Pieksämäki

You know the fun game "spin the globe to see where you will live"? Well I played that game the other day. I spun the globe and when it stopped, my finger landed on Pieksämäki, Finland. A small town in the South East of the country.

I'll be living here for the next 8 months as my preparation for next year's Olympic Games. My International season with Great Britain is now over. It was a more successful summer for the team and a good way to transition into playing in a national league from August to April. I'm fighting for my spot for the Olympic team, so this next year is important for me to continue to improve. So far I've had 2 volleyball sessions and 1 lifting session. I haven't felt that I've needed much a transition to move here and play (it has been only 2 days, so I could feel differently soon). Wherever you are in the world, volleyball is volleyball and it's about delivering your job on court. I've played for 4 teams throughout Europe, this team in Finland being my 5th. I guess moving and playing around the World is now normal for me because I've yet to feel like I'm out of my element.

I don't know the language and it is very unfamiliar to me. I'll learn a word, pronounce it until I say it correctly, and then a few minutes later forget it. It's a little tiring not remembering but I think the more I submerge myself in the language, the more familiar it will sound and the more I will remember. For now, it's important I understand what is going on at training and become as fluent as I can in the Finnish Volleyball language. Which means, I'm starting with numbers...

1	yksi
2	kaksi
3	kolme
4	neljä
5	viisi