ATHENS, GREECE – Hey everyone, I have not written in a while because like Dorothy I was just trying to get home because "there's no place like home." We finished the Games and then we had a little fun. I wanted a different way of sharing the rest of the Games with everyone, so I decided to do the Olympic wrapup in the ABC format.
A is for autographs. I signed many of them. People had no idea who I was but because I had on Olympic gear they were suddenly interested in me. Ha-ha!
B is for being mistaken for some famous Olympic track girl and being ushered right to the front of all the airport lines. As soon as I checked in, I confessed I wasn't her.
C is caught. I got caught out past curfew in front of a bunch of Australian guys and I was given a cell phone to call my mom. The Heinekens in front of me were not mine … I swear.
D is for delighted when I walked up three long flights of stairs to my apartment in the Olympic village the last time. I wish to never see marble stairs ever again. I'm an athlete but training time was over.
E is for extra clothing apparel. During the Games, I think we were given like six pairs of shoes and like even more Adidas stuff. At least it felt like that when I dragged my luggage around.
F is for flowers that I was mysteriously given by the bag check guy from the restaurant in the village. Ok weirdo.
G is for "grape smugglers." They were everywhere. I had never seen so many men wearing them. It was hilarious. (Note: grape smugglers are what we call "Speedos.")
H is for help. I should not have accepted help in dragging my bags across the village to the bus that took me to the airport. Three nice Greek men carried my bags but got me lost, and I missed my bus. I was trying not to kill them.
I is for injury. My legs look pretty gross right now. There are scars and bruises all over them. I guess I will not be wearing any cute skirts for back to school.
J is for I just don't know what.
K is for Kashi. It was this little miracle puff cereal that I could always count on in the dining center. I had it with every meal. It was my go to meal.
L is for loud. Loud is an understatement when you go downtown to have drinks and dinner with the Italian baseball team the last night.
M is for making lifetime friends. Here's to the young guns and the back of the bus crew!
N is for Nirvana ice cream. We had these tasty little ice creams in the village that no athlete could turn down. Ok, well at least me.
O is for octopus. On my day off, I was floating on a raft in the sea and someone speared an octopus right underneath me. I was done swimming for the day, and possibly for the trip.
P is for Parthenon, where my team had a sweaty photo shoot for Sports Illustrated, and where my mom grabbed on to me and we slipped down the mountain. Ouch!
Q is for quiet. That's not something our apartment was because of the resident young athletes. (Ok, maybe we are a little immature and liked to yell at any cute guy from our balcony!)
R is for really over all of the food in the village. All I really wanted was some good Mexican food from Berkeley.
S is for sweat. I don't think I have ever sweated so much in my life as in Athens. My sports bra was permanently damp. Eww!
T is for tiny. You know the gymnasts that everyone loves and watches on TV. Let me tell you: they are a lot smaller in person that on TV. They looked like they were eight years old. It was a trip. I saw characters much like that in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Oumpa Lumpa oumpa- d-do … Whoa!
U is for understanding. I'm really starting to understand Greek. Or at least when they are yelling at me for not understanding Greek.
V is for value. Once again during my shopping experience, I had no value of money through the whole Euro system. I was just purchasing like in Monopoly. Twenty euros here, 40 euros here equals unhappy bank account. Oops.
W is for watching my at bats in the media center. I can't focus on learning about my swing because I am too busy laughing about the awful facial expressions I make when I'm up to bat.
X is for X-nay on bringing home any of my sox-nay. Why? All of my socks were ruined. My once bright white tubes and ankle sock are now a stiff khaki.
Y is for yogurt parfaits. There is no way those McDonald's yogurt things don't have a lot of fat in them. They are way too good, and I had like four a day.
Z is for zzzzzzzz, what I wish I did on my flight home, but a precious baby with a very precious cry accompanied me.
My experience in Athens was really the first time I was able to give back
to the sport that has given me so much. I was able to pioneer softball
in Greece
and I think we were very successful. Even though we only won two games,
we won over the country and that had been our hope. By the end of the
tournament, our team had a huge Greek following. People made signs and
continued chanting for us. We got people excited about this new sport
and hopefully inspired many people to continue the legacy in Greece.
I realized that the Olympics are more than just shiny medals. The experience is about giving back, making peace, and influencing people's lives. I realized this everyday as the lineup was read and I ran out onto the field to a roar of applause. Each time, I got chills. At first I thought it was the sight of the field with the sun melting into the sea and the beautiful manicured grass surrounded by a kaleidoscope of color in flags and banners, but then I realized it was our efforts that were being recognized. The Greek people were accepting us, and I felt an amazing sense of pride that is unmatched.
So I guess this is goodbye! Right at this moment I'm lying in my bed in Berkeley. I had to write my last dispatch from home because my last few days in Athens were a little crazy. I'm happy to be home but I'm still really jetlagged. My body feels like a wet noodle. I'm back home doing my same old things. I have indeed, added more shoes to my closet. As soon as I got home I strutted around the house in a pair of cute black high heels and I slipped my cleats under the bed, where they will be resurrected in a few weeks for college ball. It's now time to get back in the routine with my roommates, acting crazy, eating a lot of food, sleeping a lot, and falling asleep to "Sex and the City" DVDs. Awesome!
And so, if you ever want to see a bunch of fun girls in cute Nike cleats, come on up to the softball field in Strawberry Canyon as we make another run at the national title. Go Bears!
— Lindsay