2009 Trip to Brazil May 19 I’m going to start this off a little differently today and begin by thanking everyone that made this trip possible. I cannot express the gratitude we feel in being able to experience such a beautiful and kind culture that enables us to play the sport we love and find great competition (and great people to play against). To be able to spend this time with my teammates, coaches and members of the booster family only enhanced our adventures further and I could not have asked for a better group of people to join me in this great experience. This trip has been the chance of a lifetime, unforgettable and unbelievable, truly a dream come true for all those involved. As gorgeous as Buzios was immediately, we only got a small taste of its beauty during our first night here. Today, we walked (everything is extremely convenient and in walking distance) to the pier to take a boat tour around the islands surrounding Buzios. Within minutes of boarding the boat it was a crowd favorite; the view was absolutely breathtaking in every direction. We continued to gasp at the sights of the mountains in the background and bask in the sunlight until we hit the next island. Closer to land than the previous stop, we decided to get a short workout in by swimming to the island. Five minutes later we all washed up on shore (a little worse for the wear), took the island by storm and claimed it as our own with pictures as proof. A few of the girls also snorkeled and saw “tropical fish” in the shallows. Needless to say, once the boat returned to the pier we were all trying to convince the captain to “accidentally” miss his mark with the rope so we could go on another loop around Buzios. For dinner, we all found another buffet with an excellent assortment of fresh meats, made to order pastas, salads, fruits and even pizza. We sufficiently stuffed ourselves until we were ready for another night of shopping downtown for different Brazilian knick knacks to bring back for our loved ones (no spoilers!). We also found a place that made the largest chocolate crepes I have ever seen and everyone gathered around to try them out. I would highly recommend a chocolate crepe from Buzios if you ever find yourself here. Now, sitting in the hotel after a long night of wandering from shop to shop, the girls sit around on their computers talking to parents or friends and challenge some of the coaches and boosters to card games. With only two days left in Brazil, everyone is starting to realize that this dream of a vacation is actually coming to an end. The experiences we have had the blessing to be a part of are once in a lifetime, and the opportunity to interact with such an incredible culture and see a beautiful part of the world was unimaginable. We cannot thank you enough. ~ Blair Brown
May 20 Today has been a very relaxing day. All of us girls woke up around 9:15 for breakfast and then left the hotel for the beach. On the way there, we got easily distracted and stopped in several shops along the way. Then, we went to a beach that was about a 15 minute walk from the hotel. It was a small, nice beach with a few restaurants right on the the beach. After a couple hours of catching some rays we decided we better leave to make it to lunch on time. Tonight we ate our last pizza dinner. Pizza has been one of the favorite meals here in Brazil, mainly because of the amazing desert pizzas they make here. It was a great last dinner to have in Brazil. After dinner we all headed to one of our favorite places that makes delicious crepes (as if we didn’t already have enough desert). All of us ordered different ones from banana and chocolate to ice cream and chocolate. This place is very fun because not only is there great dessert, but there is a DJ playing music, and there are ping pong tables and bean bags to sit in around some tables. It seemed as though Penn State had taken over the place because every where you looked, you would see someone from our group. After that, everyone headed back to the hotel to hang out before bed. This trip has been a dream come true. There have been many times during this trip that I have talked with some of the girls and we discuss how lucky we are to have as much support as we have and been given an opportunity to broaden our horizons by experiencing another culture as beautiful as Brazil’s. I will never forget this trip and how much fun I have been able to have with all my best friends ~ Katie Kabbes
May 21 The end of the trip has finally come! We all woke up sporadically on Thursday and had a pretty laid back morning. It was very overcast, so most of us headed into downtown to do some last minute personal shopping, gift buying, and getting rid of any Brazilian money we had left burning holes in our pockets. A few of us treated ourselves to manicures and pedicures, and Katie took the risk of getting her hair cut from someone who didn’t speak a word of English (but don’t worry, it turned out great). We met up for lunch at Boom, the same restaurant we ate lunch at our first afternoon in Buzios. The food (and more importantly the desserts) were just as fantastic as last time. After a quick lunch, we all headed back to the hotel to take a stab at packing all of our new and old belongings up one last time. It was tough, but just about all of us managed to shove our clothes and gifts into our suitcases (with the exception of Heather’s rain stick and Jess’s hammock). After stuffing everything into the bus, we started our bumpy trip back to Rio. For dinner, some of us experienced Bob’s Burgers for the first time, which is the burger chain created in Brazil by an American in the absence of McDonald’s back in the early 1900’s. At the gate, we parted with Nestor, our faithful tour guide. Nestor was a great addition to the trip as well, and we all appreciated his help and his insight into the Brazilian culture. There was plenty of time to kick back in the airport terminal while we awaited our flight. Once we boarded the plane, it was time to settle in and sleep our way back to the New York City. This was such an incredible experience for every one of us. I don’t think we can even begin to thank the Boosters and everyone who helped make all of this possible.Nothing can compare to the volleyball experience we got here and all the memorable times we had! ~ Megan Shifflett
14-Time Big Ten Champions ‘92, ‘93, ‘96, ‘97, ‘98, ‘99, ‘03, ‘04, ‘05, ‘06, ‘07, ‘08, ‘09, ‘10 • GoPSUsports.com • PENN STATE 2011–12
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