Whoa I've been away for like two months now!

Hello my loyal readers out there! If you are reading this then maybe just maybe you have stuck with me through this long period of Uhhhh rest? Maybe it wasn't rest but more like laziness. Well just in case you didn't know I am back in the U.S. now and after being here for about two weeks now I've gotten used to being back. Luckily I haven't been too bored and have been able to hook up with some friends and also able to meet a lot of new friends. They are all really good people and I enjoy hanging with them. It seems there is always something new and different to do which is always good. Last weekend we went camping and that turned out to be really good. We probably had about 11 or 12 people and we had a big fire going with Wine, Coronas, Cigars, and of course Smores! I'm not a huge smoker but I do like to have a Cigar every now and then just for the taste. We had good conversations, listened to music, and just relaxed. We kind of cheated the next morning when we woke up and left by going to IHOP for breakfast but hey no one is perfect.

At this moment I am hanging out at Montevallo. Earlier today I sort of had a sports day with one of my new friends I met who also does not work during the summer. She loves playing just about everything just like I do so we ended playing a little basketball, Ping Pong, and Air Hockey. We plan on during many other activities too since we are both pretty competitive. If you are reading this Elizabeth don't worry she has not taken your place as my competitive partner. It's good to find someone else who's schedule is a little more free during the day though that way I won't be so bored all the time. Here at my school they had a new recruit in so we all played 5 on 5 I guess to see what he had. I always enjoy playing with new people and just getting together with a number of guys that can all play fairly well. Tomorrow I have to head home to get some things taken care of but not until after a full day of activities here! I plan on going out to the driving range and working on my golf swing, then playing a little badminton followed by some racquetball only to end the day playing more 5 on 5. Needless to say I will be worn out tomorrow but it's always a good feeling knowing you pushed your body to the limits and that you are making it work as opposed to sitting around all day and just feeling useless.

My brother is coming to town on Thursday so I'm excited about that. My niece and nephew will accompany him along with my sister-in-law. I can't wait to see the little kiddies! I have to take them to the toy store and fulfill my Uncle-ly duties. I just remember as a kid the smallest things would make me happy even if it was just 10 dollars. It will be fun just playing with them and seeing them. I think they will be here until the following Tuesday and then they have to head back. At the end of this month I will start working the soccer camp they host every year here at Montevallo. I will be an Athletic Trainer which I might add I've gotten pretty good at over the years. That will last for almost 3 weeks and then I guess I will be free for the rest of the summer for whatever I want to do.

To all my Luxembourg people I miss you all and hope everything is going well there. Hopefully you guys are getting some good weather but just knowing Luxembourg I know that can be a lot to ask. Well for now I will leave things at that! Talk to you all later!

Sorry to keep you waiting but Im back!

I know it seems like it’s been a while since I last wrote and the reason it feels that way is because it has been! As much as I enjoy writing in my blog it can take some time and you kind of have to sit down and focus on one thing and I guess that's kind of hard for me to do. Usually when I’m doing something, I’m always doing something else on the side as well. Nevertheless, I’m back and I hope to be a little more regular in the near future. There has been so many things that have happened since the last time I wrote that there is no way I can write about it all or for that matter even remember it all!

Right now I am sitting outside by a river about 15 min from my place enjoying the beautiful surroundings and the wonderful weather here in Luxembourg. There is a joke here in Luxembourg saying whenever you get good weather, you better get out and enjoy it because you never know how long it will stay. Many times it’s either raining or about to rain or just finished raining or just overcast with no sun to be found. So I had to get out and take it all in. I'm in a place called Esch sure sur and it’s a very nice town with lots of beautiful things to see. I was sitting here before just taking in all of the Spring colors, smells, and sights. It really is an amazing thing to think about how our world works. How the trees, flowers, grass, and insects all know when Spring comes and when its time to start growing again. Although everyone doesn’t feel this way, it just proves over and over to me how there was an All Powerful, All Knowing creator who so thoughtfully and wonderfully put everything into being. To think that everything that happens in this world is all by chance is the most difficult concept for me to try and grasp. I was watching a documentary yesterday called, “Earth” and it was a great movie. The things you see in that movie are jaw dropping. I love watching things like that because it really gets me thinking and appreciating the complexity and vastness of this Universe.

My time in Luxembourg is winding down for this season. At the moment I have no idea what the future holds for me so as for next season I don’t know where I will be. I’m still pursuing possibly playing this summer in another country just to be able to travel a bit more and still get paid at the same time. I’ve only got about a month left here and even less then that before the season ends. WeI've been playing well as a team lately and I’m confident that we can win the championship. We have already qualified for the final four which starts in a little less then two weeks but we don’t know who we will play yet. The last possible game is May 17th and the season is over! This year has passed quite fast and to think that I’m already in my second year is crazy! I remember just coming over here last year and thinking how long this was going to be because I missed home so much and I just thought time was crawling by. Now that I have a pretty strong friend base and just a general knowledge of the Country things have gotten much easier.

Lately, I’ve been on my photography kick. I plan on getting a Digital SLR camera once I get home for the summer and I’m really excited about the different possibilities associated with that camera. I think photography is something I could really get into and enjoy. I’ve never really thought about trying to make money taking pictures but I guess on down the line if this is something I’m still exploring, it’s a possibility. But currently I’m just trying to learn as much as I can about photography and I’ve always known there was a lot of information involved but it can get really complex! Not only that but once you get really serious about it you have to start buying really serious lenses and not just amateur/beginner lenses. Many of these lenses cost 10-15 thousand dollars! It’s not unusual at all for lenses to be a couple thousand dollars but these will last you for many many years much longer than your camera will last you. Anyhow, I’m eager to get started and see if this is something I want to continue on down the road. I want to start printing pictures that I’ve taken and displaying them but as of now I’ve just transferred them to my computer and they sit there lonely and unappreciated. I’ll get there one of these days but right now I'm not there yet. Well I guess Ill let that be all for now, I’ve got a few things to do today before practice tonight so I'm going to handle that now!

The Playoffs are here!

Well its been sometime since my last post but nonetheless here I am. I guess a lot has being going on since last time but it will be hard to try and think of everything that's been going on since then. One main thing that has been on my mind is my coach! I think he has good intentions but many times he's just too much! He's one of those guys who screams and screams no matter if you are doing well or doing terrible. Half the time you are out there trying to do stuff so you don't get screamed at! With me being the lone American on the team he expects a lot from me and he never lets up. I realize that I am supposed to be the guy who does a little bit of everything but he puts the whole world on my shoulders! He says I need to average 30 and 20 or else I'm not doing my job. I have to defend, rebound, score, run the floor, and so on. I like the fact that he pushes me to do things I don't feel like doing or maybe I feel like I can't do but I don't know. We had a scrimmage game earlier this week against a not so good team. It's really hard to get motivated for those games because they are just not good. Well we ended up winning by 40 and coach was still upset. We shook the other teams hand and he immediately made us get on the line and start running! I was pretty angry that night especially since he made me play the whole game even when we were winning by so many and I had to go straight to running after that.

The playoffs have just started after a seemingly forever break. We had close to three weeks off and now we finally play a game. Luxembourg always schedules game weird. We have three weeks off then we try and squeeze a lot of games into a small amount of time. This weekend we had two games, one on Friday and another on Sunday. They were against the top two teams in our league at the moment which in my opinion was good. I like getting the top teams first and having the opportunity to have a really good start. Thankfully, we won both games and now can relax for a few days this week before we play again on Sunday. As usual everything is going good when you are winning but win you are losing life is miserable. People treat you differently, practice is not fun, and you start questioning yourself a lot. That's definitely one of the downfalls of playing basketball for a living. Most people think its all fun and games, which it is to an extent, but when you are not performing or your team is losing your job is always on the line. Job security is not a word that is used often in professional basketball. I hope to never be fired by any team but in the end you have to try and not take it personally. I can imagine that would be hard not to do but it happens so often in the professional world it's something many people have to get used to.

Enough about basketball on to other things. Some good news! My sister Rachel is coming to visit me in Luxembourg! The only people to have come to visit me so far are my parents and that was last year. I understand that it's expensive and that it's hard to get a lot of time off of work so I don't make such a big deal of it. I never would have thought little Rachel would be the first to sibling to come visit mainly because she's somewhat of a homebody. She took a step out of her comfort zone by accepting a job right outside of Atlanta, Georgia which is about two hours from home. Her coming all the way to Europe is definitely a step out! I don't think she would have done something like that if I had not been over here but that's not a big deal. I'm excited she's coming and I'm excited she will be able to see Europe. It seems like it may not be that big of a deal but most people in the world do not leave their own country or at least in the U.S. they don't so I look as this as being a great opportunity for her. I want to try and go to Paris for a couple of days while she is here but I have to ask my coach for a little time off which is going to be interesting. If we can win our next game then I think that I will have a better chance of getting that time off. I'm in the process of trying to plan out some things for her to see while she is here in Luxembourg. Luckily, she will be able to see me play twice! She hasn't been able to see me play since college and I imagine she never thought she would see me play in person again. Whatever the case, I'm happy she has decided to come and would love if other friends and family would visit sometime. Unfortunately, she will not have a long time here but it's better than nothing.

Many things have been going through my mind lately just about my life and other interesting important things. Nothing you need to be worried about but I do a lot of thinking and don't really open up and tell people what I'm thinking. I'm a pretty private guy and me writing these blogs is not in my nature but I try and give you a little something. There are many things going through my head at this very moment that if I don't stop thinking about I'll go crazy. Many people on the outside would never know if anything is bothering me because I try and act the same no matter what situation I'm in. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not but It's me. Well I have Monday morning workouts at 9am in the weight room after a weekend of basketball. My body is hurting and I'm hoping that a little sleep will heal me and allow my body to recuperate. The team is going to a spa/resort kind of place tomorrow to relax and chill out. They have swimming pools, Jacuzzi's, sauna's and all that good stuff. I'm hoping that will relax my body and be enjoyable. We will see!

London and more!

             Although I am just now writing about London a week after the fact, it doesn't make my trip any less significant. I had a great time there and was honestly sad to come back. All of the walking I could have done without especially with my hurt ankle so that didn't make things any easier or better. Many times I was just wishing I could go back to the hotel and chill out because my ankle was hurting so bad. I toughed it out though and was able to enjoy the many sights and sounds of London. I honestly probably would have been lost if it had not been for my friend Carole leading the way. It really made my time there much easier and more relaxing since I didn't have to look at maps and subway routes and so on. I was just able to go with the flow and clear my mind as I walked around.

             One of the best things there had to be the food. Being here in Luxembourg I can't say that there is a huge selection of food at a good price. I was not able to eat as much as I would have liked but I did get what I could. I was able to experience the famous "fish and chips" which is nothing more then fried fish and french fries. Its one of the UK's flagship meals and you don't go there without getting it at least once. I thoroughly enjoyed it especially with the vinegar and tartar sauce. I had Japanese food, Indian, mexican, Angolan, and also the famous Sunday roast there in England which was quite good as well. I was even able to snag some Krispy Kreme doughnuts while I was there and was pretty surprised they had that there.

                Another big part of the trip was I was able to see the Lion King in theater! I've always heard about how good the play was and wanted to get the opportunity to see it and I was able to while I was there. I was very impressed with the way they brought the cartoon to life and the imaginative and creative ideas they had. It was well worth the 60 pounds we paid for the tickets. I wanted to go to another production but thought it would be more wise to see other parts of London and not sit in a theater the whole time. To me London does not seem like the rest of Europe. In some places it kind of has an American feel and in others not so much so. For one they drive on the opposite side of the road there which is something I don't think I could ever get used to. There are many little things that define London that no other place has.

                The season is rolling along and we are already to the playoffs. This year is a little different than last year considering there was a good chance we almost didn't make the playoffs whereas last year we had no problem. We just had our last game of the regular season tonight which we lost. The game would have been good to win but in retrospect was not that important.  My body has been acting up lately but I can honestly say I felt great in this past game. My ankle was feeling better as well as my knee so there was not much for me to complain about. I'm hoping my body can hold out to the end of the season and I would do the things necessary to keep it healthy. Speaking of...... I am exploring the idea of possibly playing in another country for the summer and be able to see other places while getting paid at the same time. Im not sure how thats going to work out but all I can do is wait and see what happens. At this point in my life I am really trying to see and experience as many things as I can. I realize that once I get a little older and maybe get a family that I will not have as much free time nor freedom to go where I want when I want. In the mean time I am exploring and learning about this world while at the same time learning about myself.  Yea so I tried to add pictures but the website is acting up so Ill try and get back to that later.

                  

Happy 25th Birthday!

    I'm officially a quarter century old! It's hard to believe that I'm 25 because it seems like just yesterday I was turning 16 and getting my drivers license. In actuality that was almost 10 years ago! It's cool to get older and be able to look back on life and the best times and maybe some of the times that weren't so great. Although I'm very much still in my youth I can feel the adult part of my life starting. Since I am overseas playing basketball I haven't quite transitioned into 100% independence from my parents. Really the only thing I depend on them for is a place to stay when I come home for the summer. It would not make much sense for me to be renting an apartment or something like that for 3 months, max and then coming back over.

I'm excited to think about what life will be like after basketball although I have no idea what direction I will be going in. I'm not sure how long I will play but at the moment I'm just taking it year by year. I realize I will have to stop playing one day and start a real life but the way I look at it is I have an opportunity that most people don't get and that's being able to travel to different places, play a sport for a living, and have fun. I'm not looking forward to getting a job that I have to go to 5 days out of the week, 9 hour work days, and doing the same thing over and over for the rest of my life. I will do that If I absolutely have to but that is my last resort. I have the rest of my life to do that so there is no rush to get there.

My birthday was a really good one this year. I think we all can think back on birthdays and think of the good ones and the not so good ones. I had 3 birthday cakes, dinner from my friend, and a big birthday dinner from the family that always cooks for me here in Luxembourg. They are the nicest family ever and I appreciate everything they do for me and allowing me to feel welcomed in a place far away from home. We had a game later that day and if we'd lost I'm not sure my birthday would have been as good. Good thing we won and we won big. We played really well as a team and have been playing well lately. We found out that we for sure will make the playoffs so that's great news. After the game I just hung out at the gym and celebrated my bday with friends and later that night went to a Superbowl party that was really good. There was a lot of food there and that's what the Superbowl is about! The day turned out to be great and I couldn't have asked for much more.

Making the best of it

          So what's been going on lately? I apologize for having so much time in between my posts but you have to believe me when I say I've been busy! There has been much going on and hopefully I can fill you in on some of the things.

          First off, I've somehow injured myself....again. I really don't know what happened but after one of my basketball games my knee was killing me! I never really found out what was wrong with it but I do know that my left knee, the one that was operated on two years ago, is much weaker than my right knee and I have to strengthen it. I'm hoping that I can get that taken care of and be back to normal soon. It really sucks being injured but if there is one benefit of being injured it's that the injury helps you to put everything into perspective in life and in sports. After playing for a while you begin to take health for granted and forget how blessed you are to be able to run, jump, and just be generally healthy. I wish I could go my whole life injury free but I think every now and then you need that reminder to appreciate what you have!

          Lately I've been a little down I guess maybe because we are really close to not making the playoffs and as a team we just have not been playing well. We were eliminated from the cup about two weeks ago and that really upset me. A week after that we lost to the same team and that was the game I was injured in and I managed to put up my career low, 1 point! I've never in my life scored that little but I was literally useless in that game. My knee was giving a lot of pain and I just wasn't able to operate properly. Needless to say after that game I was pretty down. But recently I've been taking a different look on things and it has made things much better. I naturally am a person who doesn't want help and thinks that I can control everything and don't need anyone. I am learning more and more to lean on my faith and to just trust God in everything that I do. I honestly believe that God has a plan for my life and whatever that is I just have to be open to receiving his guidance. Proverbs 3:5 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways and he shall direct your paths." Sometimes I don't understand why certain things happen in my life but I trust that God is shaping me and making me a stronger person. It's important for me to realize that because if I'm doing my best at everything I do, what else is there to do?

           Just recently my coach was fired and it has shaken up a lot of things in my club. Naturally when something like that happens I begin to think, "Is my job in jeopardy?" I've been reassured by officials in the club that they are not looking to replace me and that everything is okay but in this business I think you have to always keep your ears and eyes open because there are some shady people everywhere. In the end people tend to look out for themselves and in this situation I think I have to do the same. My injuries don't help the situation at all. All these thoughts begin to go through my head and I begin to think that I'm not ready to leave yet! I have many friends that I don't want to leave right now and I'm enjoying myself over here. 

         Im excited about a trip that I will be taking shortly with my friend Carole Retter. I am going to London, and have been wanting to get over there since I first got over here to Lux but just have not had the chance.  I will be there for roughly about 3 days which in my opinion is enough time to see what I need. I don't get many days where I can go traveling so the days that I do get I try and take advantage of. Like many other parts of Europe, London has so much history and is been ranked by many as one of the best cities in the world. Hopefully I can take plenty of pictures and be able to share those with you guys! Well thats all for now...check back soon!

Happy New Year!!

                              

          Sorry guys I know I've been away for quite sometime now but things were really busy around Christmas time and New Years. I hope your Christmas and New Years was as good as mine and that you are motivated and anticipating what the new year will bring. This time of year can really be good if you take advantage of it. It's a chance to start over, to revisit broken commitments, or to set new goals in which to achieve. Not that these things can't be done in the middle of the year or any other time but the new year gives you the feeling that your slate has been wiped clean and that you have a chance to start from the beginning. I challenge you, as well as myself, to set goals and to map out ways in which you will achieve those goals. Make this year better than the last and continually challenge yourself. Now I know some of you are wondering, "Marcus, What are your New Years Resolutions?" Well let me first say geez you guys are nosy but since you asked I guess I'll throw some things out there! I'm joking but some things I think I need to work on is actually following through on what I plan on doing. I'm great at imagining things in my mind that I will do and it all looks so easy in my head. The fact of the matter is they are all very attainable, it's just that I don't give myself the best chance at achieving those things because I keep everything in my head and don't write things down or follow a schedule. My most valuable tool this coming year will be a schedule that I must write out and follow in order to give myself the best chance for success! There you have it!

            My time back home was really good although it was cut considerably shorter than originally planned. My flight out on the 22nd of December was cancelled and luckily I was able to find a flight out the next day and get home a day late. Not only that but I was supposed to get back to Lux on the 6th but my club rescheduled my flight for me to return on the 2nd of January which I guess I can understand but It was unexpected. I was able to enjoy some good old southern weather and see something that I don't get to see much in Lux and that is SUNSHINE! My friend Elizabeth would dispute me on that one but lucky for me its my blog and she can't say anything now! I was able to see old friends and also meet new ones. I realized fairly recently, that the friends I most enjoy hanging out with are the ones where you can be yourself and where people aren't trying to put on a show to impress others. I find it not only hard to hang out with those type of people but physically taxing as well. I enjoy being able to see the deeper side of people and not just the outer shell that everyone sees. In some groups you just can't get past that. I got to play some golf while I was home which I'm really loving these days. Thats one game I enjoy playing even though I suck. I was able to beat my brother who plays fairly often so I would call that trip to the Golf course a success. I visited my University and checked out the team who is struggling a bit right now. It was good to be back on campus.

          

 Before I forget I have to mention my time In Switzerland before Christmas break. I was able to go skiing for the first time and I must admit it was pretty miserable at first. I went with 3 other friends who all knew how to ski pretty well. The Swiss Alps are a sight to see and just being there was a surreal experience. Once we got on the slopes and I begin to try and ski I began to wonder what in the world I was doing out there. I can honestly say I haven't been that afraid in a long time. All I could think about was going down one of those hills, losing control and sliding off the side of the mountain. I'm not sure the Swiss Alps is the best place to ski for the first time. My friends were patient with me although I know they wanted to ski without having to watch after me the whole time so I let them have a few runs without me. The highlight of the first day was me taking 40 minutes to put on my ski that had fallen off. I could not get that thing on! The hill was so steep and its hard to put on when you are on a slope and not flat ground. I was literally sweating like I had just played a basketball game because I was having to balance on one leg which takes a lot of effort. I had to strip down because I was so hot! I had to have fallen at least 100 times the first day. I was able to give my friends some good laughs though. After a while I was able to catch on and I was skiing pretty good. The second day I had a very good time because I did not fall many times at all and was able to keep up with everyone. In the end I was happy I went and would love to go again someday If I get the opportunity. Well I'm out.........I'm still off schedule and have been up since 530am so I'm going to get some other things taken care of. Later!