Getting Ready for Pura Vida

FOURTEEN MORE DAYS!!!!!!!!! until I go to the beautiful land of Costa Rica. I am literally so excited right now. We are going with our close family friends, the Beyers. I actually didn't realize how close it was, so I basically have to order a bunch of things today. We leave April 1st, at 11:59, so it's coming up. I will miss two days of school, but who really cares when you are going to an exotic getaway. Here is a basic view from our house that we are going to rent:

Osa Peninsula
Photo Courtesy of : Destination 360

Anyway, I have very many things that I am going to pack, but the problem is that I can only take 27 pounds! This is because we are flying on a really small plane once we fly into San Jose. My packing list is as follows :

• bucket hat (so I can look cool while I am going on adventures - oh, and to keep the sun out of my face)
• hiking shorts (even though we will spend most of our time at the beach - and to look cool)
• hiking pants (I heard that there are bugs there)
• sunglasses (it's really weird how I don't have a pair of these)
• hiking boots (to go along with my shorts and hat)
• keen sandals (I used to gag when I saw these, but now I see the purpose)
• bug shirts (again... BUGS!)
• rash guard (when I surf!)
• swim suits (no explanation needed)
• sun dress (if I actually feel like looking nice)
• toiletries (I would list them all but ya)
• undergarments (^^^)

Osa Canopy Tour
Photo Courtesy of : Osa Tropical

The lady that is renting out the house to us, and she has told us about many activities that we could try out! There are many, but the one that really stood out to me was zip lining! I have been convincing my dad to let me build one in our backyard for so long, but he hasn't quite agreed so this is amazing. The zip lining company says that the rides are 1.5 hours long on different lines, and you go right over the tree tops! It sounds amazing. I even heard that they have one of the longest zip lines in the world! We also might be trying water fall repelling, jungle hikes, and snorkeling. Surfing is supposed to be amazing on the beaches that our house is situated at, so that is a major plus!

Photo Courtesy of : Surf Trip

Since my blog is about water polo and my life, I should probably incorporate some of the sport into this post. The problem is, in Costa Rica, there is literally no water polo. Most of them are probably too busy surfing or zip lining! The only picture that I could find of a water polo player from Costa Rica is this one below: 

Photo Courtesy of : News Gov

Anyway, I hope you are jealous of me and my future travels, and stay tuned for more posts coming soon!

The Curly Fries Take Riverside

You're probably all thinking WHAT? Why am I even talking about curly fries? Well there is a very important reason, and it relates to water polo (oddly enough).

This weekend, my team, called the Curly Fries (I can here your Ohhhh's already), traveled to Riverside, California for a water polo tournament. Actually it was the ODP Youth Women's Nationals (results). Zones from all over the US came to this tournament to compete which is pretty cool. Our team traveled in different ways at different times, but we all managed to get to the hotel on Friday night before our tournament which started on Saturday and continued onto Sunday.

My Sister and I @ the Airport
Photo Courtesy of : Kendall Morrison (my mum)

When we got to our Hampton Inn on Friday, we were given our room assignments. I ended up rooming with my friend, Georgia, from Colorado who also stayed with us during one of the camps. we hung out in everyone's rooms until it was time for supper. The food that was brought to us were gross sandwiches from Subway and foreos (fake oreos) that were also not very good. We wanted to get ice cream, but the parents said no (sad face). After dinner, we went up to a few of my team mates' suite and had a team meeting. We basically talked about how we were going to lose but we should still try!

The next morning, we woke up at 5:30 and had some breakfast before our 7 o' clock game. The breakfast literally sucked. There wasn't even any bacon OR bread which are my two favorite foods. I settled with honey nut cheerios and orange juice. We drove to the pool in our huge mini van and played three games. We had about three hours between each game, which allowed for me to get my tan on (which was my main goal of the trip). The Mountain Zone Team (us) won our last game against Hawaii that day but lost the first two against crazy California teams.

Bus Selfie!
Photo Courtesy of : Becca Hurst

After a long day of games, we went out for pizza at this small, family-owned restaurant. We then went to this weird restaurant/ice cream parlor called Farrells for some amazing ice cream. The whole restaurant was circus themed which was also pretty cool. There were a lot of loud noises and horns going off that my friends and I weren't too excited about.



On Sunday morning, we woke up an hour later than the day before and got the same, gross breakfast. Our first game that day was against Florida, and, even though we lost, we all played really well. Before our next game, we tanned even more and got smoothies and snow cones (which was probably the best part of the trip). Sadly, we lost our last game to Hawaii, which was disappointing since we had beat them 11-3 beforehand.

From Left to Right : Rissé, Me, and Sarah
Photo Courtesy of : Sarah's Mom

My family flew home last night and didn't get in until twelve! I am currently sitting here at school, my eyes half closing. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my post about my weekend, and stay tuned for more posts coming soon!

Playing w/ The Cool Kids

About two months ago, I wrote a blog post on high school swimming called Swimming w/ The Cool Kids, but now it's........ WATER POLO SEASON!

So I am literally so excited because water polo is my boyfriend, besides the other twenty lined up at my door. The sport itself makes me feel so relaxed and happy because it is my passion. I only started about two years ago, but it was love at first sight. Okay, now I am going to stop pouring out my emotions and move on to the real details of Park City Water Polo.

The first day of it started February 17th, which, sadly, was during our school recess. This means that there were only a few of us there because who wants to spend their one week break at a pool?? Oh right, me. Basically the season is from the middle of February to the end of May, which is a pretty good chunk of time. We have practices every week day, and I think we are going to start to add Saturdays and morning practices (optional, of course). We mostly just have games during the week like a Tuesday or Thursday, but it depends.

Women's Varisty Team
Photo Courtesy of : Mike McDowell (my dad)

Practices are usually pretty fun. First, we pass on land while we wait for the elementary kids to finish their "swim lesson". Then, we set up the pool by taking out the lane lines and the flags and putting in the goals. Most people like to get the balls in and start shooting but Coach Josh gets mad, so we just swim to get warm. We do some drills and probably start passing again. Next, we either do a shooting drill or a passing drill which gets us moving. Sometimes, we scrimmage (which are the best days ever), but we mostly just do drills that sometimes don't make sense.

Most people think that they can just join water polo whenever they feel works for them, but that isn't going to cut it this time since we actually have a full girls team! There are about eleven of us girls who play, and some are still deciding whether or not they want to do it. Our team is coached mostly by Josh Loyens, but Jeff is also a major contributor. As captains, my sister and I like to plan all of the social events, since that's the best part! Last Friday, we had a team sleepover, which was so fun! We made really cool bags that had glitter and even fur on them! If you are looking for a fun team to be a part of, our girls team would love to have you!

Team Bags (notice the "Bite Me")
Photo Courtesy of : Me

ANYWAY (I realize that I say that a lot), I hope you liked reading about my life, once again, and stay tuned for more posts coming soon!

Green Is The New Blonde... But Maybe Not

Hey Everyone. On my last post, my friend Mia commented that she was wondering how to make your hair not so green from the pool! Today, I will show you how. Personally, I like having that chlorine tint of green in my hair, hence my blog's name Green Is The New Blonde, but some people don't enjoy it. Funny story, one time, I went to the hair salon, and they asked if I wanted to get the green dye out of my hair. I was like no! That isn't dye its chlorine tint! And then everybody started laughing at me... obviously, since I'm really funny. Anyway, here are a few tips to get rid of your chlorine filled hair whether you are a swimmer, water polo player, or a person that just likes to get in the pool!

This is literally what my hair looks like after swim season.
Photo Courtesy of : Hair Colors Ideas

Shampoos

The first thing to make sure that your hair doesn't turn green or get fried by the chlorine is to use special shampoos. I know that many different brands have them such as Swim Ultra and Paul Mitchell both have certain shampoos that get rid of chlorine and the green tint, but the best one to use, by far, is Malibu. Malibu not only takes the chlorine out, but also makes your hair stronger and healthier. It can be purchased at the main website, Malibu, for $15 per 9oz of shampoo or conditioner, or you can get a better deal of $12 at Aquaholics which can be bought in store or online.

Home Remedies

For those of you that like crafts and DIY's, I will tell you some home remedies that are more natural for your hair.

1. Apple Cider Vinegar :

The first one uses our new hair breakthrough ingredient : apple cider vinegar. Besides helping you lower your chances of diabetes and low blood pressure, it is also good for your hair! It clears it out of all the toxins, such as chlorine, and gives it a real shiny look. Even if you don't ever have contact with pool water, this remedy is still an amazing hair strengthener. To make the apple cider vinegar hair treatment, you mix together one part apple cider vinegar and four parts water. Mix this together and put it in a travel bottle. You can use this mixture in the shower (it acts as a conditioner) once a week in your hair until the green tint comes out.

Photo Courtesy of : Bakes for Breast Cancer

Photo Courtesy of : Mirror 

apple cider vinegar + water








2. Baking Soda :

Another home remedy that also works is the baking soda remedy. For this one, you mix one tablespoon baking soda and one cup water into a similar travel bottle. Squirt some of this mixture into your hair while in the shower. It is supposed to act as a both a shampoo to strengthen your hair and a conditioner to smoothen your hair.

Photo Courtesy of : Grime Scrubbers

Photo Courtesy of : Mirror

       baking soda + water







Simple Tricks

Not everybody is crafty and loves DIY's, so here are a few simple tricks that are easy to use anytime and anywhere.


1. Wear A Swim Cap :

This is not only a very obvious trick, but also a powerful one. If you are a swimmer, and your hair is still getting wet by the chlorine water, then double up! Wear a thin latex cap underneath your thick silicone cap to keep your hair dry. For those of you that don't want to wear a cap while hanging out at the pool with your friends (even though I don't see why you wouldn't want to wear one...), follow the next trick.

Sharpei's girls know whats up with their flower caps.
Photo Courtesy of : TV Guide

2. Wet Your Hair Before :

Wetting your hair before getting in the water helps to make sure that the chlorine doesn't get soaked up into your silky strands. When your hair is dry when entering the pool, the chlorine water absorbs into it right away because there is nothing to stop it. But, if it is wet, the fresh water acts as a barrier between your hair strands and the chlorine water.

Well, that about concludes all of my ideas for keeping your hair chlorine-free or to get the green tint out. Comment down below if you have any other tricks! Stay tuned for more posts coming soon!