Off again to the land of the Swiss Alps, Cheese, and Chocolate!!!!

The Alps welcome me back to Switzerland!!!!!

Switzerland: I was supposed to get on a plane to head back to Belgium on January 2nd, however, I found out that my team in Belgium ran into some issues getting my work visa figured out with the government.  Unfortunately, that meant that I couldn’t return to Belgium for the 2nd half of the season, which I was very disappointed about.  Thankfully, within 24 hours, my agent was able to find me another job for the second half of the season with a team called Riva Basket that was located in Chiasso, Switzerland and right along the Italian border. After playing in Switzerland a few years agao on two different teams, I was excited about a chance to go back because it was with  a completely different team and in a new part of the country.  I got offered a job on Friday, negotiated the contract Saturday and Sunday, the plane ticket bought Monday, packed on Tuesday, and I boarded a plane to Milan, Italy, on Wednesday January 5th.  Things move fast in the basketball world and within 48 hours I switched teams, and had to switch gears to a completely different league, country, and language.   I am starting to get used to this, however, it can be exhausting.  The one sure thing in my life that I have been able to cling to throughout these experiences is my faith in God; I know and trust that God knows what He is doing.  I landed Jan. 6th on Thursday, practiced with the team Friday, and then was on the road 5 hours through the Swiss Alps for our first game against a team near Lausanne.  We won by 8, so it was a great positive start for me with the team.  My first week was good, with some rough patches of homesickness and discontentment in being in yet another new place, but for the most part good.  I guess I have come to the conclusion that the way I seem to grow the most as a person and in my faith is when I face new challenges.  This is one of those times where I didn’t know my future but was trusting that through God’s faithfulness,He would take care of me.  He always has and always will :) So anyway, I played Saturday and Sunday in my  2nd and 3rd games with the team and we won both!!!  Since arriving, I am 6-2 with this team and feeling good so far! I felt blessed to have my dad visit for 2.5 weeks and have lots of visitors in February, March, and April too!!!  I am looking forward to seeing more beautiful sights here in Switzerland and parts of northern Italy over the next 4 months of this crazy adventure that God has called me to in life :) 

Me with the castle and Alps in Gruyeres, Switzerland

Teammates after the Swiss Cup Final against Helios

                                                                               

I live 2 minutes from the Italian border, near Como, Italy!!

     

       From left: My roommate Traci,  manager Filippo, President
Francesco and Me!

     

Got 2nd place in Swiss Cup

Beautiful Scenery in Switzerland!!