June 2, 2000

Greetings from Lichtenvoorde, Netherlands! We just got done playing our second match against a German team. We have been doing really well so far. We won that game and our first one also. Competition is pretty good here! Their serving so outrageous, very aggressive! Their style of play is little different than ours. Our game is quicker than the teams we have played so far. The players we have played against are very smart with where they hit the ball! Also, the defense is awesome! We are really enjoying our stay! There is so much to see!

We have traveled though the farmlands of the Netherlands! It is that much different than Michigan! A lot of things look similar to my home town of Holland, Michigan. The houses and roads caught my attention right away. Gas is really expensive here. The Dutch travel in really small cars, mostly Volkswagens. The gas is measured in liters. So, three liters is equal to our one gallon. It is twice as much as our gasoline! There are many bikes and mopeds. They have separate lanes for bikes. I have talked to some of the players and they all ride bikes for transportation. The roads are really simple with a lot of traffic circles. The houses look like they are from a fairy tale story. The houses are made from a fairly tale land and they have big picture windows. There are so many flowers that fill their lawns. Their lawns are not the usual looking. They are smaller that the ordinary lawn we see and they are all different shapes. Tomorrow, we are traveling to Copanhagen, Demark. We are all staying together in this great hotel with a pool and a sauna. I have heard that pools and saunas are not as common in hotels here as they are back at home. We are all really excited to have a great night of relaxation and of course get rid of any body soreness!! Well that is all for now! I would like to thank everyone who has helped us out on this trip! I am really enjoying myself.

P.S. Hi my mom and dad!! Of course, I have not forgot about my sisters Jenny and Amanda!! I miss all of you guys and I love you!! Hi, to everyone else back at home!!

P.P.S. Tory is cool!!