“Just a small-town girl…”

While preparing to start my journey as a professional basketball player in Nyon, Switzerland, I decided it would be essential to share my experiences with my family and friends through a blog; this one, in fact! I am currently still in the United States, waiting to hear when my flight will be departing to Switzerland, where I will spend the next eight months of my life competing on the basketball court and getting to explore Europe. The lead-up process has been strenuous and I am incredibly anxious to get over there to join my new teammates in preseason practices.

There are a few things I had to do in order to prepare for my departure. I took an expedited trip into NYC to the Swiss Consulate in order to get my work visa straightened out. Right now we are waiting to hear that everything is in order so I may go pick up the necessary paperwork in order to get on a flight. In the meantime, I have already packed the crucial elements I will need to flourish over there: protein, protein bars, lemon pepper, and an amazing quote book my friends organized for me so I may bring a piece of each one of them with me on my journey.

As with every new chapter in my life, I am excited and nervous to face what lies ahead. I cannot wait to meet my new teammates, as my teammates have been the driving force behind my passion to play basketball for a long time. I am looking forward to living in a beautiful country with an abundance of mountains, pastures, lakes, and castles. Since this is the first time I will be leaving the country I am nervous that I will miss home, my family, and my friends. As always, I fear that I will fall one step short of where I want to be. Even so, as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “He who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life.” And everyone who knows me knows I like secrets :).