Travel Time

In 12 hours and 35 minutes, I could be in Rome, Italy.
In 19 hours, I could be in Beijing, China.
In 20 hours and 30 minutes, I could be in Cape Town, South Africa.
In 20 hours and 55 minutes, I could be in Sydney, Australia.

Today, I traveled for 22 hours, and made it to Oregon State University.
Talk about a bummer.

So start by imagining traveling with a woman.  We tend to overpack, forget things (that in reality are probably insignificant like a hair dryer), run late from getting ready, and if you're anything like me, need a coffee before anyone talks to me.  Times that by 16, and from ages 17-21.  Can you feel the stress levels rising?

Needless to say, team travel days when we fly commercially (during Big 10 season we travel on charter planes...thank you football funding!) are incredibly crazy.  Stress levels are always high from praying you didn't forget any equipment, that you have your ID, or that you aren't late for anything.

So when I rose from bed at 4:30 this morning (well yesterday now), in my usual cheery and bright mood (HA), I was feelin it.  We got to the airport at around 6am and waited.  Our coach (Leisa), was spending an unusually long time at the ticket counter.  Come to find out, our flight was cancelled.

Cue panic mode.

So after about an hour, of basically sleeping on the floor, we checked our bags and left the airport.  The only good part was that we went back to campus and ate at our FAVORITE breakfast place on the coaches :-)  The place is called Benny's and it is where all the student-athletes eat sunday brunch.  It was made famous by Michael Phelps who attended UM and ate there regularly.  After food we got to nap for an hour and then headed BACK to the airport.

So about 4 cups of coffee later, I'm sitting on a plane to Minneapolis.  Then onto a layover for 3 hours, where I bedazzled my planner for the year, and instead of reading "Eat.Pray.Love." caught up on the latest trends for fall (which are jewel tones, gold, fatigue inspired attire, leather jackets, and mixed prints...in case you were wondering).  Then FINALLY our next flight to Portland.

The flight started with who I can only describe as a Texas Cowboy offering up $20 for ANYONE to trade him for an aisle seat, insisting that it had nothing to do with the "beautiful women" he was sitting by, but just that "he couldn't take it".  Then onto a smooth flight which was really only interrupted by my highly mature teammates throwing things at me when I fell asleep. :-)  As we landed we could see Mt. St Helen, and a view of the city, which I now know is a leader in the US for sustainability.  I can totally see my dad liking this city.  We flew over the river which was filled with sailboats :-)

We arrived at California Pizza Kitchen at closing to beg for a meal, and then got to sit on the bus for another blissful hour and a half to get to our hotel.

My ankles are swollen, I'm very disoriented, and tired.  Off to bed!!!

We play UNLV tomorrow night at 4:40 west coast time!!!!!

GO BLUE!!