First Steps Abroad
Learning to adapt, sweat through the setbacks, and begin each day with a grateful heart.
Belgium - August 14, 2025
Belgium - August 14, 2025
Grounded and Ready to Work
I took a quick walkabout the team house, checking out the neighborhood, and on the hunt for food and water to fuel up for practice and the season.
The first couple of days here were rough. I didn’t have access to the things I was used to: protein powders, electrolytes, even the drinks I normally rely on. I had to figure out how to cook, where to shop, and how to fuel my body all over again. Monday hit especially hard. I was dehydrated, exhausted, jet-lagged, and cramping. My head was pounding, and I couldn’t sleep.
But I’ve been blessed. At Purdue and Duke, I had incredible people teach me how to take care of my body. Now, in Belgium, I’m learning how to do that on my own—with different resources and a lot more trial and error. I’ve had to listen to my body, adapt, and relearn what it needs to perform at a high level.
It’s been a blast, though. I truly believe this is exactly where I’m supposed to be. No AC in my apartment? No AC in the gym? That’s part of the journey and something that I believe we as a team are supposed to be going through right now. We’ve been practicing in a city-owned gym while ours is occupied by a camp. I’ve gone through three uniforms in a single practice—jersey, shorts, everything soaked. But I’ve adjusted. I saw the team doctor, got checked out, and restocked my supplements. Thankfully, they arrived quickly.
I’m grateful for that. Gratitude is one the most important things that I keep at the forefront of my mind. When I got here, there was only one piece of art in my apartment stuck with me most is a small frame It is a black square with words shaped into a heart. It says: “Begin each day with a grateful heart.”
That hit me. My mentor and I have always talked about staying grateful, no matter where we are or what we’re doing. Gratitude is how you serve others—from a place of love, not frustration. My mom’s always said everything happens for a reason, and I believe that. That little frame reminds me daily.
Being overseas is tough. You’re making new friends who don’t speak your language. You get strange looks. You’re away from family and friends, and the only connection is through a phone screen from six hours behind. But I’m grateful. Grateful for this opportunity, for the challenge, and for the growth.
This is just the beginning. A stepping stone. And I’m ready to keep walking this journey for this season and the next.
But I’ve been blessed. At Purdue and Duke, I had incredible people teach me how to take care of my body. Now, in Belgium, I’m learning how to do that on my own—with different resources and a lot more trial and error. I’ve had to listen to my body, adapt, and relearn what it needs to perform at a high level.
It’s been a blast, though. I truly believe this is exactly where I’m supposed to be. No AC in my apartment? No AC in the gym? That’s part of the journey and something that I believe we as a team are supposed to be going through right now. We’ve been practicing in a city-owned gym while ours is occupied by a camp. I’ve gone through three uniforms in a single practice—jersey, shorts, everything soaked. But I’ve adjusted. I saw the team doctor, got checked out, and restocked my supplements. Thankfully, they arrived quickly.
I’m grateful for that. Gratitude is one the most important things that I keep at the forefront of my mind. When I got here, there was only one piece of art in my apartment stuck with me most is a small frame It is a black square with words shaped into a heart. It says: “Begin each day with a grateful heart.”
That hit me. My mentor and I have always talked about staying grateful, no matter where we are or what we’re doing. Gratitude is how you serve others—from a place of love, not frustration. My mom’s always said everything happens for a reason, and I believe that. That little frame reminds me daily.
Being overseas is tough. You’re making new friends who don’t speak your language. You get strange looks. You’re away from family and friends, and the only connection is through a phone screen from six hours behind. But I’m grateful. Grateful for this opportunity, for the challenge, and for the growth.
This is just the beginning. A stepping stone. And I’m ready to keep walking this journey for this season and the next.
Snapshots
Little moments that mattered to me this week. It's amazing being in a new country, but it's the everyday things, like lunch, that really impact a day.
