June 15, 2000

I think three other people have covered our last days in Munich and that we are now in Baden-Baden, Germany so I'll write about something different.

I think that everyone on this trip, including myself, my teammates and the staff have developed a new appreciation for what we have: the opportunity to be on this trip. The possibility of coming back here on our own. The approaching moment to see our loved ones and tell them about our trip. The unique situations that cannot be explained or forgotten. Those 24-hour convenience stores. Cereal for breakfast. The international competition. A great athletic trainer. Bottled water. Motor coaches with a bathroom onboard. Pay phones that take your calling card. Internet access. Interpreters. CNN or Sports Center. Hotel rooms with a shower included. Free public restrooms. American food. Last but not least the appreciation of an experience like a three-week tour of Europe and how it can do nothing but slightly change a person or brighten their awareness of their privileges. Once we get home we can never get this time back, and the opportunity that we have been given is irreplaceable.

Europe is so different from the U.S. The languages are different, the food is different, the money is different, and the pace of life is different. Here the people are different, the smells are different, the phones are different, the time is different, the toilets are different, and the speed limits are different. Even volleyball is different here: the facilities, the competition, the rules, and the volleyballs. The history is different, the scenery is different, and modesty is different. The entire experience is different. And because of all that this trip has been remarkable.

Sincerely,

Emily #11

PS. I love you and I miss you…Eric, KKRJCREW, Pete, Russ, and Michael.