Film City and Camp Bondsteel

Our last days of the trip were spent in Kosovo at the NATO base Film City and at Camp Bondsteel. To pick up where I left off:

The next day, we woke up early to get in a gym workout and get breakfast before we had to meet to get our IDs for the base. During this time, we tried our hardest to get a ride in the Blackhawks down to Film City where our performance was that evening. Our hopes were high, but it did not work out. We left in vans for Film City in the early afternoon.

Upon arriving at Film City, we grabbed some food and hung out a little bit before things got going. At 1900 we were scheduled to play against the international Film City beach volleyballers. Since Film City is a NATO base, there are soldiers there from all the NATO countries. We played against a team with players from the US, France, Italy, Poland, and Germany. We played several teams. It was a really fun night.

Afterwards, we met at SAMs, the US bar on the base, for a celebration. Camp Bondsteel is under General Order Number One which means there is a no tolerance policy regarding alcohol. Since Film City is a NATO base, General Order Number One is not in effect. We had a few drinks with the soldiers and had a fantastic time hanging out and chatting. Film City seemed to us like an Olympic Village. There were soldiers from so many different countries that all come together to hang out with each other and have a good time. It is a very unique place. I had an incredible time there. We had to be dragged away because we did not want to leave.

The drive home was really fun. We reminisced about our favorite parts of the night before getting into a discussion about how the four of us would rank out in our next days shooting simulator expedition.

Before heading to the simulator, we decided to head to the softball diamond to go cheer on the teams that were playing. Immediately Brooke and I were talked into playing on a team that was missing a few players. If we did not play, they had to forfeit because they did not have enough players. Somehow I ended up playing First Base and Brooke ended up in Left Field! We saw way more action than we had anticipated. We are much better volleyball players than softball players and it really showed. I couldn't catch a ball that was thrown to me to save my life.

We did hit the ball though. I actually hit an in-field home run. However, I was made fun of for the way I ran the bases. Apparently it was very girly! We had a good laugh about it. Our team lost by A LOT, but we had so much fun.

After the softball game, Jeff, Brooke, and I visited the Medevac team and took a tour of their Blackhawk. We sat inside the bird and took a few pictures. It was fun to visit with them and learn about what they do. They have a tough job, but thank God they are willing and able to do it.

Next we went to the indoor shooting simulator where we would partake in weapons training. Who would have thought that Jeff Nygaard would be an expert marksman? He was incredible! We were all impressed with his accuracy. We all did pretty good, but Jeff scored extremely high. However, the tides changed when we moved from the target practice to the scenario playouts.

Apparently Brooke and I had great teamwork because we kicked major butt when we were shooting the machine guns. We all got a good laugh out of it because it played out exactly how our Tour Manager called it the night before. Apparently personality has a lot to do with how your react in the simulator. It was really fun for us.

After shooting, we grabbed a snack and went back to our containers (our rooms on base) to get ready for the evening’s performance.

We went to the courts at 18:00 to start warming it up. There were already quite a few people down there. We chatted for awhile before the big crowd came. Then it was show time! A few brave soldiers came out for the first challenge. We played 4 versus 6 and gave them an absolute smashing! They were such good sports and the crowd that had gathered seemed to love it.
We played several games to 15 against many different teams. Once the score started to get out of hand, Brooke and I would run to the other side and play with the other team to try and give them a little help.

General Kay joined us at one point, but we could not talk him into playing with us. He thanked us for coming over and we presented him with an autographed Official AVP ball. We took a few pictures and then got back to playing.

We played for a few hours until it got too dark outside and we could not see anymore. We gave away tons of T-shirts, caps, visors, lanyards, sunglasses, and Fubar stickers. I had such a fantastic time. We took tons of pictures and signed autographs to soldiers and their family members back home.

Then the Karaoke machine started! Who knew that Jeff Nygaard is the Johnny Cash Ring of Fire Karaoke King? It was fantastic! There were several soldiers that joined him, all with great voices. We were highly entertained. We did not leave the site until 23:00 and we loved every minute of it!

We were sad to leave the next day. We were picked up at 3:30AM to head to the Pristina Airport for a 7AM flight. It was brutal. I decided to stay up and repack, email, call home, blog, etc. It worked out well.

We had three flights to get home. The first was from Pristina to Vienna. We had an hour in Vienna before our flight to Munich. Then we had a three hour layover in Munich before a direct flight to LAX. I ate my last 2 pretzels of the trip at the airport. I have to say that they were disappointing pretzels compared to the ones we found in the little town bakeries. I certainly had my fill on this trip. I will be good now until next year.

I got a very pleasant surprise on the way back. I was upgraded to Business Class. I could not have been happier. I had not slept yet so was completely exhausted. When we took off from Munich, I laid my chair flat into a bed and slept soundly for the first 4 hours. It was so nice. I forced myself to stay awake the rest of the flight so that I could sleep when I got home. I watched three movies on the plane and enjoyed lounging in my spacious seat. What a great way to end an amazing trip.

I have had a lot of time to reflect on our trip. I must say that I have never felt so proud to be an American Pro Beach Volleyball player in my life. Seeing the smiles that we brought to so many faces makes this the most rewarding “work” I have ever been a part of. I am so anxious to plan our next trip.

I cannot thank every American soldier enough for their sacrifice, dedication, and hard work that they do for our country. Troops - You are not forgotten back home. We love you and support you.

Go USA!
Angie

The Last Stops in Germany

In my last post, I detailed our stop in Heidelberg, Germany. I have a lot of catching up to do. After Heidelberg, we stopped in Baumholder, Germany. Baumholder is a very small community. We stayed at a small hotel a few minutes from the base. It was quaint and cozy. We check into the hotel and walked around the town, which took a whole 15 minutes. We had to stop for pretzels since the town bakery had them.

A little later we hopped back in the bus and made our way to the base. We were greeted by Tony Ramsey, our MWR host. He was so sweet and accommodating. We prepped for the clinic and waited a bit for more people to show up. At first we had only 8 girls, but eventually there were about 30 people, mostly high school aged. We split up into groups and worked on skills for the first 2 hours. Then they played 4 on 4 King/Queen of the Court. It was fun to see their vast improvements over such a short time.

Afterwards we had dinner with Tony and our other MWR hosts at our hotel restaurant. We really enjoyed their company and had fun sharing stories. We called it a night around 11PM since we had another early morning bus ride the next day.

The next morning, we woke at 5:30AM to bus to our last stop in Germany, the Kaiserslaughtern Military Community including (I may have screwed up these names, but I think I am close) Ramstein Army Base, Darmstadt Army Base, and Vogelweh Air Force Base.

We arrived early with the intention of visiting the hospital. However, this was something that required clearance, so we were not able to actually make the visit. We ended up waiting around most of the morning until our scheduled radio and television program visits. We went on the local AFN radio and had a great time chatting with the DJ.

After that, we went to the gym and did an AFN television interview before the evening clinic and exhibition. We had a great turnout for the events. There were a lot of kids in attendance at the clinic. I took the youngest ones and we had fun learning the very basics of volleyball. My kids were so cute. I had such a fun time running them around and playing with them. They seemed to have fun with their first ever volleyball experience.

After the clinic, Jeff, Brooke, Ty, and I played against the Air Force team. They were pretty good. It was a fun match. They ran a decent offense and scored the most points against us of anyone we played. We played several games and everyone seemed to have a great time.

Afterward, we were treated to a fantastic Hawaiian BBQ indoors. We had traditional red rice and some Teriyaki steak. It was so good! We visited with them for awhile before we had to leave. Once again, it was a terrific stop. We had to cut the night short because we had a very early morning wake up call to get to the airport for our flights to Kosovo.

5AM came quickly and we boarded our bus for the 90 minute drive to the Frankfurt airport. I slept on the way there since I only got 4 hours of sleep in the hotel. We made it to the airport and had to say goodbye to our new friend, Bus Driver Mike. Mike made our time on the bus really fun and relaxing. He is such a genuinely nice, gentle human being that we all really enjoyed spending time with. We were sad to say goodbye.

Once in the airport, we immediately checked our bags and went through security. We still had 2 hours before our flight so we took our time and hung out talking at the gate. We flew from Frankfurt to Vienna. Once in Vienna, we had a 3 hour layover. We got some food, hung out at a table in the Starbucks section and people watched. There was an Austrian clown walking around from table to table trying to earn a little money. He was dressed in a clown suit, but carried a giant foam camera around his neck as if he were a tourist and had a giant foam banana on a stick that he carried around as if it were his knapsack. I did not get a picture, but I wish I had. He definitely looked interesting.


Our next flight was only 2 hours and we landed in Pristina, Kosovo. We were greeted by a US Army escort to take us to Camp Bondsteel. No Hum-vee's this time. We were picked up in vans. That was fine because it was a really long ride because of the traffic and road conditions. We were stuck behind a cement truck for almost the entire way which really slowed things up. It is an interesting drive because the land is so incredibly beautiful but there is no sanitation services so there is literally garbage everywhere. The sky is constantly hazed over because in order to get rid of trash, the households just burn it in their yards. We saw small fires with burning trash the whole ride.


We arrived at Bondsteel in the evening in time for dinner. We had our first of many great meals in the DFAC (Dining Facility) on base. After letting loose with my diet in Germany and eating far too many pretzels, I was happy to get back on track and eat a lot of vegetables. We still wanted to work out, so after dinner, we went down to the sand court and started to move around. After a little while, some soldiers stopped by to see what was going on. We invited them to play with us and before long we had a solid group playing with us. We played around for about an hour, but didn't last too long because we it got dark quickly.

I am going to save the rest for tomorrow. I hope you enjoyed reading!

Angie

Heidelberg Castle and Clinic

We had another terrific day. We woke early to get in a workout before heading into downtown Heidelberg to visit the Castle. It was pouring rain when we woke up and continued for much of the day. We did not mind.

The castle was interesting. It is more a ruin than what you would think a castle would look like. It dates back to the 1300s, so there was a lot of very interesting facts and sights to learn about. Each King of the castle took his turn adding to and/or destroying parts of the castle. What remains today is extraordinary.

After our tour, we walked down to the town to get lunch. We found a great place called the Bier Bretzel and had terrific salads. I must say, the food has been fantastic. We have had one great meal after another. I have relaxed my diet more than a bit since being over here, so I will have to get back on track very soon.

After lunch we went back to our hotel to get ready for the evening clinic. I relaxed a bit and watched a little of the Olympics.

We had a great turnout for the clinic. There were even a few soldiers who joined in with the high school girls to play. We taught a little bit of technique before jumping in to play 4 on 4 King of the Court. They had a great time and the energy was high. Once again, a great experience!

Afterward, we took pictures and signed autographs with everyone. We really enjoyed our time there. It was another great group of kids! I do not imagine our next two stops in Germany will be any different.

When we walked outside, there was a big rainbow in the sky. I tried to take a picture of it, but it was dusk so the lighting was not quite right. It was beautiful anyway.

We leave tomorrow afternoon after we get in our morning workout and eat lunch. Hopefully there will be internet at the next base. I will find out tomorrow!

More later!

Angie

Germany - Days 3, 4, and 5

Our first day in Germany, we visited the Army Base, Katterbach in Ansbach. We stayed in the Army Lodging hotel, Franconian Inn, on base. We put on a clinic for the sons and daughters of the soldiers in the afternoon at a nice beach court near a little lake just off base. It was a beautiful day and the kids were once again, so polite and excited to be there. After the clinic, we put on a short exhibition. Jeff, Ty, Brooke, and I played a King of the Beach format with games to 11. Then Brooke and I partnered up with soldiers to play a game. All in all, there were about 30 people in attendance. Everyone had a great time and we enjoyed their wonderful hospitality.

After it was over, we had a great dinner at a German restaurant in downtown Ansbach with Mark, our Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) host and his family. We were all excited to try authentic German food. I tried a bite of schnitzel and strudel, had a hefeweisen and ate a roast chicken with bulgur as my meal. It was great visiting with Mark and his family and hearing all about what goes on year round at the Germany base. His wife and two daughters were with us and shared what life is like for them living overseas.

The next morning, we woke early to get in a workout before heading to the next base in Bamberg. We did not know what the day had in store for us, so we wanted to get in a good workout while we had a chance. I did a cardio session and then went back to the hotel to pack. We had a two hour bus ride to the next base. Once we got there and checked in, we were told that no one was signed up for the clinic. We were on our own to do what we would like.

We took a tour of the facility and were amazed with its enormity. It was bigger and much nicer than your typical gym. Everything was very clean and well taken care of. I got in a great footwork and agilities workout before heading into the weight room. Then we took a little break to see if anyone would show up for the exhibition. When no one arrived, we went out to the sand courts and got in a great practice.

After our day of working out, we went into downtown Bamberg. We toured around a bit and did some sight seeing. It is a gorgeous city with lots of old churches and beautiful buildings. We had dinner at an outdoor café, and then went back to the hotel. I had trouble sleeping for the first time. I fell asleep right away, but woke in the middle of the night for a few hours and could not fall back asleep. Hopefully that is the only time that will happen.

We just arrived at Patrick Henry Village in Heidelberg. It is the US Army Europe Headquarters. We checked into our rooms and now we have a little time to ourselves. We are going into the downtown area to check it out.

Tomorrow is up in the air. We are trying to pull together a clinic and exhibition, but not sure if it will happen or not. If we do not have the performances, we will still practice and maybe people will drop by to check us out. Then we can at least talk to some military families and bring a little out of the ordinary into their day.

The timing of our trip in Germany has not been conducive to visiting the soldiers. All the bases we have visited so far have been on leave. Most have recently returned from or are about to leave on a 15-month deployment in Afghanistan or Iraq and are off base on vacation. We have encountered a few soldiers, but the participation has been mostly by their families. It is difficult on the family members to say goodbye to a parent, husband, or wife for 15 months and not see them the entire time. The communities pull together to get jobs done and help each other out. They develop close relationships and have a tight community. It is clear how much love and respect these families have for one another. It is wonderful and comforting to see.

I am so happy to be here and hope that we can positively affect as many lives as possible.

More later!

Angie

First Stop - Venice/Vicenza, Italy

After a really long day of travel, we made it to Vicenza, Italy. We arrived in the afternoon, so had some free time to visit Venice which is one hour away. We jumped on a train to get there. We had dinner then toured around the city until the last train of the night. I had been up for 41 straight hours so was quite ready for a good nights sleep.

The next day, we gave a clinic to the families of the troops living on the base. We had about 20 kids get involved. They had a great time and we got our eyes opened to just how well these kids are raised. They all were extremely polite and very respectful. It was really great to see.

After the clinic, we got in our own workout at the gym. Then we wondered around the base and found the commissary (grocery store) and stocked up on some snacks.

Later that evening, we played against the Vicenza volleyball team. They were really great sports. They wanted us to play hard, so we played pros versus Army. We unleashed on them and won 21-3, 21-3, 21-2. They were a little shocked, but then we mixed the teams up and played with them to form more competitive teams. We played a few more games before wrapping it up and visiting with them for a bit.

It was a great evening getting to know these wonderful people. The soldiers had just returned from an 18 month deployment in Afghanistan, so they were happy to be "home" at Vicenza. We were thrilled for the opportunity to hang out with them and thank them for their commitment to our country.

Immediately after the exhibition, we went to dinner at a great little Italian restaurant, just as a massive lightning and hail storm blew threw. It was pretty spectacular. After dinner, we had an hour to pack up, shower, and get on the bus.

We took the bus from Vicenza to Ansbach, Germany which was a 12 hour ride by bus. I slept 10 hours of the trip, so it flew by for me. Our bus is great. We have beds, a television and dvd player, fridge, food, etc. We are having a great time!

We are in Germany now and will be here for the next week. We have a clinic and exhibition scheduled for today. We are off to eat, so I will write more later!

Angie

San Diego and a Great Big Trip!

I have so much going on right now this is going to be straight to the point. San Diego was a single elimination tournament. There is definite pressure in that format. There is no room for a bad match because you will be eliminated. Holly and I had a great tournament, but I do admit I was disappointed.

Our first match on Friday, we played against a young San Diego team and won in two sets. We were the 6th seed of the tournament, so we played pretty late in the afternoon. I just stopped taping my ankle from my injury in Hermosa and was a little nervous to play without it wrapped. I did not have my calf wrapped either. Many people commented on how they did not recognize me because I did not have my "mummy" costume on! It was bizarre! After many many weeks of all that tape I did feel a bit naked. Regardless, I made it through. In a single elimination tournament, that first win automatically puts you in a 9th place position. We won that match and were finished playing for Friday.

Saturday we faced Lewis/Lima to get into the 5th place position. We played patiently and aggressively to beat them. I have talked about this team before, but they are a great team and have the ability to pull off upsets. They beat Davis/Jordan several times over the past two seasons. I am really curious as to how they do it, because I have had no luck beating Davis/Jordan! We won in two sets advancing to the next round.

Our next match was against Fontana/DeNecochea. We beat them the first time we played them in Atlanta, then lost to them in a heart-breaker in Boulder. We were determined not to lose to them again. This was the match of the tournament. We got killed in the first set 14-21. We were inconsistent and did not take care of our opportunities. We made a few adjustments and bounced back to win the second set. The third set was incredible. There was one spectacular play after another. We were neck and neck the whole way. The intensity was incredible. Not one of us four athletes was going to give in. We all fought with everything we had. Holly and I dug deep and found a determination that we had been looking for all season. We served 9 or 10 times for the match before we actually won it! We stayed patient and aggressive and found a way. It was exhilarating to fight so hard and come out with the victory. I was so happy! The win got us to the semi-finals!

That night, I was exhausted. We only played two matches, but the emotional intensity of that second match really wore me out. I slept well.

Sunday we played Davis/Jordan to get to the Finals. The first set, Nettie served five aces. Four of the five were tricklers over the net. There is absolutely nothing you can do to defend against it. It is a lucky play that you rarely see. Four times in one game is unheard of. We lost the first set 16-21. Give us back those aces and I think it's a different story. We fought back to win the second set 21-19. Unfortunately, we fell behind in the third and could not stop them. Jenny was on fire. I did not do enough at the net to affect her and she just bombed away. We lost 11-15.

I am disappointed that we did not make the Final. This was a tournament that I truly believed we would/could win. Although we played great, I wanted more. I am not satisfied.

Now we have three weekends off before Cincinnati. I have a huge trip planned which I am so excited about. I leave tomorrow for Italy, Germany, and Kosovo. I am traveling with Jeff Nygaard, Brooke Hanson, and Ty Loomis. We are going to visit US Army bases and give exhibitions, clinics, and hang out with our Troops. I have been working on this trip all year with our production company, AKA Productions. Now it is finally here and I could not be more excited!

So many people have been wonderfully generous by giving us all sorts of give-aways for the Troops. Crocs, Bud Light, FUBAR, Cuervo, Oakley, The AVP, Martha Gibbings, Steve Owen, and Matt Gage gave me wonderful gifts to leave at the bases. I know the Troops will be excited and very appreciative.

I will be blogging from the road, so be sure to check back often. We are scheduled to visit around 8-10 different bases across Germany, Italy, and Kosovo for the next 2 weeks. It will be an incredible trip!

Now I have to get back to packing, so the next you will hear from me will be from the road!

Peace!
Angie