USC Sand Volleyball European Tour
By Emily Young MA ‘16
As an athlete, one thing I didn’t have an opportunity to do at USC was spend a semester abroad. USC has so many fantastic global programs and judging by friend’s first-hand accounts, blogs, Instagram posts, and Snapchats, it seems like the time of your life. Luckily, with fund raising and support from the athletic administration and donors, I received the opportunity to travel with the USC Sand Volleyball Team on the program’s first-ever European Tour!
Although it wasn’t a semester, the thirteen-day European tour was truly remarkable. We traveled across Italy, Slovenia, and Austria, played in two volleyball tournaments, and created numerous memories together. Our group was blessed that our tour guide, Federica Tonon, is a professional Italian beach volleyball player who took the time to show our team the ins and outs of international competition and favorite local spots. It’s too hard for me to choose a favorite destination of our trip, but the best part of the trip was sharing every moment with my best friends and teammates. Even in lulls, they make everything much more fun.
Building a pyramid in front of Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna while waiting for our tour.
SC Travelers, get out your maps! My list of Do’s and Don’ts for each city we visited …. Complete with pictures of course.
Bibione, Italy:
Do: Play in a volleyball tournament with over 10,000 participants.
The atmosphere with that many people playing was so much fun. And it’s even better when you do well! Five of our USC teams placed in the top 17 out of 256 teams in the 2vs2 women’s pool. Our top USC team won the tournament.
Don’t: Get dehydrated. Flying, jet lag, heat, and playing volleyball are the perfect combination for dehydration and cramps. Be sure to drink a lot of water, stay cool, and stretch.
Do: Eat gelato every night.
Gelato is the amazing version of Italian creamy ice cream. There are a million flavors and you will miss them all dearly when you get home.
Venice, Italy:
Do: Explore the islands off of Venice.
Our team visited Murano, known for Venetian glass blowing, and Burano, known for Venetian lace and its brightly painted city.
Do: Visit Saint Mark’s Piazza San Marco.
Pictured is our team in Saint Mark’s Square with the Venice Carabinieri. I highly suggest going to the top of Campanile Bell tower. The view from the bell tower is amazing and it’s worth the couple of Euros.
Don’t: Wear uncomfortable shoes. There are only two ways to travel in Venice, by foot or by boat. You’ll be walking a lot, but the absence of cars allows you to take a step back in time and really enjoy the city.
Verona, Italy:
Do: Eat lunch by the Coliseum, also known as the Arena di Verona.
It’s a great spot for people watching and it was the best tortellini I had all trip.
Do: Visit Juliet’s House (Casa di Giulietta).
See the balcony where Romeo proposed his love for Juliet and write your name on the love wall. If you leave a love letter addressed to Juliet with a return address, you might get a response from the Juliet club who answer thousands of letters from around the world!
Don’t: Run the coliseum.
Although it seems like a fun idea at the start, the stairs are uneven and you will fall.
Trieste, Italy/Piran, Slovenia:
Do: Visit Castello di Maramara.
Our team wanted to move in immediately.
Don’t: Get stung by the jellyfish.
Ljubljana, Slovenia:
Do: Visit Lake Bled.
The lake is beautiful and I highly suggest taking a rowboat to the church in the middle of Lake Bled. The hot chocolate at the café there is the best hot chocolate you will ever taste.
Do: Make new friends.
At our volleyball tournament in Ljubljana we played teams our age from Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria. It was really fun meeting everyone and I even exchanged gifts and Facebook information with a few!
Don’t: Forget your raincoat.
Slovenia is so green and lush for a reason.
Klagenfurt, Austria:
Do: Ask your hotel for an umbrella if you don’t already have one.
Mainly for photogenic purposes of course.
Don’t: Forget Dramamine. Just as the hills were alive with the sound of music, the hills and mountains also make for a winding road.
Vienna, Austria:
Do: Find fellow USC students.
In Vienna we met up with a Marshall student who had been studying abroad there for the semester. She toured us through town and took us to Demel, a famous pastry shop and chocolaterie in Vienna. Also, not planned, ran into a fellow USC student at Schönbrunn Palace. HEY NICK!
Don’t: Stay in your hotel.
Go out and explore! Power naps are allowed though.
If you are traveling this summer, I hope you make the most of your adventures. If not, the list of Things To Do in LA is coming soon.
Ciao!
~Emily
