Last Post From London

Hi Everyone!

Well here it goes...officially my last post from London! I know I have slacked on updating the blog for the past few days, but my oh my was it one fast and furious week.

I left off the last blog with the USA Women's Soccer Team taking part in their last pool play match in Manchester, and following that, I had a week of various Olympic Events. Last Thursday night, I was lucky enough to be in Olympic Park at the aquatic center to see Missy Franklin, Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte! I saw Phelps go head to head with Lochte in the 200m IM Final, as Phelps captured the gold. Any time Lochte looked like he was starting to gain any sort of group, Phelps just pulled away. It was such a cool experience to see the most decorated Olympian do what he does best - win gold! The teen sensation Missy Franklin also swam that night, and while I did not see her win a gold, she was still remarkable for a 17 year old. To think back to 2 years ago, and try and imagine being 17 and in the Olympics is just insanity. Such a great feat for a promising American swimmer.

Me in Olympic Park at sundown

My view in the aquatic center - crazy architecture!

The start of the 200 IM final

The Man, The Legend

Friday, I was able to get tickets to a random event - Table Tennis! It was the Women's team quarterfinals, and it was really interesting. The women's game is more tactics than power, so while not all the rallies had crazy, fast-paced action, the ones that did surely captivated the audience. Honestly, just being at that sort of event that isn't too big in the US but is still a great Olympic sport was unusual but one of my best memories.

Saturday, I headed back to Manchester to see a quarterfinal Men's soccer match (if you can't tell, I love my soccer!) that featured Japan and Egypt. Neither of those 2 teams has a huge draw from their name, but the stadium was almost at full capacity with 71,000 people in attendance! Egypt was picked as a dark-horse in the tournament, and while they looked great in the first half, a red card just before the intermission doomed them and theirI  chances of advancing. Japan ended up winning 3-0, and had some great goals that were exciting to watch.

Sunday, took a short tube ride across London to Earls Court, where the USA Women's Volleyball Team was playing! They faced a pesky Turkish side that would not give up, almost defeating the Americans in the first set. However, once our girls calmed down, they took care of business in a crushing 3-0 victory, eliminating Turkey from the tournament. The second game of the night had Brazil against Serbia, and as one of the top teams in the tournament, Brazil followed suit of the Americans, winning 3-0 and knocking Serbia out of the competition.

Finally, my last Olympic event was Monday, and will be without a doubt my most prominent memory from the trip. A group of roughly 20 students from our trip headed to Manchester to see the USA Women's Soccer Team again, this time in the quarterfinals against our rivals up north. While we felt that our side was dominating the match, Canada took a 1-0 lead into the break. However, a never-die attitude served the Americans well. We tied the match up at 1, only for Canada to take the lead 2-1 shortly after. However, the greatest goal I have seen in a women's game from Megan Rapinoe (side note - we got a picture with her parents before the match) tied it at 2. Once again the Canadians took the lead at 3-2, but a penalty kick from Abbey Wambach in the 80th minutes tied it up once again, and sent the match into extra time.

In extra time, both sides looked exhausted, and the game looked like it was destined for a much dreaded penalty shootout to decide who would advance onto Wembley Stadium and the gold medal match. However, with 1 minute remaining in extra time, I looked to my buddy to the left of me and said "Okay, last chance!" And wouldn't you know it, Alex Morgan, in the 123rd minute, scored the game winning goal, sending the Americans to the gold medal match and a rematch against Japan, who beat us in the 2011 World Cup Final. Once she scored, the stadium erupted, and I have since had no voice. As our group of 20 walked out of the stadium, we continously sang "Oh when the yanks! (Oh when the Yanks) Go marching in! (Go marching in) Oh when the yanks go marching in, oh how I love to be an American, oh when the Yanks go marching in!" USA chants broke out as anyone wearing stars and stripes was giving high-fives all around. Our group had gone all out in decoration, painting our faces, wearing flags, and some even wearing leggings resembling the flag, so we got bombarded for pictures with little kids who surely had to have been loathing their parents for making them get pictures with us - we were loud and proud, and a bit intimidating for small children if you ask me. I can honestly say that I have never been more proud to be an American than that night, and 30 years from now I will tell my kids how I watched the greatest soccer match in Olympic history, and how I watched the American spirit persevere, and how I watched a team show the world what being an American truly is.

Just now, writing this post, I have goosebumps thinking back to last night and the craziness that it was! However, it is getting late here, and I am headed out early in the morning for my flight. This summer has been more than I could have ever asked for. The people that I have met and the experiences I have had will never be forgotten. I am looking forward to writing one last post when I get home, looking back on my time here and all that I have gained - knowledge, friendships and experiences.

Until then,

Ben

P.S. Stateside in 24 hours!!!!! Cannot wait :)

P.P.S -  More pictures to follow - slow internet tonight

Amazing Last 2 Days!

Hi everyone!

WOW! Wow, wow, wow! The last 2 days in London have been absolutely incredible, as I have been a full participant in the Olympic experience, proudly cheering on team USA. It is so cool to see such a mix of nations, languages and cultures, all brought together by a common love of sport and national pride. Such a blessing to be here!

It started last night, as I had tickets to see 4 beach volleyball matches, 2 of which had USA teams in them. The matches were at Horse Guards Parade, and I have never seen such a neat venue in my life. It is literally a beach volleyball court smack dab in the heart of London. As I looked out from my seats, the backdrop for the court is the Parliament building, with the London Eye in the background, and Big Ben off to my right. At certain angles, you could catch glimpses of Westminster Abbey too. A side story of the night that was cool was that the Mayor of London commissioned a painting of the venue, so as we sat in the crowd, we could see a painter on top of the Parliament building looking out over us painting - pretty cool!

All four matches were great, but specifically those with the Americans in them. The second match had the US tandem of Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal, however they went down in two sets to a team from Poland. It was funny because anyone in the area who wasn't from the states was rooting for Poland. It seems that nobody wants the American's to win! I'm fine with it....that's what happens when you win as much as we do :)

The final match of the night was the one I was most excited for, as Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh were playing. It was a cold night, and the match didn't start until almost 11:20, so a good amount of fans had left, but nonetheless it was amazing. They are so incredibly skilled, and even at an age that many would consider to be out of their prime, the tandem continues to dominate. They won in 2 sets, and I started a huge USA chant on match point that echoed throught the stands as they put the match away. It was a perfect way to cap an amazing night.

My good friend Emi, who went with me to the matches

May-Treanor and Walsh on the court

Just a few hours ago, I returned from Manchester where I watched the USA Women's Soccer team defeat North Korea 1-0. We had AMAZING seats, just about 10 rows up, dead center of the field. It was by far one of the most amazing sporting experiences in my life. There was a group of 8 of us at the game, and we all had flags, hair color and face paint as we got loud and rowdy for the game. It was pretty funny, as people were taking pictures with us because we were so crazy about the USA. During the game, we jumped  up at every potential chance, and started chants left and right. Our group had so much energy that it made the game a really neat atmosphere. Funny enough, we were sitting by many of the families of the players, because after the game they walked over towards our seats and hugged them. We only scored once, when we should have scored easily four times, but I'll take the win.

During the game, at a quiet point, one of my friends shouted at Abby Wambach, telling her he loved her, and we all saw her say I love you too, which caused everyone around to break out in laughter. After the game, when the players waved at our stands and came over to their families, I was able to high-five Christie Rampone, captain of the US team. I join millions of other men around the world when I say that I think Alex Morgan is absolutely stunning, and she and Hope Solo both looked right at me and waved, which I got a kick out of. All and all, it was such an amazing experience with 7 of my closest friends on the trip. In fact, we had such a great time that we bought tickets for the semi-final match on the way home from the game. Should the US and Brazil both advance, they would meet each other in that semi-final, a rematch of the World Cup semi-final game that was highly-dramatic. Unfortunately, I have Men's volleyball tickets for that same night, so I am going to have to make a decision on that one. I would say I am pretty lucky to be deciding between those two things though.

The group with English fans before the match

Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan on the field

I decided to call my mom after the game and tell her to watch tonight to see if we would be on TV, and oddly enough, she told me she had already seen a picture of me at the game! As the story goes, a family friend of ours was watching the game live on Direct TV, she saw me in the crowd, and took a picture of the screen and sent it to my mom along with a 30 second video clip that I included. I was so happy that she spotted me and sent the video to my mom! I now have my five seconds of fame, looking like a completely crazy American.....although that statement isn't too far from the truth. :)

The last two days have been so incredibly amazing, and I cannot wait for the rest of my trip. I have officially hit one week to go, and while I am excited to get back to Tucson, I am going to soak up as much of London as I can in the next week.

Cheers,

Ben

My First Olympic Event

Good Morning All!

It is a brisk Monday morning here and London, and I am looking forward to an exciting week ahead. Yesterday, we headed back to Coventry for two soccer matches, my first two Olympic events! In the first game, we saw Mexico defeat Gabon 2-0.  It was en exciting match, especially because we were surrounded by Mexican fans who are passionate about their soccer to say the least. Anytime they came close to scoring you would have heard them from a mile outside the stadium, and everyone was laughing when they finally did find the back of the net.

The second game that we saw featured Switzerland against South Korea (don't worry - they used South Korea's flag, not North Korea's), and was very slow to start. It was tied 0-0 and halftime, and I almost left, but I am very glad I decided to stay. 3 goals in the 2nd half, all in about 8 minutes, as South Korea defeated a chippy Switzerland team who could not see to go 3 minutes without a shove or trip that was unprovoked. I was a little surprised to see that out of a team simply because the Olympics is above that, but nonetheless, no damage was done and it was an entertaining match.

Traveling back to London was completely hectic, but I am starting to get used to it. Wherever you go, you just have to accept the fact that it is going to take a long time. Traveling quickly is an oxymoron in this city for the next 3 weeks.

Here are some pictures from the games yesterday:

I'll be sure to post tomorrow, as tonight I have a very special event lined up! I will be at Horse Guards Parade to watch Misty May and Kerri Walsh play first hand, and I could not be more excited!! 

Until tomorrow, 

Ben

The Latest Update From London

Hi Everyone -

With the opening ceremonies putting on a show for the world last night, you can bet the atmosphere here in London is just something else. There is just a collective buzz and excitement as the games commence. I am VERY excited for the next 10 days or so. Lots to do with little time.

For the opening ceremonies last night, we ended up watching them in our dorm. They were having a big showing on a projector on the bottom floor, and with students living here from all corners of the globe, it was really neat to see. However, about halfway through the opening act, when the rings started to come together and light up, and few friends and I bolted up to my room on the 18th floor. I had the ceremonies streaming live on my laptop, and I can see Olympic Stadium from my window, so we were able to see the lights and watch it live all at once - such a cool experience! There were some people in our group who were able to snag tickets to the ceremonies, and from talking to them today and seeing pictures, I would have given an arm and a leg to be there. For those of you who were able to see the ceremonies, when they brought the British flag up, and when the mini-cooper drove up the ramp, I was in the pen down on the floor to the right of that. I know that probably makes no sense, but it's about the best description I can give without showing it on a map. Here is a picture from where we were:

A dream came true of mine yesterday, as somehow I was able to get tickets to see the USA Men's Volleyball team play! They are playing against Tunisia, and the ticket includes Brazil against Germany. The games are next Monday night, and I am so incredibly stoked to see both games. USA is currently 5th in the world, and Brazil is number one, so both matches should be phenomenal. Getting tickets is a full-time job in and of itself. They release more and more tickets each day, but you never know when they will release them or to what events. So, you have to keep checking back, and even after they release them, you have to keep refreshing the page until it goes through. I was lucky enough to have the volleyball tickets go through!

From here until August 8th, I have secured a solid amount of tickets. Tomorrow, our entire group is (funny enough) headed back to Coventry, to see two soccer matches, one of with Mexico is playing in. On Tuesday, I am headed to Manchester to see the USA Women's Soccer Team play Korea, and then Thursday I have tickets to swimming! There are a few finals and semi-finals,so I am hoping to see a Phelps-Lochte battle. That Saturday, I am headed back to Manchester to see a men's quarterfinal soccer match and the following Monday are the men's volleyball matches.

The past few days, I have just been overwhelmed with how lucky and blessed I am to be in the situation that I am over here. I don't know if I will have another experience like this for as long as I live, and I am just so incredibly thankful to everyone who helped me get here. Big shout-out to the big man upstairs for looking out for me on this one! So blessed!

I miss everyone back home so much, and I am excited to be stateside in just about 10 days.

Cheers everyone!

Ben

Paris!

Hello everyone!

Whew, another whirlwind of a week, and the countdown to heading home is almost on. I cannot believe I am now under 2 weeks to go on this trip. It has been so magnificent! Now to recap the last couple days....

Paris was AMAZING. Such a cool city; so much history, so much culture, it was great to be there. However, it is impossible to see all of the city in just a weekend. Nevertheless, we did our best.

Friday night when we arrived, a few friends and I went to a small pizza joint right around the corner from the hotel. Our waiter spoke as much English as I speak French, so ordering and paying was interesting to say the least. I did find out that hand signals are universal :)

That night, I headed to the Eiffel Tower with a few friends, and my gosh is it spectacular. Seeing it lit up at night was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. At midnight, there is about 5 minutes worth of sparking lights that flash all over the tower, and I sat on the lawn and watched it as I enjoyed a Nutella and banana crepe. I had to do it seeing as I was in Paris!

Eiffel Tower as it gets lit up at midnight

Saturday was a tourist day, as we got up and took the metro into the city center, walking past the Louvre, seeing the Champs Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe, and heading back to the Eiffel Tower in the day. Even being there a second time, I was still shocked at how huge the tower was! I wanted to walk to the top, but it was about an hour wait and I decided against it. I grabbed some food that evening, and our entire group went back to the Eiffel Tower to see it once again. I could have honestly seen it 50 more times and it would still have been just as beautiful.

Sunday arrived and we headed back to the Champs Elysses, and saw all of the Tour de France final stage happenings in the morning. The riders did not come through until later in the afternoon, so unfortunately I did not get to see the riders pass. However, being in that environment on Sunday morning was unbelievable, as you could just feel the excitement in the air. With our limited time, we headed into the Louvre and I got to see the Mona Lisa! The entire museum in MASSIVE. I honestly think you could take 5 days to go through the whole thing if you wanted to. Even for the 45 minutes that I was in there, I really enjoyed all the artwork.

One of the most ironic things happened to me while I was in Paris. An old friend of mine posted a Facebook status saying she was headed to Paris, but her phone was off so I was not able to get a hold of her. On Sunday at the Champs Elysees, I needed to cross the street, so I used the underground tunnel to get across. As I came up out of the tunnel, that friend, funny enough an ex-girlfriend of mine, was sitting on the wall. I ran up to her and threw a big hug on her, and we sat and chatted in the middle of Paris for a half-hour. The whole time we were talking I couldn't really believe that I ran into her, but nevertheless, it was really good to see an old friend.

Sunday afternoon we left Paris and headed back to London, where we will be until I depart for the states on August 8th. We are living in an amazing dorm-like student living building in east London, and I have a spectacular view from the 18th floor. However, that didn't come without a little hassle. When we checked in on Sunday, my room was not ready due to maintenance, and so I was in a temporary room with a roommate that I think was from Italy. The rooms are suite style so I had my own bedroom, and I was not too worried. I checked out of my temporary room Monday morning, only to be told that night that I had to go back to the temp room for the night. Finally, on Tuesday they were able secure a permanent room for me, and now I am all settled in.

Last night, I had the privilege of going to the final rehearsal for the Opening Ceremonies that are going to take place on Friday evening. Beyond that, I was actually floor level in the infield, and I can honestly say it was one of the most amazing things I have ever witnessed. I had goosebumps for half the show, and it was only the rehersal. I urge you, if you get a chance to see the ceremonies on Friday, watch them! They did not show certain parts of the show, because they want to keep those parts absolutely secretive. So no, I do not know who will be the final torch bearer, but if I had to guess, I think it will be David Beckham. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera, and my phone died, so I did not get any pictures, but I will remember that night for as long as I live. A very cool experience.

The outlook for the next week is a little more calm, with just class scheduled. This Sunday, I am seeing 2 group play men's soccer matches, and I am working on securing more and more tickets. I cannot wait for the Olympics to begin - just being in the city where they are happening will be breathtaking I am sure!

Until next time,

Ben

Heading to Paris!

So, here is the post I had wanted to post last night, but could not get any Wi-Fi! So, after a great day in Paris, I found a cafe with some internet, so here is the post from yesterday:


Hello All!

It has been a hectic, travel filled, and faced paced last few days, but I am excited to share it with you all. I am currently somewhere under the English Channel as we head to Paris for the weekend! Our upcoming weekend is pretty unstructured, so I am hoping to do lots of sightseeing around Paris, along with hitting the Tour de France last stages. Should be a good weekend!

We left Coventry about mid-day on Monday, and headed for Blackpool, which was where we were staying for The Open Championship. Our hotel was ‘rustic’ to say the least, and many people in the group seemed to think it was haunted, especially at night. I didn’t find it so bad, especially because we were right on the beach! I hadn’t seen the water in quite some time, so it was refreshing to hear the crashing of the waves. The town we were in had the feel that it was thee place to be in England about 15 years ago, but has since been abandoned. After talking to cab drivers as we came and went from The Open, they reconfirmed our thoughts. Monday night was rather calm, as everyone grabbed some food, finished a paper we had been assigned, and went to bed.

Tuesday we headed out to a practice round of The Open, and while the golf during practice rounds are not nearly as serious or as good as it is during a real round, the players are much more open to pictures and autographs. At one point, we were able to get former U of A standout Jim Furyk to come talk to us, and we let him know that there were a bunch of Arizona students there and supporting him. A few of the people on our trip even got a picture with him and a huge Bear Down flag, which they then tweeted to Greg Byrnes, and he re-tweeted it a little later. Pretty cool to see a U of A grad so successful all the way in England!

Wednesday was much of the same, just following different players around, and while they usually hit multiple tee shots and putt from 8 different spots on the green, I still enjoyed seeing how those elite players prepare for such a huge tournament. What I found interesting was that many of the big name players did not even play a practice round on Wednesday, so Monday and Tuesday must have sufficed. I did see Tom Watson on Wednesday for a little while, and I couldn’t help but think back to 2009 when he almost won his 6th Open Championship. I hope he makes a run again this year!

We left The Open about 1:00 on Wednesday, and took a train to Manchester, sight of the two exhibition basketball games for the USA teams. Wednesday night, the women’s national team took on Great Britain, and we were able to get a little bit of floor access. Before the game, half the group was in the high-five tunnel as the team ran out, and the 2nd group was set to do so before the 2nd half. I was in the second group, which turned out to be much better. Just before tip-off, the men’s national team came out and took their courtside seats, and they were still sitting there at halftime when I was able to get floor access. I only had my iPhone, and was across the court from them, but still seeing the entire team from not too far away was pretty sweet! After we came back up, we pulled out our big Bear Down flag and got Andre Iguodala’s attention, and he gave us a nice little wave and thumbs up.

 As for the game itself, team USA dominated, and it is always fun to see the best team in the world play, especially when they represent your home country.

Thursday we had class in the morning, followed by another stadium tour of Old Trafford, home of Manchester United, arguably the golden standard for international football over the past 20 years. As we do more and more of these stadium tours, I’ve gotten pretty familiar with the format, but nonetheless, still neat to be at a stadium and think back on all the captivating events and moments that have happened there. My favorite soccer team is Chelsea, rivals with Manchester United, and so I did not spend too much time in the gift shop after the tour :). Chelsea makes its home in London, and so I am hoping to make it over to their stadium before I head back to the states.

Thursday night, we had tickets to see the ‘Dream Team’ play! We got to the area about 45 minutes before tip-off, and it was absolutely packed. I was able to sneak my big camera in, and got some pretty cool pictures of the team. The game was fantastic – seeing that quality of athletes and basketball players on the floor together was simply remarkable. The game was really never close, but we still enjoyed every last dunk, right down to the last one, by Andre Ingodala. I was able to catch his approach just right, so I doctored the photo and tweeted it to him.

Someone from our group was on ESPN.com today, reading an article about the game, and the writer mentioned that there were really no “boos” from the crowd, except for the end of the game when ‘USA’ chants broke out. Our group definitely started those chants, and I have never been more proud to be booed. One thing I did find interesting was that the loudest cheers at the game were not for LeBron, but rather Kobe as he was introduced. I just figured LeBron would be the favorite internationally, but Kobe looks as if he is still holding down that top spot.

Today has been a CRAZY travel day, as we left Manchester (which I must say has been my favorite city so far), took the train back to our hotel in Coventry to get our luggage, swapped out some clothes from our big bag to our smaller bag, took a bus into London to drop our big bags at our next living arrangement there, then took a train to a different station in London in order to catch our train to Paris! Phew! Long day! The good news is, after the weekend in Paris, we will settle into London and be there for the rest of the trip, and I think I can speak on behalf of the group when I say we are very excited to be able to settle in. Don’t get me wrong, I have absolutely loved all the traveling and being able to see event and cities that I may never see again, but a little bit of calm will be really nice.

I am anxious to see how the weekend in Paris unfolds, and I will be sure to post about it when we are back in London! Enjoy the weekend everybody

Ben

Cricket and Dublin for the Weekend

Hello Everyone!

Well it has been almost a week since my last post, and I apologize for the delay, but it has been a crazy week or so! I ended my last post talking about our plans for a cricket match, and while the first one was rained out, we were able to see a match on Thursday. It was.....interesting. A very slow game that I can promise you will not ever grow in popularity in the states. If people get fed up with the pace of baseball, cricket puts it to shame. We went on the morning on day 1 of a 4 day match. Safe to say the stadium felt like a library. Seeing a match was useful from the standpoint that I now understand the game, but it is not my cup of tea. That being said, it is still fun to see sports that are big across different cultures and observe the differences.

After cricket and the test, we headed off to Dublin for the weekend! We arrived Friday afternoon, and what a cool city Dublin is. We started our stay off at Aviva Stadium, where we had a stadium tour, followed by lunch and a 2 hour class session in one of their suites overlooking the stadium. Being in the suite was almost surreal - we took 2 different breaks during class, and to walk outside and overlook one of the most technically advanced stadiums in the world was one of the most unique things we have done since taking a leap across the pond. We left Aviva stadium and headed to the hotel, followed by a night out on the town in Dublin. Most of the group went to the oldest bar in Dublin, The Brazen Head, which dates back to 1198. There was so much history in the bar, and just thinking that I am only one of billions that has passed through that very building was kinda funky to think about!

Aviva Stadium (No snow, just a tarp, although it felt cold enough to snow!)

We were up and out on Saturday morning, with an incredible session at Croke Park, the home for Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. I do not know much about Hurling, but Gaelic Football is a cross between soccer and rugby. The interesting aspect about the stadium is that only amateurs play there. Our tour guide was telling up that no matter how rowdy the crowd may get during matches, they will never taunt the players because they know how much work they put in on nights and weekends outside of their day job to prepare for their matches. Now, don't let the fact that amateurs play there fool you. Croke Park, seating roughly 82,000 people, is the 4th largest stadium in Europe behind Camp Nou (FC Barcelona), Wembley Stadium, and the Santiago Bernabeu (Real Madrid).


We started off the tour 14 stories above Dublin, with the brand new Sky-Tour offered by the stadium. There is a walkway around the top of the stadium, with a self paced audio tour, that lets you observe historic sites around Dublin from a spectacular vantage point. At one point, the tour walks you out over the stadium, looking down on the seats, similar to the Skywalk at the Grand Canyon. Boy were we high up!

The "Sky-Tour" overlooking the field at Croke Park

After the Sky-Tour, we did a more traditional stadium tour, and ended with our tour guide telling us about Bloody Sunday, which was a retaliation effort by the British after the Irish killed a few of their special agents. British soldiers marched into the stadium on a Sunday match day, and opened fire into the crown, killing 18 people, including one player on the field. There was so much passion in our guide's voice and expressions that you could tell it was still an event that runs deep in all citizens of Ireland.

We concluded the the stadium tour and headed off to the Guinness Factory tour! I was thinking that it was going to be a tour of where they currently brew the beer, but it was a tour of the original brewery that they have since turned into a museum. I could tell we were close to the current factory, and may have even been in the same building, but we did not see any of the current brewing equipment or areas. Either way, it was a fun tour that ended with a glass of Guinness, which, I will admit, is not my favorite. There is something special about drinking a Guinness in the factory in Ireland, but one was all I could stomach. Too dark for me!

Outside the Guinness Factory

Our group enjoyed another night in Dublin, and most of us ended up in pubs in the Temple Bar District, which is a rockin' part of the city! It is a half mile stretch of pubs and clubs that gave all of us a true feeling of Dublin. A great visit to a great city!

Currently, I am writing you from a train as we are all headed to Blackpool, home of this year's Open Championship, on the Royal Lytham & St. Anne's golf course. We will be attending on Tuesday and Wednesday for practice rounds, with Thursday up in the air. However, Thursday night we will be attending a U.S. Men's Basketball exhibition game against the U.K. in Manchester, about 30 minutes outside Blackpool. I cannot wait to see the modern day "Dream Team!" With Andre Iguodala on the team (former U of A standout), we are hoping if tweet him enough letting him know that there are 42 U of A students coming that he will come meet us or even meet some of the team. Chances are slim, but why not try?

 I could not find my memory card for my camera before we left, so I only have iPhone pictures, but still shows a little bit of the past week!

The upcoming week is promising, and I am anxious for it all to unfold! We are going to have the opportunity to see elite athletes at the pinnacle of their sport laying it all on the line.

I was able to Skype the family the last few nights, and it is always good to see them! I am bummed to be missing the Tucson monsoon season (my favorite time of year), but lord knows we are getting enough rain here. The hotel for this upcoming week only has 30 minutes of free WiFi a day, but I will try and get another post out during the week.

Until next time,

Ben