We flew back on the afternoon of January 1st, which clearly put some dampers on my New Years plans and had me waking up friends at 7 AM in Chico to collect my forgotten things before my flight out of San Francisco at 3 PM. I hadn't seen Osier in the full 17 days and it was like we hadn't skipped a beat...except for some good new stories on both ends. Our flight back was exponentially more enjoyable than the flight TO the states. Again, we did not have seats together, but I was offered a window seat by a nice couple from Napa, who wanted to sit together...so Osier and I ended up a couple rows apart only. Unlike the flight the other way, this plane had personal TV screens for every passenger...which was glorious. I watched Angels and Demons, The Taking of Phelam 123, and the original Alice in Wonderland. The first is a religious conspiracy thriller, the second is a bloody action packed film, and the third is a Disney classic. Naturally, the one that creeped me out the most was the 3rd.
We arrived in Vienna on Saturday afternoon...about 1 PM. No bags were lost and we were minimally bothered by the customs officers. (They let us pass after I answered all their questions. IN GERMAN.) The rest of the afternoon was spent sleeping, thus creating the worst sleep schedule I have ever experienced, which lasted a little over a week. We practiced Monday and played in Bratislava on Tuesday, losing to a team which we previously beat by 20. The way this game was played/coached/refereed made me really wonder what I am doing here. I'm still wondering so any enlightenment would be helpful...
We played Wels that next Sunday. Fortunately for us, one of the Americans did not play due to a foot injury. We couldn't have lost if we tried, and at some points it looked like we were trying. We had a 23 point lead in the 3rd quarter, which was then cut to six points in the fourth quarter, but some free throws and a few defensive stops down the stretch sealed the victory for us. The win put us solely in second place, with Wels dropping to third. The Flying Foxes still sit in first place alone, even after our match-up a week later, which was so poor on our end that it doesn't even warrant a comment. Basically it went like this. They played a box-and-1. Our coach didn't even know. We lost.
Emotionally, we have both been high and low since we have been back. It didn't help that I had such an amazing time when I was home (both in Irvine AND Chico). After sharing our social frustrations with our teammates, they have made much more of an effort to spend time with us and keep us from solitude, which has made being here much easier, but Basketball wise, I have never had feelings towards the sport as I have now. I have never in my life felt apathetic towards basketball, but a part of me can't help but feeling that way now. There is really no light at the end of the tunnel, and Osier and I are running blind looking for it anyways. I am so thankful for my opportunity to play again, but I can't help but wish I was at home. Our excitement over our trip home clouded our vision of our existence here before, but the return has made everything clearer. Bottom line: 3 more months.
On a positive note, it has been snowing here constantly. Snow has never been something I have really had to deal with, considering the only two places I have lived are Chico and Orange County. We made a snowman and have a sledding trip planned for the next week. It also means that the weather has been *gasp* warmer than it was before. Either that or we are professionals at dressing for the cold now. We travel to Graz this Sunday for another game. More updates to follow...I promise. I know I have been slacking. Bis Dann!
Sidenote: We flew KLM (Royal Dutch) airlines. I have to say DUTCH is an insane language.
UC IRVINE WINS by the way!
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