On the home front

It’s hard to believe that one week from now I will be packing my bags up and preparing to leave the coast of the Black Sea and head back to America.

Without a question I have enjoyed this experience. I’ve learned the bus routes I need to get from place to place, I’ve memorized my internet passwords, I’ve found the best spots to stand to see as much as I can and I’ve met some pretty nice people.

Of course, I know this would never be possible without the help of so many people, people who were there to lend me a hand when the opportunity came up for me to pursue this once-in-a-lifetime chance.

At the same time, part of me is missing the stuff going on back home. Of course, last week was the state championship ski meets, a week that I usually spend out on the slopes covering a number of championships. This year, four of my local teams have won state championships in the past week, with the Division II girls having to wait a while before they crown their champ, thanks to the weather.

It was obviously tough to miss the Kingswood Nordic girls winning the school’s first title in any sport in the time that I’ve been at my job. I knew they had a very good chance to take the title this year and I was hoping that a great group of girls would get the well-deserved win.

And of course, the same day, the Kennett Nordic boys were also winning another championship. These boys are like a fine-tuned machine, they just know how to ski and they know how to win and its fun to watch.

I am grateful for Kathy Sutherland being there to capture their moments of glory.

A day earlier, two more championships were won by local teams. The Prospect Mountain alpine girls fought off a tough Bishop Brady squad to bring home the school’s first alpine ski division championship. Thankfully, Jeff Lajoie was there to get some photos for me.

Also on Tuesday, the Kennett boys won another alpine championship, cruising to victory at Waterville Valley (thanks Kirsten Gehl for sending in pictures). This has become a regular tradition on the slopes of New Hampshire, but it’s still always fun to see a championship.

So, congratulations to the teams back home. It’s great to see more championships residing in my coverage area. I look forward to getting back to it in a week or so.

And I really look forward to Mountain Dew. Everything here is Coke. I badly miss my Mountain Dew.