#MGoEurope Travel Log: Farewell and Thank You!
8/31/2017 11:43:00 AM | Women's Basketball, Features
The Michigan women's basketball program is on a week-and-a-half trip to Europe (Aug. 21-31) with stops in Italy and Greece. Follow the Wolverines on social media (#MGoEurope) and with a daily travel log on MGoBlue.com.
Wednesday, Aug. 30
7 a.m. -- After a day of sleeping in, it was time for an early morning. After a quick breakfast, we loaded up the bus to head to a cruise ship. We took a one-day cruise to three different islands in the Aegean Sea.
8:15 a.m. -- We pushed away from Athens and headed for the island of Hydros. Everyone took the opportunity to take a nap after the early wakeup call. It was finally overcast and a little chilly (for August in Athens!) so we stayed on the middle level of the boat.
11:30 a.m. -- We got to spend about an hour on the first island, grabbing a quick snack while walking around the town. The island was small and did not have any cars.
All afternoon -- We spent the rest of the afternoon going to the other two islands to see what they had to offer. The water was a little choppier than normal, so the ride got a little rough from time to time but it was a fun experience.
9 p.m. -- Time for our farewell dinner! We went to a restaurant just around the corner from the hotel where we had various Greek appetizers, entrees and desserts. The best part about the dinner was that we finally got to reveal what person we had drawn at the beginning of the trip. Director of operations Amy Mulligan came up with the idea that all 30 people on the trip would draw a name at the beginning. You had to secretly get to know that person better and get them a gift during the trip - 10 euro limit -- that would mean something to them.
We presented the gifts at dinner and got to say a few nice words about each other. It really was a perfect ending to our trip, showing gratitude to each other for sharing this experience together. It was something none of us will ever forget.
Thursday, Aug. 31
7:30 a.m. -- Today is bittersweet as our time in Europe is coming to an end. We woke up early again, loaded the bus and had our final breakfast together on this trip.
9 a.m. -- We arrived at the airport and got all checked in. This was when we had to say goodbye to our amazing tour guide, Fortuna. She helped us so much throughout the trip and became a member of our family during the time.
We are on a noon flight from Athens to JFK. We land in New York at 3:50 p.m. EDT and take off for Detroit at 7 p.m. We are hoping to be back in Ann Arbor around 10:15 p.m. tonight before spending the upcoming holiday weekend getting adjusted back to the time.
Overall, we all had such a great experience in Europe. We were here for 10 days ... some days felt like they were never going to end and other days just flew by. The favorites on the trip were the beach in Sorrento, the Colosseum and Pompeii but that was just a sampling.
"It really hit me on this trip how much a basketball can impact your life and take you places all over the world," junior Hallie Thome said.
I'm so grateful for this program and how it has shown me the world," senior Jillian Dunston said. "I never thought a sport could do so much for me in life. This was an experience of a lifetime."
"This trip was an amazing experience and I am so very fortunate that I was able to partake in it as a freshman," Hailey Brown said. "Not too many people get the opportunity to travel the world. I always say that it is one thing to travel but it's another to actually tour and truly experience these lovely places. This trip was something that I will cherish forever."
The entire trip was a great chance to get a jump start on the 2017-18 season ... both on the basketball court and off it. We will all remember the end of August that we spent together exploring Europe and that is just exactly what the University of Michigan is about -- giving amazing opportunities to its students and staff that will impact their lives.
