June 12--Prague Day 3 by Kololia Atoa

Today was a very interesting day. Beginning at nine o’clock this morning, we woke up to a grueling hike up what seemed to be a million stairs. With no shade to help us conquer the steps, we were forced to sweat through it. But the extra cardio was worth it because at the top of the stairs we were greeted by a panoramic view of Prague and a beautiful 13^th century castle. Standing hundreds of feet above us, the exquisite detail in the clay had the NNJ crew stunned. We strolled through New Town following the castle trip and then moved into separate groups. My group, the GoPro group, toured for a half hour than headed back to our hotel to pack up our bags and prep for the game. 

We had some great plays today but didn’t play to our full potential. With personal errors and a challenge to keep a high spirit we finished the last set on a more positive note. Completing the match we got the opportunity to eat dinner with the Czech volleyball team that we played against. Totally contrasting our initial opinions, dinner was so much fun. Kelsie, Kate, Haeli, Sasha and I sat with five of the funniest girls we’ve ever met.  It felt like we knew each other for years with the connection we made. We laughed so much and made some great jokes. 
I loved the fact that we got to know the real them personally rather than learn about Czech. Hands down, dinner with our new best friends remains the very best part about this trip to Prague. Leaving dinner we exchanged Facebook and Instagram names and took a couple of pics and said our goodbyes. Leaving the restaurant we wanted to turn around and hang out with them longer but we couldn’t. We seriously miss them so much, we can’t and probably won’t stop talking about them. My teammates and I are happy to say we are leaving Prague with friends that we’ve built an amazing relationship with and will continue to build. Kelsie, Kate, Haeli, Sasha and I are excited for the upcoming dinners with each of the teams and are hopeful for more connections as amazing as the ones we made tonight.

NNJ with members of the Czech Junior National Team

Photos from Kate Castro