Postcards from London: Amanda Stahmann

Concordia University Wisconsin junior Amanda Stahmann, who is a middle blocker on the volleyball team, is studying abroad the next few months in London, and will be sharing her experiences and thoughts with CUWfalcons.com. The Business Honors Program major, emphasizing in business management and business marketing as an undergraduate student, and working towards a Master's Degree in international business will be answering questions and telling stories about the culture, her education and how this trip will change her life.

I hope all is well back at home. Let me get you caught up on what I have been doing and learning since I last wrote to you by answering a few questions from CUWFalcons.com.

What events of significance have you attended in the last month? What events/festivals do they do differently, or the same, as America (i.e. St. Patrick's Day)?

Well I did attend the St. Patty's Day Festival here in Trafalgar Square which was a lot of fun. There was a parade, traditional food stands, and some Irish bands/singers performing. There was the England vs. Ireland rugby game as well on that day, and that was a big match! We watched it at a pub nearby since that's what most people here do on game days to cheer on their team. Another holiday that is a little different here is Mother's Day, which actually two Sundays ago (a little earlier than in the States), so I made sure to send my "mum" a British Mother's Day card! I also was able to go to a theatre performance last week which really showed me how much people here love the theatre! Some of the people around us even got up and started dancing and singing to the music and cheering when their favorite songs came on. I also had the chance to go "pony trekking" in Wales (basically like horseback riding) where we got to go up into the cliffs and see across the beautiful countryside.

How will this experience effect your preparation for your senior season at CUW?

Being in London and so far away from CUW does make certain preparations a bit harder including getting ready for volleyball on top of figuring out classes, etc. I still send out reminder emails to the girls and check-ups on spring ball to see how they are, but I wish I could be there to participate and help coordinate workouts. I still manage to work out a bit here as well, but it's not quite as much as I wish I could be doing of course. While right now I'm focusing more on my classes here and enjoying the experience, as soon as I get home for the summer I'll be right back into full-out workouts and open gyms in order to prepare for my senior year.

Can you talk about any experiences from your travels that would help your teammates on or off the volleyball court?

One thing I think to take away from my experience is that you have to make the most out of every opportunity and realize there is no better time than now to "seize the day". On the court, this means realizing that these are your last years to play for a real team and even if you are a freshman, this is still the last time you will ever have a freshman year. Too many athletes realize this too late when it's over and never have a chance to go back and work harder. This applies off the court as well, since there are so many missed opportunities people have due to excuses they make, such as they are too busy or it's too much work to figure out. So often we use the reasoning that we'll work harder later or we'll plan that experience later but then before you know it the opportunity is gone and you will never again have the chance to have that experience. Basically that's my quick words of advice, just realize you live only once and need to make the most of it.

If you have a question you would like answered or have always wanted to know something about London or Europe please send an e-mail to steven.schauer@cuw.edu and I will answer it next time I write to everyone. Thanks.

Until next time,

Amanda Stahmann