There is never a dull moment in Puerto Rico.

Don't get me wrong, I love this place and the weather is gorgeous and the food is delicious and super fattening and makes me OH so happy, but that doesn't make up for the amount of drama that goes on in this tiny little island.  From car accidents, to shootings, to people fighting or cat calling like they are out of some X-rated movie.  I don't know who told men that "Ohhh Baby, F*%& Me" would get them a conversation or a phone number but i'm pretty darn close to giving one of them an elbow to the teeth.

Oh, not to mention one of the many recent stories: due to a disagreement between two parties (one affiliated with my team and the other being and outside party) someone snuck into my complex (it's gated so they pulled some James Bond shit) stole the license plate from my car (you can't drive a car without plates or tags here or your ass goes to jail) 10 minutes before I had to leave for my match and left a note on my window telling me to call them.  And did I mention that the car wasn't starting either?  So, after ranting and raving and pacing all around the parking lot as i'm listening to this person try to explain and justify this nonsense, I finally (with much encouragement from my mother) jumpstart the car and drive it anyways.

Luckily I play a sport where it's easy to take out aggression, so banging the ball around that court felt awesome.......until we lost.

WAHHHH WAHHHH

Adventures and stories....

T.B.C.

Dear Rain,

I know.... 

you make the flowers grow the and hills green

you wash my car for free

you make the air smell sweet and clean

you create colorful rainbows

But come on!!!  

I enjoy you every once in awhile.  Not every freakin' day!

Go Away!

Our Day Off In Pictures

Brekkie Burritos

Latin Food = Amazing

Why is it amazing?

Carbs + Fat

Carbs + Fat = weight gain

Weight gain = smaller vertical

Smaller vertical + Volleyball Player = FAIL!

You do the math (even though I already did it for you)

Eating right is going to be the roughest part of living down here so I am posting sticky notes all over my room with goals and tasty low calorie, low fat  recipes.

Today is a game day so I am allowed to eat a little more since I need the energy to go BeastMode on Cataño tonight.

In preparation, I made myself a protein loaded breakfast burrito.

Ingredients

1/4 of an onion diced

3 cherry tomatoes cut in half

1/4 cup fresh spinach

3 eggs (whites only)

1/4 of an avocado cut into chunks

1 ounce shredded turkey

1 tortilla

This makes a pretty hefty burrito so I usually cut it in half and eat a half for breakfast and wrap the other half in tinfoil for a snack later in the day.

Puerto Rico.....Again?

Once again, life continues to twist and turn instead of carrying on down this straight and narrow path I had all planned out.  I have slowly learned that planning (in my life) tends to lead to constant change of plans.  And these are not minor changes, these are life altering changes.

But I embrace it.

For example:

I was determined to never go overseas again and stay in America and play beach volleyball and be with my family.  I was so ecstatic about my life plans and managed to build a routine and a little home that I was so smitten with only to uproot my life and head down to Puerto Rico to play overseas again.  At first I was really hesitant to leave and the entire plane ride down I was biting my nails in anticipation of how I would feel about my decision once I arrived to the island.  But I have to admit, I love these changes and these journeys.  It adds so much excitement.  

The girls I live with are amazing and so fun to be around.  My teammates are all smiles all the time.  And let's be honest, I'm on an island surrounded by beaches in a place that is so familiar.  The best part is that I don't have to give up beach volleyball.

So here's to change and making the best of it.