So I am really doing this!!!

I received my flight information at long last this week. Wednesday the 18th is the day that I head out. There is no turning back now. We leave from MSP and go to O'Hare. From O'Hare we make the long trek to Frankfurt Germany. Lastly we go from Frankfurt we fly into Freidrichshafen Germany which is just on the other side of the Bodensee about 45 minutes from Dornbirn. It should be a long travel day, but I wouldn't expect it to be any other way. I will either be exhausted from the travel or excited beyond belief to be there. Hopefully the latter.

As I write this, I am sitting in my office at SJU finishing up the last of the football stuff by creating files and burning DVD's that we will use as coaching tools. It should be helpful to show the players what the plays are supposed to look like when run well. Technically, I guess this really isn't my office anymore since Mike Trewick has taken it over. He has made some nice upgrades and adjustments with the place and I must say it looks good. Suffice it to say that Mike doesn't have the pack rat mentality that I seem to have inherited and is slightly better at interior design. None the less, I don't think he will mind if I use the office for a few more days.

Last weekend I took care of a few loose ends by making a business trip out to Seattle to drop off my car and leave it with my sister Becca. It works out great for the both of us because this way I won't have to find a place to store my car while I am gone. Plus Becca will have a car for the next 5 months while she gets settled out there. I made the trip in 2 days stopping over night in Billings Montana. There wasn't too much trouble except for the last part going over the mountains at the Idaho/Montana pass and in the Washington pass as well. I do love road trips, but I love them a lot more in the summer without the threat of snowstorms. All in all it was a great trip and fun to see Becca and spend a little time with her before I take off.

While I was out in Seattle, SJU Sports Information did a press release about Jim and I heading over to Austria. Consequently, one of the local sports reporters for the St Cloud Times Frank Rajkowski did an article about it that you can read here. I don't know how long the link will be active, but if it does die and you still want to read it just let me know. Frank did a nice job and I had a few people that weren't aware of it congratulate me so that was nice.

As my leave date approaches I am growing more and more excited with moments of sheer panic sprinkled in. I am not so much apprehensive about going and being gone. I am just more consumed with getting everything done by the time I leave. It is reassuring that a) Jim will be there with me and we will be going through a lot of the same things together for the first time and b) I have lived in a foreign country before where I barely spoke the language and got along just fine. Packing is going slowly and every day a few more things are organized and a box or two more get filled.

That is all for now. Next time you hear from me I will be on the other side of the pond. Take care everyone.

--Josh