late practice from 7-10pm. Practice was good, except still no Petra (finger), no Freja (migraine), and no Sara (shoulder). So it was really tough for drills. I still feel like I'm not playing my game..and am a little frustrated, but I need to stop and realize that I havent played for awhile and not everything can come back at once. Well it's 3:30am..i should get to bed..PS Ive been sleeping with the tv on, and a light on because Miyuki saw a ghost in her apt..and im terrified i might see one..I mean i am in the middle of the forest in a tiny town..ahhh..More later!
xoxo, Kerri