Nervous? No Way!

In the days and weeks that led up to our departure, many people have asked if I am nervous – about bowling in the Games, about the political climate in Israel, about being thrust into groups of 8 and 800 and maybe even 8,000 at any given time, about fitting all my “stuff” into my luggage. And while I will say that my nerves are indeed tingling with anticipation, “nervous” doesn’t accurately describe my demeanor.

I’m extremely excited about this opportunity. I’m excited to be going back to Israel – it’s been five years since my last (incredible) visit and I am long overdue for another incredible adventure on “the land.” I’m also excited to meet some incredible people – some of whom I’ve already gotten to know and many new friends I have yet to meet. And I’m excited to represent my country and my people – both are so important to me and this is just one way to share that.

And, if there is one thing I am nervous about, it is fitting all my stuff into the luggage. The case box with my bowling balls is all packed up (I did that last night after practice), but the luggage, well, I think that will be a race against the clock. And even as I finish writing this entry, e-mail messages are circulating among some of my teammates about how they are freaking out about their luggage and equipment issues. Some things are universal … I bet our international competitors are freaking out as well – I wonder how they say “freaking out” in Greek or Chinese or German or any of the other dozens of languages that will soon surround us.

This is my last entry before departing for Israel. I’ll be keeping entries “offline” and posting them whenever I have the opportunity. Thanks again for all the support and keep on reading. Go USA!