Hello Earth, It's me Pri!! ;)

As you can tell, i'm not so good on blogging hahaha. This year has been SO crazily fast and i myself have had a really hard time on keeping up with things!!

Those who are closer to me can affirm that, since i have also been distant from most people i am usualy around. The good news is that they know how much i truly love them and that even though i might not do good enough, i am doing the best i can at this moment!!! 

W-O-W, 1 million times WOW! What a crazy, insane, full of experience, stressful, most fun year!!!! Try to go through all these emotions, all at the same time, many many times a day... That's me!! But ending the day mostly with a smile on my face, because through good or bad i am always thankful that God is giving me so many opportunities and experiences in life.

This year i went to Brazil to play with Renata, who is also my bestest friend since my teenage years :) In only 3-4 tourneys we climbed up the rankings and have been the 4th highest seeded team in the nation! This is so exciting!!! I never thought this could happen, i have dreamt about it but it always seemed so far away.. so hard to reach and then... BOOM! Since 2009 and playing with Tati Minello, all that came up and became potentially my reality! And i am doing my thing, the best i can, i just soaking up everything i can, learning as best as i can and having fun during the process.... Now, since i have been "PROFESSIONALLY" playing vb, i am not going to lie, i got more serious, when you lose, you LOSE! How am i going to pay my bills? My coaches? My strength and conditioning coach? My trips to go play another tourney??? This is my JOB now! Before i had other things that would help me to get by, now either i win or i win!!! hahaha Sounds so lame though, bc to me, deep inside, it's not about the money, it's about the process, i believe that if you work hard, if you do your part, things will happen, wins will come due to your hard work, sponsors will show up because of your good character on and off the court and your life will go on smoothly... But sometimes when you lose to the same team 2-3 times, it becomes about the WIN i cant lie!!! hahahaha.

So after the Banco do Brasil Tour, I took a 15 days break and went to California to train and play and rest, all at the same time!! Funny uh? While i was there i got to practice with Misty May-Treanor, Kerri Walsh, Annette Davis (who became my regular practice partner for those days)... How fun it was! I was Facebooking about it everyday! Those women are AMAZING and i just watch them non-stop and try to play like them, but keeping my own style, if it makes any sense to you...

Then Renata and I went to France, played a tourney in Lille, it was fun! We were undefeated until the finals!!! After that we went back to Rio to train and hit the FIVB World Tour... WHAT AN EXPERIENCE THAT WAS!!!!! It was my first time traveling all over the world! I absolutely LOVED it with all my soul! New places, new cultures, new languages... I was in awe the whole time!!! I want to travel all over Europe again, just to visit and get to know more places. We went to Poland (twice), Norway, Switzerland (twice), italy and Russia. So cool!! Never thought i would do that! NEVER SAY NEVER to anything, i never thought i could go on something like this, and little ol' me DID IT!!! :) Results aren't important but all the experiences and lessons i learned.

From Europe i hit the US west coast, i've been there for a little over a month now, training super hard (losing the extra weight i put on in Europe hehehe), just finished playing my second tournament with Annette Davis (Do you know who she is???) "Nettie" is a 2000 Olympian, who plays regurlarly with Jenny Johnson Jordan (another amazing person and player, Nettie's partner in the 2000 Olympics). I have watched them both play for so many years, and suddenly i started playing against them in the AVP Tour. I never saw these gals being ranked below 3rd in the US, besides in 2009 when Tati and i passed them up in the very last tourney!!! ;) Imagine how i felt about that??!!! AMAZED!!! #UNREAL!!!! Nettie and i got 3 practices in and went play the Corona Light Wide Open (Karch's tournament) in Hermosa Beach. After losing the third round in the winner's bracket, we had to go back the second day and play 5 matches to get to the finals!! That's about what i did that day, i got to the finals, once i got there... I had no more energy plus i had pulled my groin in the semis :( I was so pooped. Oh well... What could i do, so many matches in one day, they all served me... I was DONE!! haha

After that i was going to go to Virginia Beach to play in the NVL, but it got cancelled because of the Hurricane Irene :( So i spent the weekend coaching my former partner Angela Lewis and Jess Gysin (newcomer, full of talent!) in the Jose Cuervo in Manhattan Beach. It's so weird to be on the sidelines, i am definetely NOT ready to do that! HA! Not at all, i want to play!

The week went by and Nettie and I practiced 2 more times and went to Cincinnati to play the US Open beach Volleyball at Hahana Beach. We lost in the 1st round, next match would be the next day against Angela (noooooooo :( ) I don't like playing her, she's my friend!!!! It sucks!

Our 1st match on saturday was scheduled to start at 11:30 am at 90 degrees already and tons of humidity YUMMMMM!!! We won that in 2! Then 2nd match at 2:30 pm over 100 degrees FOR SURE! And side-outs here, side-outs there, we won it in 2 also! Thanks goodness, it was HOT and we needed a break! Next match versus Angie Akers and Nicole Bragnah (2008 Olympian with Elaine Youngs) at 4:30 pm! Can we catch a break with the hotness??? YES WE CAN!!! Some miracle clouds came and it was just very warm and humid rather than frying pan hot and humid ;) We won that match in 3 sets!! So good to play like that! I ripped some aces, which i have not done in a while, my jump serves were on, which it's rare when the sand is a little packed, i was happy with that!!! :) With that win, we were sitting on 5th place and needed to win one more today (sunday) to go to the semi-finals...

Started at 9 am and started a little slow and lost the 1st set 19-21, then we were dominating the second set and a few bad mistakes got them (Lisa Rutledge and Brittany Hochevar) to tied the game again at 17 all! Great plays back and forth (including Britt's amazing "standing there, fist up" block coverage), both teams playing well... Unfortunately we lost 32-30! What a good game... We wanted so bad!! You know what? It happens!! I am glad that i played HIGH LEVEL VB the whole weekend and it finally didn't feel like i needed to catch up anymore with everyone, i was there! I was part of it, i was myself, i did my thing!!! It's been so long since i have felt this way! Nettie was AMAZING, she is off the charts, great partner and made me feel so comfortable and helped me play better every point! She put up with me and my craziness with a huge smile on her face, great sport!!! :) I am so thankfull to have had this opportunity to play with her, and reassure myself of what i am capable of doing. I feel great! (Besides the part that still wanted that win hehehehe)...

Once again.. Oh well... Life goes on, friendships are made, experiences are gained and lessons are learned; take the best with you and go on! That's what i am doing now... On my way back to California for about 3 1/2 days, then going to Miami to play NVL and then the  Jose Cuervo with my one and only PARTNEEEEEERRRRRR!!!!!!! :))))) Angela Lewis! Yes, Nettie will be playing with Jenny.

I wish i could honestly thank each one of you who follow me on FB, TT, email, whatever or whereever i go. Sometimes we get caught up in our own lives adn really do not realize how many other lives we a touching.. You guys keep me grounded, keep me on task, keep pushing me! I am so thankful!

Now, let's celebrate Labor Day!!! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!! :)

Beijos...