Six Months Back

Six months have gone by and the time I spent in Europe seems like it was just yesterday. Danny and I made it home safely to our new homes and loved ones in the USA a few days after we lost to Regensburg in Bavaria. It is amazing to think that I have been home now as long as I was in Europe. In hind sight the experience went by in the blink of an eye. I have these little flashbacks of Paderborn and I often think that I am one of the luckiest guys on earth for the experience of playing baseball and living in Germany, but more important than baseball and travel were the friendships that I made for a lifetime. My roomates Micheal, Mitch, and Franke. My crazy teammate in Eugene "Augla," and Alex, and of course Shummy, Buders, Juels, Bjorn, Hinz, Speer, and Tavo just to name a few! And then of course there was "Red!" What else can I say about him other than putting his name in exclamations!  In the end I am thankful that I  having the people around me to make that experience happen. I can honestly say that I miss them all.... maybe not all of them.

Looking back on where I was a year ago at this time, and where I thought I was going before I met "Red," and Danny needed a catcher in Germany is pretty fun. Life changed so quickly and now I think about the flashback of uncertainty, and the thought of whether or not I could play after a four year hiatus. Those feelings mixed with leaving my loved ones behind was frightening at the time. I can think back to my first few workouts, practices and games after not playing in four years thinking to myself, "What the heck am I doing, you are too old for this!?" However, as the weeks, months, and now a year have passed, Danny and I had the experience of a lifetime, and we made a difference to our team. 

I discovered that my passion and ability for the game remained intact as a player, and that I was even a little smarter and I appreciated the little things a little more which made me better in the end. I lifted a rather large gorilla off my back by getting an opportunity to play again. It is rare to have such an opportunity, not only to play baseball in Europe, but to travel the world and experience a different culture like we did. 

Certainly the most most important thing I discovered in this journey is something that every person I know can appreciate. While most of the previous six months was filled with uncertainty, I was coming home to someone who loved me for who I am, as a person, ballplayer, and partner! Aside from my parents, brother, sister, and other family members who watched me grow up with baseball, Erin was just learning the importance of the game to me, but she understood why I needed this experience more than anyone! The day I left for Germany last March, Erin set her roots in Portland, Oregon. She got a chance to visit me for about four weeks out of the entire season, and the day I got back from Germany, after not seeing Erin for a little over 8 weeks I returned to Portland to move in with her and our dog Wanda! I couldn't ask for more, except I did. After about a month of living with Erin I finally made a decent man out of myself and asked her to marry me. She said yes and we are planning a wedding for 2012! :) 

As a result of all the things that happened, I can only look back with pure fulfillment. To have had this  opportunity at what I feel was certainly a cross-roads in my life was amazing! I will never forget it, and more importantly, I can move beyond the thought of "what if." As in, "What would have happened if I never received the opportunity to play competitively again?" Like many, this happens when we do not fulfill life long dreams (like making it to professional baseball or the Big Leagues) but the mesaage was simple for me. Love, Travel, Play or Play to Travel for Love. Nothing else has meant more to me in my life then those things until now. So, as I finish my thoughts on how things turned out, I would have to say that I wouldn't change it for the world. Winning the championships would have been awesome, but I doubt I will remember the final score 10 years from now. I will however, remember the experience!

As for the future, I can rest my cleats high on the shelf and tell myself that I got a great experience as a player! Baseball is a funny game. For years I thought that I needed to be in the game for life. I just wanted to play again. I enjoy coaching, and plan to coach youth baseball as long as I live, but I can walk away from it as a full time deal because I had an opportunity to play beyond my college days.

As for now, I am working for a college in Portland as an Admissions Representative and a High School Presenter. I travel to nearby schools around the Portland area and give classroom workshops on goal setting and professionalism, and I must say it is nice to have found a great job so quickly! Erin and I are happy in our new apartment in the Pearl District near downtown. We are right across the street from one of my favorite breweries and the neighborhood is awesome complete with a big dog park for Wandaroo!

The past six months have been great! Erin and I got engaged, the Giants finally won the World Series, and we are both healthy and working full time. Not to mention is the fact that we are extremely happy together with our little one (Wanda)!

As for baseball, I teach catching at a nearby baseball facility and I have started to help over a dozen catchers learn the tools of ignorance as well as a little hitting. I am excited to watch the Pilots this year, and Erin and I might even make it up to Seattle for a Mariners game sometime this summer. We can take the train from Portland to Seattle in about 4 hours.

In closing, writing this blog has been a blast, and I want to thank anyone who took the time to read it. I hope you enjoyed reading about my experience as much as I enjoyed writing about it and living it!

Prost!!