Wednesday, May 25, 2011

And the countdown begins.

As I begin my hopefully, but unrealistically weekly blogging, I also now begin my official countdown to Germany. July 30th seems remarkably distant, but somehow I think that time will race by. Regardless, I have 67 days, fast or slow, to prepare. But before I begin looking too far ahead, I figure I will review the events leading to this unnecessarily dramatic countdown.

So I started playing basketball when I was 11... just kidding. Probably don't need to go back thaaaat far, as fun as it would be to relive my glory days of VYBA; cause let's face it, Ventura had yet to see a bawler like me, shamelessly crying my way through the season. Oh how I made my parents proud. Fortunately, we can fast forward through that all the way to about 3 months ago when I made the decision to get an agent and give this playing thing one last go. And so I did--I signed with an agency, sent my best game tape from my senior year at UW and waited. And waited...and waited.  As fun as it sounds, I was getting incredibly apprehensive. So unlike me to worry, I know. All I need is one team to like me, I reassured myself. One morning, I was eagerly, if not desperately checking my email to see if there was news, (whoever said no news is good news is full of crap, by the way, cause I would have killed to hear anything) and in fact I did have an email from my agent bringing me news of my "one team". After emailing with the Coach and further discussing the offer he would make, I decided to sign. Oh, and to tell my Mom. Don't worry Jan, I told you before I signed :) Eastern Germany in the city of Chemnitz, more specifically, is where I will be--see the map below.


Germany, as it turns out, is a great fit for me really. I've studied it plenty in my history classes, it's quite cold and seeing as I've spent the past 5 years in sunless Seattle I'd say I am well prepped and I intend to marry Dirk Nowitzki anyways so it was really only a matter of time before I visited there. I am just kidding...Seattle isn't sunless. 

Okay, so now I have a team and a contract--you'd think the hard part was over. If only. I'd like to remind you that I haven't played competitive hoops in over a year. Unfortunately, my men's league and various women's leagues hardly qualify. Yes, I am active and keep in shape with random, daily workouts, so surely I should be fine, right? That turned out to be a laughable, erroneous line of thinking. I started training, or re-training as it were, on Wednesday last week and was painfully reminded of why I never took time off in college. What's that saying, use it or lose it? Seems I've lost the proverbial "it". Good thing I have 67 days to find it, huh? :)

My last day in Seattle is June 3rd, so I should be home around the 5th. I figured I should be in Ventura as much as I can until I leave. You're welcome. 

7 comments:

  1. It is funny how things work out, but I see someone's hand in this "funny thing." It will be a pure joy to follow you on this new adventure and to see what's in this next chapter of your life. Thank you very much for allowing me, and the rest of us, to be a part of your dream. Love you Sami (YFU)

    ReplyDelete
  2. :) I think you might be right about that hand. I am so fortunate to have people like you in my life that care enough about my dream! Love you back, MFU

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nice start--amusing and fresh! I wish you WOULD write about how it all started when you were 11. I'd like to hear about it. Especially the crying, ha ha! Can't wait to hear about Germany.

    ReplyDelete
  4. A great launch to the blog. Love the title- imisssami. And don't feel pressured to write an epic each time. Sometimes one liners can be great like - "Sauerkraut makes me gassy." for example.

    Yes we do need to hear about the crying 6th grader.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Eric,

    thanks! glad you liked the title. it's pretty fitting. haha thanks for the advice but you were always better with the one liners than i was! talk to you soon :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sam Bam, I love it!!! Good job, very interesting. Can't wait to hear about your adventures in Europe. You be the reverse Dirk and knock em out over there.

    xoxoDA

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dan, it finally worked! Great. I will do my best, thanks!

    ReplyDelete