How I arrived in Europe from Lynchburg
Field hockey has always been a major aspect of my life. For a long time, I believed it was the only thing about my life. I came to Lynchburg College to continue and finish my field hockey career. My freshman year, I joined the team having absolutely no idea what to expect. I had heard so many stories about playing a sport in college, some exciting and some horrifying. While there have been some moments of weakness that tested my mental and physical stability, playing field hockey at Lynchburg has brought me a lot of irreplaceable and amazing experiences. The lifelong relationships the sport has brought me, even prior to my college team, are indescribably awesome. I have even formed strong relationships with coaches who I would now consider life mentors and role models. It was at Lynchburg that I cultivated these relationships through a passion for the same sport, and that will always have a place in my heart.
Aside from the people that I’ve met along the way, playing field hockey at Lynchburg has allowed me to do something I thought I wouldn’t be able to do until I was much older. Over the past summer, my team and I had the opportunity to play overseas in Europe. For two weeks, I was across the world. I travelled to Munich, Germany; Prague, Czech Republic; and Vienna, Austria. All of it was an amazing experience, and even better because I got to do it with my best friends. We toured Munich on bike (with a tall, dark, and handsome tour guide); ate dinner at the Hofbrauhaus; and yes, European chocolate is as good as they say it is. The opportunity to travel abroad and play the sport I love was the best two-for-one deal I’ve ever gotten.
Without continuing my field hockey career into my collegiate years, I would have never crossed paths with the wonderful souls that I’ve met in Lynchburg. I certainly wouldn’t have been able to travel to Europe as early on in my life as I was able to. For the rest of my life, I will cherish the memories and the adventures of playing field hockey in Lynchburg that have shaped the person I am today.
