“You’re taking your Jeep, Jenny, to Canada?”
Yes, yes I am. I can not tell you how many times I have been asked that question over the last few months.
Tonight is the night before I leave for one of the biggest adventures of my life- the biggest road trip I have traveled.
I could write for hours about the excitement, the details.. but I will try and keep this post short and sweet.
Four years ago my heart broke for our USWNT (no really, I was crying) when we lost in PK’s. A team who beat the odds and from what I thought deserved the title as World Champions, but things didn’t fall in our favor that day in 2011.
So here we are, four years down the road, FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015. Never in my life would I have imagined being not just in the stands, but in the fourth row in three days watching our USWNT battle the “Group of Death” and go for the much anticipated title of “World Champions” and I am guessing I won’t be getting much sleep tonight.
Within the next few days we will be arriving in Canada where it all may seem like a dream, this really is a once and a lifetime opportunity.
A recap of fun facts that have happened leading up to this World Cup-
I met Jessie Brewer going into my Senior year and bonded with her in the goal, now she’s questionably more emotionally invested in this team than I.
Nashville, 2013: Chandler, my boyfriend at the time, got me front row tickets to the game where Hope Solo walked right across the field to me and signed my poster. (Second time I had met her)
Chicago, Fall 2014: Jessie and I made our longest road trip which included running over a sign, not being able to stay in our booked hotel because of our age, and Hope walked right across the field strait to me after the game (again) and handed me her cleats this time. Then retweeted my pictures that night, then posted my pictures on all of her social media the next day. That was an exciting weekend.
St. Louis, spring 2015: Biggest home crowd in years, amazing environment, the perfect day. For the fourth time I met Hope. This time, walked right across the field again.. stood and talked for a while, and I FINALLY got a picture with her. Despite any trouble she had been involved with the past year and a half, she will always be my hero on the team.
Crazy things always happen…
Ashlyn Harris RT Jessie’s edit of her on the countdown day of 24.
Sydney Leroux (Dwyer) fav. my tweet about getting us the World Cup Wagon.
USWNT started the #SheBelieves campaign, where I sent in my dream of making a difference and helping people- so USWNT gave me a RT which I was stoked about, then Julie Johnston made a video specifically for me in response, then continued to comment on my instagram picture.
Ali Krieger told me in 2013 after Nashville game on instagram good luck in college ball, and that I was an inspiration to her- so that was incredible.
Kyle Krieger told Jessie Happy Birthday, she about died.
Jamie Tworkowski, founder of TWLOHA, had a book signing in Nashville that Jesse and I got to attend where I showed him the newest ESPN magazine where Alex Morgan talked about the organization- he freaked and said he would have to text her about it.. oh okay, it’s casual.
OUR KITS.
Bless Nike’s Heart. We have the “our printer is running out of blue ink” and “I love mountain dew/I’m 13 and still love neon and glow in the dark/because everyone owns black lights we should have words for black lights on our jersey” I wish this was a joke. The home kits, I am so confused. No red. No white. No blue. THIS IS WORLD CUP HELLO. Anyways, that’s all I will say on that topic before I get on a rant.
Women’s Soccer.. FINALLY getting the credit it deserves. Unfortunately FIFA has brought some negative attention the last few weeks, but TOMORROW the BIGGEST day for of the year for these teams, these fans, and women world wide, will come. Good luck to my ladies on the USWNT. See you in Winnipeg! ONE NATION. ONE TEAM. ONE GOAL. ONE DREAM.
Life of Slav 