July 20-Maribor-->Pula with some pit stops, by Allison Gunderson

After waking up and recharging with breakfast the team was off to Croatia/Bled by 8:00. 

We all were sad to leave Maribor but we knew that there were fun (and sunny, finally) days ahead. We took the bus for a couple hours and entertained ourselves with movies, reading, music, and trying to squeeze in a few more hours of sleep! 

When we arrived at the Bled Gorge, locally known as the Vintgar Gorge, we were eager to get on the trail! Once we started we all were amazed by the breathtaking river running through it. The colors of the water ranged in beautiful blues and greens. Of course, we all had to take dozens of pictures! The hike itself was only a mile there and back so it wasn't too strenuous. We followed the river down and passed a dam that sprayed us with a very refreshing mist. Once we got to the end we had an incredible view of the waterfall and a rainbow even was visible in the mist! It was a truly gorgeous sight to see. 

After our hike we headed to Bled for lunch. We broke off into little groups to go have lunch and explore the city.  The menu ranged but most groups got pizza with a quick gelato run after. 

The view of the lake was spectacular and was a perfect spot to take pictures.

The whole crew made it back on the bus by 2 and we were off to Croatia. Eventually, we made it to our hotel in Pula  at 6:30 and had a hour to explore our hotel before dinner that night and bed. It was another great day for team NNJ!

July 18-Maribor Day 2, by Jensen Oppio

Our NNJ group started the beautiful and sunny day off with a town tour of Maribor, Slovenia. Coming from a rainy Budapest, the sunshine brought excitement as we walked the alley ways searching for lunch. 

After lunch, we were given dutiful tasks to assemble little treat bags for children less fortunate than us. From candy to note pads, these little goody bags would deliver happiness to a great group of kids that we were to visit the next day. 

Once we put together our little presents, we made the usual gelato stop and headed back to the bus. From there, we had a two hour rest period back at the hotel, for dinner was at 7, in which we took a gondola to the top of Mariborsko Pohorje. 

The view was breathtaking and was a beautiful place for some pictures! As soon as we got to the top of the hill, a dreadful sea of water began to pour from the sky. Just imagine 12 girls all fancied up in cute dresses and makeup, running down wet grass and mud to the safe haven of the restaurant! 

Once inside the warm and cozy restaurant, the rain immediately ceased and we finally began to take pictures. It was definitely a memorable experience and an all around good time served with amazing food. Happiness radiated from inside as smiles and laughs were exchanged. It was inarguably a great day for the crew of NNJ! 

July 21-Pula Day 2, by Journey Martin

Today was our first full day in the beautiful city of Pula! We woke up after a good night's sleep and ate breakfast at the hotel. From there we went and played the Pula volleyball team. [The gym was only a few minutes walk from the hotel!] 

We went 3-0 with them and had a fun time while playing. However, they were a little short on players so some of us got the opportunity of playing on the same team as them! For our last game here in Europe it felt good to win and learn something from it as well. 

We are all very blessed to be able to be a part of this experience not only here in Europe, but also being able to play the sport we love. 

We took showers and ate lunch, after the game, then headed down to the beach. [The beach is very rocky and cliffy, but people bring yoga mats, camping pads, and towels and just get comfortable!] We broke into groups and explored different parts of the beach. Some just enjoyed the sun, while others had a good time jumping of the dock. [The water is an incredible color, and is beautifully clear]. 

Slowly, everyone started to head back to the hotel and many decided to go to pool for a swim as well. We dried off and decided to partake in a game of beach volleyball. After, we had dinner and had a small team meeting to talk about our plans for the next day. 

We then decided to take off just the girls on the most important thing of the day, finding ice cream!

After our little adventure a band was playing, by the pool, many went out and started dancing. We stayed out dancing, laughing, talking, and having fun. 

We also [followed the adults' example and] jumped into the pool with all of our clothes on! 

As the trip is coming to an end I think we are all very grateful for the chance to be here and very happy we have all gotten to know each other. While we are sad to be leaving soon we are all also ready for some good old fashioned American food

July 19-Maribor Day 3, by Eleanor Salkoff

I think everyone would agree that today was one of our best days on this trip so far!  We woke up to clear blue skies (finally) and ate breakfast at the hotel.  At about 10, the team and Kate headed up the gondola to the top of the mountain.  From there, we met with a counselor from a camp at the mountain.  Then we drove for ten minutes to get to the camp which was hidden back in the forest.  From the moment we arrived at camp, we could tell from the kids' smiling faces that we would have a great time.  Coming into it, we didn't really know what to expect because NNJ hasn't done this excursion before; however most of us have experience with little kids and were excited to play and interact with them.  For about two hours we played basketball and volleyball with the kids while some of us made bracelets with them in the shade.  All of the them were adorable (aged 6-18), and some of them spoke good English while others had a harder time with it, but we still were able to communicate and have fun.  After a fun couple of hours with the kids, they sang us a song in Slovene and thanked us for visiting.  Then we handed each of the kids gift bags that we put together after shopping in Maribor yesterday.  It was so great to see them smiling and happy, especially knowing that they all are dealing with difficult situations, and all of the counsellors were warm and welcoming throughout the visit.  

After our trip to the camp, we hiked back to the gondola and took it down to the bottom of the mountain.  From there we walked to the hotel and had a quick lunch before playing our final match against the Croatian Junior National team.  During the first two sets we didn't play our best but in the last set we had some great rallies and we were able to stay more mentally tough throughout the game.  In the end, playing opponents like the Croatian team should make us stronger and challenge us to do better, and we all can work to reach a level of mental toughness that allows us to compete with high performing teams.  We all learned a lot from playing the Croatians and can apply that knowledge to volleyball matches in the future. 

To wrap up the day we all dressed up and drove out to a fancy vineyard for dinner.  The views of the vineyard were beautiful and we were able to take tons of pictures with the sunset.  Overall today was a great day and Maribor has been an awesome, memorable experience.  We're excited for Bled and Pula tomorrow!

July 17-Budapest-->Maribor, by Makenna Wheeler and Rilee Negron

Rilee:

On our last day in Budapest we went to a Castle. It was cold and raining but that didn't stop us from having a good time. We bought umbrellas and rain ponchos, walked around a cathedral, and had a beautiful sight of the city. We had lunch at our hotel and got our luggage ready to leave for Maribor. We left around 1 in Budapest to arrive at 5:30 in Maribor. We had dinner at the hotel and then we went to bed. 

Makenna: The time is flying by! This morning we had breakfast at our hotel in Budapest and then hopped on a bus for a four hour drive to Maribor, Slovenia*. To keep ourselves busy, many of us read, listened to music, or caught up on sleep during the travel. The passing view along the road was beautiful, and quickly changing. From large cities to small towns, green forests to fields of wheat and sunflowers. 

We made it to our hotel in Maribor, the Dras Center, and saw other teams staying here as well! We settled into our new rooms and some of us went to the court to watch a volleyball game, a team from Croatia playing against a team from Maribor. We ate dinner at the hotel and got to enjoy the sunset from the balcony. After dinner we went back to our rooms and settled down, preparing for the adventures and games to come. 

*Editor's note: Between 9-noon this morning, we branched off to get a final look at Budapest before departing for Maribor. While it was still pouring rain, we got a better idea of the sites of the city as Brooke, our guide, took the kids to a castle on the Buda side, and some of the adults took a river cruise and saw the Parliament building in the Pest side. The Danube and its bridges divide the city, and we got some good views from both sides. 

It really is a beautiful city, and many of us are looking to return during a more sunny trip. 

Everyone is in good spirits and we've pulled into the Slovenia hillside-town of Maribor for a restful three days. We will get up to some exciting things here, though. More on that later, stay tuned!

Parliament building 

Parliament building

Parliament building

Gellert hotel from Danube 

One of many beautiful buildings on the Pest side of the Danube 

View of Pest from Buda Castle

Buda castle

July 16-Budapest Day 2, by Danielle Linscheid

Today was our first full day in Budapest. We all met with our guide and walked through the rain to the subway to get to our first destination. We had to change our plans a little due to the weather so we went to The Great Market Hall which is a massive indoor market where we split into groups and looked at all the little shops and stands. In the market we saw vendors selling quilts, tapestries, souvenirs, and a variety of meats, fruits, and vegetables. We then took a bus to the second largest Basilica in Europe. There we observed the church, lit prayer candles, and took pictures of the beautifully painted ceilings. After touring the Basilica we headed to a three-story mall where we ate lunch in smaller groups and shopped. Later in the afternoon we played our second game of the trip against a Hungarian team and won 4-0. To finish the day we got the opportunity to have dinner with the team where we talked and got to know the players. This was such a unique and incredible experience because for the first time we were able to learn about our opponents' lives and make some really great friends. 

NNJ and MTK teams

July 15-Prague-->Budapest, by Emma Hansen

Today in Prague, after we woke up and had breakfast, we went to the train station. There, we got on a 6 hour long train ride to get to Budapest. On the train, we kept ourselves entertained by reading and playing card games, but when we had a chance, we caught up on sleep. Outside of the train, we passed beautiful landscapes filled with castles and quaint towns. Once we arrived in Budapest, we took a bus to our hotel and settled in. In little while, we went out to dinner at an Italian restaurant with our new guide for Budapest. After a big dinner of pizza and salad, we took a subway back to our hotel and went to sleep. 

Waiting for the train to Budapest

Hungarian forints: about 285 to $1