Illinois' Big Ten Foreign Tour Page

July 26 - Norway
I am a list person, so I thought that I would list things on this trip that I found interesting:
-Men wear capris
-Scandinavians are very fashionable- you will not find a woman in a t-shirt, only blouses and tank tops.
-There are no shoulders on the side of the road, so if you have car trouble you are causing a traffic jam.
-Drivers follow the `first come first serve' rule
-Norway is up there for the most expensive place on the planet- I spent $9 on a Coke!
-You can tell who is European or American based on their shoes- European shoes are meant to make a statement, American shoes are meant to blend in with the outfit.
-Mullets are not looked down upon, or Mohawks. I even saw the combination...it was shocking.
-Scandinavians have NO problem with nudity. Skinny-dipping is a common occurrence, even if you are near a highway or on the beach where tourist boats pass by.
-TV shows and movies are in English with subtitles.

This has been a great experience and I have had a great summer. Our Illinois team went to Italy last month and that was incredible to see everything it had to offer. Thank goodness for digital cameras because I have 600 pictures to remember our trip by! That trip was wonderful, and a month after I was lucky enough to come here to Scandinavia.

This trip has been incredible! The girls are great basketball players and people...it has been a blast to be on this trip with them. It has been so much fun to tour Denmark, Norway, and Sweden with Coach Grentz and our staff. Everyone has loved playing for Coach Grentz and she has been hilarious. I am so thankful for my opportunities this summer - it has been a blast.

Go Illini!
Erin McCarthy #00

July 23 - Copenhagen
When you play overseas you have more to get used to than just the different rules, apparently. We also have to get used to the officials. Coach Grentz has warned us that the officials would be "creative" with their calls and boy was she right. In one of our three games, there was a play when a player on our team was fouled on the shot and she made the basket. The official said no basket, but she got two shots. Hmm...

I also have another example, and I'm really proud of this one. I got my first technical! If you have ever seen me play, you know I'm not a dirty player. But when a player on the other team elbows me, I'm not going to back down. And when I did that today, in the officials mind, it was worth of a technical. It was pretty exciting.

On another note, this trip has been a blast! The girls are so nice and we're having a great time here in Scandinavia. This trip is going to go by so fast and we're so thankful to be overseas playing and enjoying the Scandinavian culture.

Go Illini!

July 20 - Copenhagen
What a beautiful city! It is so wonderful to see all the old buildings and castles that Copenhagen has to offer. There's so much to tell, so I'll just start at the beginning.

The plane trip wasn't too bad...it went by faster than I thought because it was an overnight flight. We didn't run into any troubles with luggage-which was such a relief! After we got into our hotel, we went to go see Tivoli amusement park, which was also beautiful. Tivoli is the oldest amusement park in the world and is known for its flowers. We had our first meal in Denmark and rode on a few rides.

After our much needed night of sleep, we had a good breakfast and went on a tour of Copenhagen. The city is beautiful with all the old shops and statues that line the streets.

This has been a great trip so far and I can't wait to update you on our adventures!

- Erin McCarthy