I think it's safe to say that aside from our journey to Prague, yesterday was the longest 24 hours of traveling of our lives. We started our day bright and early, loaded up the vans at 8 am Prague time (2 am North Carolina time) and headed to the airport. We made it through ticketing and baggage check in, miraculously with out any problems. I still don't know how my bag was under the 50 pound limit, but I was thrilled! Our first flight took off at 10:00 and was super quick, easy and right on schedule. We made it to Germany, had a short scheduled layover and off we went. The 8 hour flight to Newark seemed like it lasted forever! Thank goodness there were personal tv screens on the headrests in front of our seats! Those of us that couldn't sleep watched four movies and some tv episodes!
When we finally made our decent into Newark we we're thrilled! We were back in America at last! Land of the free refills and bathrooms, and the home of ranch dressing and English speaking people! We fist pumped over the Jersey shore and stared in awe at the Statue of Liberty as we made our landing. Everyone clapped, cheered and high fived we the flight attended came on the intercom and said "Ladies and gentlemen, we've arrived in Newark, NJ".
We made it through customs, claimed our bags and rechecked them, and went through security one last time, and hopped on a bus that took us to our gate. Once we arrived in our waiting area we took off to find the closest restaurant with free refills! I don't think we'd ever been so happy to sit down and have an American meal!
Once we we're full and re-hydrated we made our way back to the waiting area where we still had two hours to kill, so we thought. We were scheduled to board our flight to Raleigh at 7:50, but as our luck would have it, we we're delayed yet again. Time drug by, and soon we noticed that no flights were leaving the airport. We were not exactly happy that this was happening to us again. Brickhouse took off to find some answers, and when she returned, it wasn't good news! Our flight time had been pushed back till 10:50pm. We didn't even know what to do with ourselves so most of us played cards or slept on the floor of the airport.
10:30pm rolled around and we still hadn't heard an announcement that we were preparing to board. We patiently waited, and waited, and waited, until finally they told us that once again our flight had been moved back and our new departure time was 11:30pm. At this point all we wanted to do was get home, we're were tempted to just start walking, at this rate we'd be home on foot before the plane would ever leave! 11:30pm came and went and still no plane. We didn't make it on an airplane until 12:45am! Needless to say, we were grumpy, hungry, and fed up with airports!
Finally we made it to Raleigh, landing about 2:30am. We sprinted off the plane and into the airport where we couldn't wait to see our families! 2:35am was the happiest part of our day! We we're finally all reunited with family, had our bags and we're on the home stretch! I think it's safe to say that we're all going to avoid airports for a while!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Sunday, July 31, 2011
These Are A Few Of Our Favorite Things!
Alecia Gurkins:
Eating dinner with the first Czech team the night we played against them!
Sarah Langley:
I'd have to say the most memorable things for me were: the stinky guys on the tram and in the restaurants, the muddy wars, Lauren wobbling away yelling "my crotch", or eating thousands of scoops of gelato!
Ashley Green:
Meeting new people, experiencing new things, watermellon gelato and fried cheese!
Kristen Piner:
Leah Stott:
Sara Cranford:
Meeting new friends, being able to interact with the girls in Prague and creating new memories in an amazing place! And of course, GELATO!
Lauren Batton:
Tyndall Brock:
Eating dinner with the first Czech team the night we played against them!
Sarah Langley:
I'd have to say the most memorable things for me were: the stinky guys on the tram and in the restaurants, the muddy wars, Lauren wobbling away yelling "my crotch", or eating thousands of scoops of gelato!
Ashley Green:
Meeting new people, experiencing new things, watermellon gelato and fried cheese!
Kristen Piner:
Leah Stott:
Sara Cranford:
Meeting new friends, being able to interact with the girls in Prague and creating new memories in an amazing place! And of course, GELATO!
Lauren Batton:
Tyndall Brock:
One, Two, Three, Four, I Declare A Mud War!
It's been a wet and rainy day in Prague but we've definitely made the best of our last twenty four hours here. This morning Ashley, Mr. Ray and I got up really early and went to the St. Francis Cathedral by the Charles Bridge where we experienced Catholic Mass in Czech! I definitely now have a new appreciation for Catholics having the same structure to mass ever week. I actually knew what was going on!
After we all regrouped back at the hotel, we got in touch with Andrew and Elise who informed us that we would indeed be playing today despite this nasty weather! We weren't exactly thrilled to hear it, and when we got to the field and saw the muddy mess we were about to play in the feeling of wanting to stay in bed all day only increased! But, we sucked it up and put on our "American Smiles" and hit the field, little did we know we were about to turn it into one of the best days yet!
It started when the other girls we're cleaning the field to prepare for our game and Sarah, Kristen and I offered to help but they said they didn't need us, so we took off running into the outfield and decided to create our own slip and slide! We took turns diving onto the wet grass in our raincoats to see how far we could slide! It was sooo much fun!
Then in between games, Kristen decided she was going to give herself mud war paint on her face and that's when the mud war broke out! First it started with just face painting, then it turned in to mud slinging, and then we started chasing each other with mud all over our hands and getting each other messy! We had the best time! Gurkins, Sarah and Tyndall chased Brickhouse around trying to put muddy hand prints on her pants. Sarah's goal of the game was to get Elise muddy, which she accomplished after diving into a pile of mud at first base then giving Elise a big hug! Kristen continued to throw mud at me. And after the game was over I got Elise in the face with some mud and then she and I teamed up to throw Sarah in the mud pile! You would have thought we were a bunch of five year olds out there, but we didn't care. We made the best of a messy situation!
After our mud fest ended, they presented us with the first place trophy for the tournament and thanked us for coming to play! We donated a lot of our stuff to the teams that we played so that they would continue to use it and maybe think of us when they did!
It's seriously been the best 10 days of my life. We've had such an amazing time getting to know each other, getting to know the Czech girls, learning about another country and another culture, exploring a new place, trying new things, and most importantly, spreading the word of God and showing others how we as Christians believe in and worship him.
It's hard to believe our trip has come to an end, but before we know it we'll be back again next year, hopefully! Thank you to everyone for all of your thoughts and prayers. We truly appreciate it! It's most definitely been a memorable and life changing experience to be here. We're all very lucky to be a part of the first ever Purpose Driven Softball Team!
After we all regrouped back at the hotel, we got in touch with Andrew and Elise who informed us that we would indeed be playing today despite this nasty weather! We weren't exactly thrilled to hear it, and when we got to the field and saw the muddy mess we were about to play in the feeling of wanting to stay in bed all day only increased! But, we sucked it up and put on our "American Smiles" and hit the field, little did we know we were about to turn it into one of the best days yet!
It started when the other girls we're cleaning the field to prepare for our game and Sarah, Kristen and I offered to help but they said they didn't need us, so we took off running into the outfield and decided to create our own slip and slide! We took turns diving onto the wet grass in our raincoats to see how far we could slide! It was sooo much fun!
Then in between games, Kristen decided she was going to give herself mud war paint on her face and that's when the mud war broke out! First it started with just face painting, then it turned in to mud slinging, and then we started chasing each other with mud all over our hands and getting each other messy! We had the best time! Gurkins, Sarah and Tyndall chased Brickhouse around trying to put muddy hand prints on her pants. Sarah's goal of the game was to get Elise muddy, which she accomplished after diving into a pile of mud at first base then giving Elise a big hug! Kristen continued to throw mud at me. And after the game was over I got Elise in the face with some mud and then she and I teamed up to throw Sarah in the mud pile! You would have thought we were a bunch of five year olds out there, but we didn't care. We made the best of a messy situation!
After our mud fest ended, they presented us with the first place trophy for the tournament and thanked us for coming to play! We donated a lot of our stuff to the teams that we played so that they would continue to use it and maybe think of us when they did!
It's seriously been the best 10 days of my life. We've had such an amazing time getting to know each other, getting to know the Czech girls, learning about another country and another culture, exploring a new place, trying new things, and most importantly, spreading the word of God and showing others how we as Christians believe in and worship him.
It's hard to believe our trip has come to an end, but before we know it we'll be back again next year, hopefully! Thank you to everyone for all of your thoughts and prayers. We truly appreciate it! It's most definitely been a memorable and life changing experience to be here. We're all very lucky to be a part of the first ever Purpose Driven Softball Team!
They got Brickhouse!
Mud War!!
Elise and I throwing Sarah into the mud pile!
The other team cleaning the mud off the field
Gurkins and Kristen
Just before our last game!
Sarah and Kristen grass sliding
So much mud!
Sarah started it!
Saturday, July 30, 2011
i miss my mommy
It's been raining for almost 24 straight hours now, so as you can probably guess, we didn't get to play today! Instead we spent the day walking around downtown and shopping! It's 49 degrees here too, so combine that with rain, and you get a group of lazy girls. We split up for the first part of the day. Sarah and Brickhouse ventured off to find a bakery and ended up at a giant outdoor market! Mr. Charlie took Ashley, Kristen, Tyndall, Gurkins and I to the local grocery store called Alberts where we found the best candy to bring back to friends, or eat ourselves. We also went to some shops down by Old Town Square where we found more souvenirs and some pretty hilarious parachute pants, but they looked silly on us! We miraculously made our way there and back all on our own which is quite an accomplishment for us! We we're so proud! We ate lunch at McDonalds which is extremely different here than at home, and much better!
After lunch we all met back at the hotel and together we took off for the outdoor market! It was amazing! We found fresh fruit and all kinds of other goodies! Everything is better in Europe, well almost everything. The chocolate, fruit, ice cream, pizza and even the fast food! But one things missing, our families.
At the beginning of our devotion tonight we talked about things that we've learned about ourselves and the biggest things we talked about was what we took for granted and how missed our families. Its a very different world over here. There are so many things that we've learned to appreciate now that we've had to go without them and now that we see how other people live. People here don't smile and show emotion, they don't hug, and they don't have the freedom of religion like we do. We have such a wonderful privilege of being able to believe in and worship the wonderful God that gave us all of these things that we've learned to appreciate. We have wonderful families who love us, who care for us, and who are always there for us. We've all become a lot more homesick than we thought we would. I can't even count the times I've said "I miss my mommy" since we've been here. We've all been experiencing this wonderful place and learning about other cultures and wishing our families were here to experience it too.
It's definitely been an incredible adventure and I can't believe its coming to an end! Tomorrow's our last full day here and there's so much left to do! So for now, it's time for bed, that is if we can hold back our laughter long enough to fall asleep! Needless to say, having six people in a room is a recipe for disaster! We've definitely shared a lot of laughs since we've been here and made tons of memories that we'll carry with us forever!
After lunch we all met back at the hotel and together we took off for the outdoor market! It was amazing! We found fresh fruit and all kinds of other goodies! Everything is better in Europe, well almost everything. The chocolate, fruit, ice cream, pizza and even the fast food! But one things missing, our families.
At the beginning of our devotion tonight we talked about things that we've learned about ourselves and the biggest things we talked about was what we took for granted and how missed our families. Its a very different world over here. There are so many things that we've learned to appreciate now that we've had to go without them and now that we see how other people live. People here don't smile and show emotion, they don't hug, and they don't have the freedom of religion like we do. We have such a wonderful privilege of being able to believe in and worship the wonderful God that gave us all of these things that we've learned to appreciate. We have wonderful families who love us, who care for us, and who are always there for us. We've all become a lot more homesick than we thought we would. I can't even count the times I've said "I miss my mommy" since we've been here. We've all been experiencing this wonderful place and learning about other cultures and wishing our families were here to experience it too.
It's definitely been an incredible adventure and I can't believe its coming to an end! Tomorrow's our last full day here and there's so much left to do! So for now, it's time for bed, that is if we can hold back our laughter long enough to fall asleep! Needless to say, having six people in a room is a recipe for disaster! We've definitely shared a lot of laughs since we've been here and made tons of memories that we'll carry with us forever!
Delicious licorice from the market!
Brickhouse enjoying some fruit!
The world's best fresh fruit!
Friday, July 29, 2011
So Long Old Faithful
Day seven has come and gone. I can't believe our trip is almost over. Today we only had one game and it was against a club team made up of girls from all over the Czech Republic which we won 8-3!! Before the game they asked us to do some drills with them and show them how we practice. We ran infield and outfield drills and I really think they enjoyed it! After about an inning or so, Mr. Ray pointed out to me that Gabriella, the other teams catcher, didn't have a mitt. Between innings I took Old Faithful, my first ever catcher's mitt, over to her and told her she could use it. After we finished playing she tried to give it back to me and I told her she could keep it. She was so happy! She had explained to me that she wanted to be a catcher but she didn't have a mitt. It made my day just to see her face when I told her she could have it and that it would bring her lots of luck! So coach, if you're reading this, don't worry, Old Faithful has a new home and won't be returning to Meredith! :)
After each game we always thank the players and coaches, and today it was my turn to talk. Our speech consists of three things: We always thank them for sharing their home with us and allowing us to come to such a beautiful place. Then, we tell them that we're Christians who love Jesus. And we also express to them our love of softball and tell them how appreciative we are to have made so many new Czech friends! It felt really good to be able to relay the message to the girls today and to know that they actually understood me!
After we made our way back to the hotel, showered and got ready, we set out to explore more of the city with the Czech girls that we played today. Elise, the Czech girl that plays with us, and her boy friend, the coach of the other team, along with nine or ten players, joined us for a night on the town. We shopped and shopped and shopped some more, ate a delicious dinner, and walked the Charles's bridge at night which was absolutely beautiful!! This place amazes me more and more every day! I think I could stay here forever!
After each game we always thank the players and coaches, and today it was my turn to talk. Our speech consists of three things: We always thank them for sharing their home with us and allowing us to come to such a beautiful place. Then, we tell them that we're Christians who love Jesus. And we also express to them our love of softball and tell them how appreciative we are to have made so many new Czech friends! It felt really good to be able to relay the message to the girls today and to know that they actually understood me!
After we made our way back to the hotel, showered and got ready, we set out to explore more of the city with the Czech girls that we played today. Elise, the Czech girl that plays with us, and her boy friend, the coach of the other team, along with nine or ten players, joined us for a night on the town. We shopped and shopped and shopped some more, ate a delicious dinner, and walked the Charles's bridge at night which was absolutely beautiful!! This place amazes me more and more every day! I think I could stay here forever!
A night time view of the city!
Brickhouse working with the Czech girls!
Team photo!
A Czech pedicure! The fish eat all the bacteria off your feet!
The Cathedral!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Practice Smart, Play Stupid
It's been an exhausting and softball filled day! We played two games this afternoon. We started off playing against a club team with girls and women of all ages; I had to say women because their two pitchers were both in their 30's or 40's. It was crazy! We won the first game 2-0! The second one didn't go as well. We lost 2-1 in the 8th inning. But, its okay, we still had fun, minus the gigantic strawberries that we've all acquired due to this hard dirt. Sarah and I had to get medicine from the other teams first aid kit to cover ours with so we'd stop re-opening them. It's rather disgusting; it turns the scrape green!
Other than softball we haven't done much today. We're all incredibly worn out and ready for bed. We had our devotion tonight and prayed together before parting our ways and hitting the hay. Everyone's calling it an early night, and finally we get to sleep in tomorrow!
We have five games left before we have to leave this beautiful place. I can't believe our trip is almost over! Hopefully I'll be able to report wins from here on out! Our new game plan thanks to Mr. Charlie is to "Practice Smart and Play Stupid". He's constantly reminding us it's all about having fun and doing what we do best!
Oh, before I post pictures, I just want to throw out there, sorry if I've misspelled a few things in my blogs. My internet here is in Czech so I'm having a hard time checking over everything! Sorry!
Other than softball we haven't done much today. We're all incredibly worn out and ready for bed. We had our devotion tonight and prayed together before parting our ways and hitting the hay. Everyone's calling it an early night, and finally we get to sleep in tomorrow!
We have five games left before we have to leave this beautiful place. I can't believe our trip is almost over! Hopefully I'll be able to report wins from here on out! Our new game plan thanks to Mr. Charlie is to "Practice Smart and Play Stupid". He's constantly reminding us it's all about having fun and doing what we do best!
Oh, before I post pictures, I just want to throw out there, sorry if I've misspelled a few things in my blogs. My internet here is in Czech so I'm having a hard time checking over everything! Sorry!
Our team with the second team we played against
Mine and Sarah's giant scrapes
Kristen and Ashley hanging out between games
The Sara(h)'s! aka Heather and Crandall
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
First International Win!
Today was more of a softball focused day! We played the Czech team again this morning and this time we won! We were all so excited and proud to get our first international win!
After the game we went to the Parachuter Museum where World War II parachuters, that killed the second highest in power next to Hitler, hid after their attack! You can still see the bullet holes in the outside of the building! It was actually a really informative and interesting trip, but some of us couldn't quite make it through the movie. We were beyond exhausted!
Other than that we ventured to the mall for the evening! We walked around for about three hours, checked out all the "american czech" shops, and ate all kinds of delicious meals. We did get to see the Tesco which blows Walmart out of the water! That was the biggest and most amazing supermarket I've ever seen!
It's been a much calmer day since we're all so sore and scraped up from the ball field! We all have massive strawberries on our legs from sliding on the field which feels like its made of ground up brick! I can't even explain how bad my legs hurt!
After the game we went to the Parachuter Museum where World War II parachuters, that killed the second highest in power next to Hitler, hid after their attack! You can still see the bullet holes in the outside of the building! It was actually a really informative and interesting trip, but some of us couldn't quite make it through the movie. We were beyond exhausted!
Other than that we ventured to the mall for the evening! We walked around for about three hours, checked out all the "american czech" shops, and ate all kinds of delicious meals. We did get to see the Tesco which blows Walmart out of the water! That was the biggest and most amazing supermarket I've ever seen!
It's been a much calmer day since we're all so sore and scraped up from the ball field! We all have massive strawberries on our legs from sliding on the field which feels like its made of ground up brick! I can't even explain how bad my legs hurt!
The Museum
Meeting with the Czech team after the game
Team Photo!
The bullet holes on the building where the parachuters hid!
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