On the road again

Since my last post I have not been home.  A total of ten days traveling will be had, and way too little sleep.

Readers, you last encountered your heroine (Moi) typing at a dingy Days Inn in Nashville.  In the past week I have played four more days of Frisbee, eaten five pasta dinners, went to the beach at least ten different times and have logged almost a thousand miles of travel.

A little bit to get you more caught up; last Sunday we won all three of our Frisbee games. I know I played well. With an appetite fit for a lumberjack and without any games the following day, my team and I went to a nice Italian restaurant and got ready for a feast. Unfortunately it wasn't as fabulous as our stomachs were growling for. There was not a soul in the restaurant when we got there. Usually this is a terrible sign, but it was nine p.m. and we had been done playing for five hours. It's just wasn't feasible to ask our stomachs to wait. On the bright side we got tons of breadsticks and as many water refills as a Frisbee girl could ask for.  Overall it was a delightful night for the team. We all settled in for the night and got ready for sightseeing the next day.

Monday morning started with a light rain that only got stronger. We attempted to go sightseeing, but the outdoor parks quickly lost appeal when we realized we might ruin our hair. After some strolling around we eventually entered a dark little bar and grill. One grilled cheese too many and we set off for St. Simon island, GA. 

Driving was like a five hour lesson on hydroplaning. The entirety of the Atlantic seemed to be precipitating on our little red subaru. At midnight we finally arrived to a four story beach house only a block from the public beach. Tan and identical to every other house in the block, it was home for a week.  The entire basement was filled with the eleven remaining girls from my team. Along the way others had left for other destinations. However, this didn't mean we would be lonely, we were joining the women and men's teams from UMD.  For three sweaty days we played Frisbee all day followed by beach trips and pasta dinner. Tan and full, we relaxed each day content with our work done.

Yesterday was our first free day, but many of us spent it sleeping in for the first time all trip. Frisbee is a serious business and we like to use all awake hours to play. The sport endures a lot of crap for being played by lazy hippies. While I have met a lot of hippies the past few years, few college players are lazy when it comes to playtime.

Thursday night I decided with a few others to stay up all night and wait for the sunrise. Pink and bright, the sunrise was just as beautiful as any other, a slight disappointment, but potentially full of unrecognized awe by my dull senses. Twenty four hours of running and tanning and walking and socializing leaves even the most chipper of people ready for bed. I was no exception. 

Friday was spent at the beach and cleaning. We said goodbye to our friends from Duluth, and they set off for yet another tournament.  With the house to ourselves, my girls and myself settled in for a movie and then bed.

Today we have been on the road for twelve hours already. As I time, I know the gift that is fresh air, open spaces, and food that doesn't come in a paper bag. I know we are driving toward a Minnesota in springtime, and I eagerly anticipate sleeping in a bed where only I have slept. I want fresh sheets and more than one pillow. I want to cook my own food and see my family. I love my team, but I'd like to be more than ten feet away from someone for more than the length of a shower. I miss drivers who use their turn signal, caribou coffee, and to watch the channel I want to watch.

That being said, I loved my trip and bonding with my team.  I know I grew as a player and made better friendships. I had a great time, and as ready as I am to be home, I wouldn't trade this trip for the world.