It’s already been an entire week since I made the 35 hour trip home! We had a full day of packing after the races before leaving at 2:00am to catch the 2 hour ride to Prague Airport. I have trained a little, recovered a lot, and I attended my second year at the Alaska Rural Business Conferences last week!

The last day here was a blast! I qualified and competed in my first ever Jr. IBU Mass Start!

Not only did two US girls get to race but all five of us did! It was a chaotic morning and we barely had everyone make it to the start line, but in the end all our racers successfully started and finished the race. I had made it my goal to just have fun and not to worry about being nervous this race. I definitely reached my goal for the day! This is a race that I will always remember. It is a special experience starting with 60 other athletes from across the world who love the sport as much as me.

We had a blast exploring the town for the last time and getting ourselves final mementos. I bought a pair of mittens that I had been eyeing since we arrived.

All of the grocery stores close on Sunday which we had forgotten about! We missed out on our final stock up on ritter chocolates, but I managed to find a store to bring home polish mustard for my grandpa!

At 2:00am we left for Prague. I began the long journey back home halfway across the world.

Since then I have been adjusting to the time change and life back home! I am recovering the best I can to be ready for the High School Cross Country State Champs starting in just two days from now! The race season isn’t over yet and I am looking forward to what the rest of my travels/races will bring to me this season!

Thank you again to everyone who has been cheering for me and supporting me! I’m just as grateful for the challenges as I am for any successes. All of it adds up to being where I am today and motivates me to grow and be ready for what ever the future holds!