Living and Competing Abroad - Pt. 2
My first day arriving in the Western part of Europe was a day I'll never forget...
I had miraculously managed to trek from one terminal to the opposite end of the airport during my layover in Berlin, and finally landed in Cologne. My first order of business was to find baggage claim and make sure that my one and ONLY checked bag arrived on time. (athletes at the tryout in Slovenia were suggested to pack as efficiently as possible - I won that contest). When my blue bag appeared, a sigh of relief came to me and I steadily made my way to the Arrivals area.
Keep in mind that I had no idea what my teammates looked like, or whom to expect was picking me up. I think it was clear to them (2 teammates waiting), that the tall, tired, American-looking girl with a "Colorado Volleyball" dri-fit and red flannel was the one ;-P ...
"Hello, are you Katrina?"
(the dialogue went something like this)
"Yes, that's me."
"Cool, nice to meet you. Welcome to Germany. So, your last name is Reuter? Do you know where that comes from? Because there are so many Reuters in Luxembourg."
*I will revisit this topic about my heritage in a future post ;)*
"I'm pretty sure it's German, but that's funny. I look like a local already ;)"
"Okay, yes you are. Do you need something to eat before we drive? We will drive about 3-4 hours to Luxembourg."
"Okay, sure. Let me see what this place has..."
(I browsed a food/snack kiosk nearby and grabbed the most trustful items I saw: bottled water, apple, and trail mix)
The 4-ish hour drive passed fairly quickly - with most time spent sleeping in the backseat, staring out the window at the scenery, and listening to my teammates speak what sounded like German mixed with French or Flemish... (smh, Luxembourgish).
We got to the coach's home, and I anxiously waited behind my teammates for someone to answer the door. I was warmly welcomed by my new coach, his 2 HUGE bear-like dogs, and his wife. After speaking briefly with him about the team, contract, and expectations, I politely stepped aside to try and make a WhatsApp phone call to my parents to tell them the news:
"I am signed with a team in Luxembourg and my first training is tonight!"
It came as a shock to my parents because they hadn't heard from me since the night before I left Slovenia. Without international phone service, it's a little difficult to document/message your every move. I had to make my decision, pack quickly, and prepare for my potential new home. It was all worth it!
The training commenced at 20hr (yes, they use military time here), and we finished just after 22hr (10pm). My first impression was that the overall level was lower than what I had been used to in the states - BUT, I was "hired" to help the team lift its competitive edge, and that's exactly what I set out to do.
That evening I was taken by my Bulgarian teammate to her apartment about 10 minutes from the sports hall. I would be living with her until further arrangements were made, and I would receive a manual transmission car from the club the next day. Granted I had never driven manual before, this was another learning experience I had coming my way! The terror of stalling the car every 5 seconds filled my mind, but it's one of those foreshadowed moments where you just gotta say: "Screw it. I'm going to do it anyways."
The air, the buildings, the people, the food, the cars...everything was new, foreign, and even a little strange to me. I was willing to accept that putting myself in this environment far outside my comfort zone would prove to be the best decision I made thus far. And to this day, I believe it's still true!
If I went back to August 2015 and someone told me how this decision changed my life in the following years, I wouldn't believe them. The places I would go, the hardships I would face, the people I'd meet, the love I would find, etc...
Everything happens for a reason.