The tournament in Phuket, Thailand was the last competition of our 2010 season. When we arrived it was pretty rainy, but it still felt very warm. The rain held up for our first match, which was against another team from Thailand. We won the game in two sets and were ready to advance to the next round. This time we were matched up against a team from Poland and had a lot of trouble playing strong throughout the games. We'd start off playing well, but after each of the technical time outs, we just couldn't stay aggressive. We lost the match in two sets. It was really disappointing, not only to have lost in the 2nd round, but also to finish our season with a game where we just didn't play our best. Not only that, this tournament was our last chance to achieve our goal of making the main draw.
But as disappointing as the ending is, I can't overlook what I great season this has been overall. I've traveled all over the world and gained valuable experiences in playing at an international level that I know will help me in the future. I've also learned a lot about myself and really developed my understanding of other cultures I've encountered. This summer has been the beginning of a long journey and I've definitely learned so much throughout all the ups and downs.
Now I'm taking a well deserved break to spend time with family and friends (and go skiing!). I'm looking forward to a little R&R, but of course I know it won't be long before I'm itching to get back out on the sand!
