Things on my mind..

When I write this the new year has just started and I got only 7 weeks to go before moving to Athens! I'm so excited but also really scared! I have no idea what to expect. I've been trying to get myself prepared but I can't totally be prepared for everything. 7 weeks are gonna go so fast that I'm terrified! I got still one week left from my holiday and I'm working everyday and I should also try to do some school stuff. Then I also got practises three times a week and games. 

School: So my school starts on the 9th and it's propably gonna be really tense because we have some days from 8am till 7pm! I have to return some assignments that I've got since I can't participate to all my lesson while I'm in Greece.

Ringette: We had a short break from the games but the next weekend we are already on again! Important games this spring and we need points to get to play offs! I also got an invitation to national team's weekend at the end of Jan! So, I'm looking forward to that anxiously and nervously because of the games we're gonna play there. So January is gonna go really fast!

..Then it's only couple of more weeks to go..

I'm nervous about so many little and mostly stupid things :D My best friend once told me to write down what for I'm nervous and what I'm afraid of etc.. So I'm gonna try that now.. Questions going through my mind:

• What kind of place my practical training will be? Is it only gonna be one place or will I go to different ones? Will I be able to do anything there? Will they speak good English? Will I understand anything? How to speak and communicate with Greek people who don't speak English? Will my English be good enough?

• Will I love my apartment? What if I don't? Will I get myself to feel like home? What if I can't cook for myself or I'm too bored to cook and I'll only eat some takeout food and get fat? :D

• Will I get the energy and drive to go to the nearest gym? What if I don't go there? ..then I'll be disappointed to myself.

•  Will I get new friends soon? Exchange students and local greek people both? I'm conserned that I don't want to or I'm gonna be too tired to go to some partys and places where to meet people?

• What if I'm gonna miss my family and my best friend too much? :( 

A little preinfo before the next dot. I play a sport called ringette and I've played it for 15 years. So ice sports are really close to my heart. I don't even know how I got this idea but I think it comes from many many months ago when I saw men's ice hockey World Championships division 3 games on news and I saw Greece playing there. I went to Greece ice hockey pages: icehockey.gr. I just got curious if I would have an opportunity just to skate in Athens. I ended up emailing to some random person and asking a little about Greece ice hockey in general and the ice rink(s?) in Athens. I got an answer almost immediately from the Greece national team's captain Jimmy who gave me an email address to women's team responsible Georgia. Jimmy also told me that he had told about me to Georgia. She answered to my email and seemed to be really excited and offered me a spot on their team. She told me that they have three ice practises in a week at 10pm on weekdays and 8.30 am on weekends. It would cost 7€/one time on ice. This would be such a great opportunity for me to get to know the local people playing the sport on ice. It would not be as serious as ringette in Finland and it would be a change for ringette. I've played hockey one season when I was 11 and sometimes I think it would be cool to start it again (if I had more than 24 hours a day). BUT..

• Am I crazy to leave to some Mediterranean country with my ice hockey gear? Should I just take a total break from ice and enjoy it? Or should I really go there, meet new people, have fun playing hockey and enjoying the ice time I can have to improve my skills also in ringette?

Oh, and one more thing. The woman renting the apartment let me know then I can move in immediatelly when I arrive. The girls living there now are gonna leave before I arrive. :) Good news! :)


" You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you had to overcome to reach your goals."