VHL Player's Tribune: Studying Abroad [Reviewed]

[Kendrick 4,741]

 

Europe is a nice place to travel, but is it a nice place to work?

 

"I never truly knew what I was in for, I just knew it was far from home."

 

My knowledge of the entire continent was thin, I'll be the first to admit that. However, I'm almost glad it was think because I relate that lack of knowledge to a painters canvas. It allowed me to be opened up to things I've never experienced or even had prior thoughts about. My lack of understanding because a lack of patience for sitting around without sight seeing.

 

On the flight over to Cologne I really had no clue what I was in for. I soon found out this booming city was a secondary heaven to my home in Alberta. I also quickly found out my knowledge of any language that wasn't English, was poor; so very poor. Medicine Hat didn't really relate to Cologne on many fronts. There are no rivers to use for your daily commute or huge industrial buildings full of suit and tie executives. Cologne doesn't lack any of those two things and it really was the first thing I noticed.

 

My first day in the Express lockerroom was an eye-opener because it had just been built two months earlier and the new franchise didn't even have it's feet wet. Being named the first official draftee on entry draft day was an honour but also a huge responsibility. I was basically standing at a gate and told I was the only one in...for awhile until we can fill the courtyard. That draft came and went and I was on board from the start to the finish; I even shook future teammates hands on their way to the podium. Reggie Dunlop and I clicked like white and rice because of his connections to friends of mine back home. The experience was nothing like I've had before and to this day I still have never seen that much excitement on one draft room table.

 

Cologne gave me a lifeline that I may never have had the chance to latch onto if I wasn't given the chance to shine on a brand new professional franchise. Cologne gave me my wife, my two kids and six and half years of a rollercoaster ride from the most brand new theme park you can think of.

 

"Cologne also gave me a lot of heartache as well."

 

Every off-season I would travel the continent with my family and attempt to cross things off my bucket list as well as theirs. When it was just April and I in our semi-rundown flat in Cologne, we learned that we'd have the ultimate honour that two individuals could have; we were going to be parents. A lot of emotions come towards you when you learn something like that. The first of which is how you will be able to fit another living being into your life. Loving that new addition would be no issue, but the burden of responsibility has crashed so many successful live sin the path; I didn't want that to be a thing with me.

 

Six months after the big news we got even bigger news. This time the news hit home in more ways than one, somewhere I had yet to truly be ever since being drafted. Our doctor told us that our baby wasn't going to make it. I was crushed, but more so for my wife as no mother wants that to ever be a result, much less even an option.

 

Our mindsets were that this family was going to grow to three and we needed to be ready for that. Just like that, that realization was gone. It crushed us both, it affected my mood, my play on the ice and as well as my entire family back in Alberta. I quickly had a turnaround through a kind thought. When I got into Cologne my mind was ready for every experience thrown my way and every single one had grown me to be a better person. This incident was just another bump in the road of experiencing what is thrown at me.

 

 

Adoption papers on my desk within two months, something we had been open to even before we found out the horrible news. Shortly after I found out I would be on the move to Riga though. Another one of life's mysteries that gets thrown at me to complicate my special plan. I would finish my career in Riga two seasons later and announce my retirement. One of the best feelings in the world is coming back to Cologne to see my #19 being hung from the rafters; the first jersey placed up there.

 

I like to think my unborn child's floating up there next to it. Travelling to two cities my entire career wasn't the plan nether did my plan include a stillbirth, adoption or no countryside farmers waving as I drove down the road to work; but sometimes you learn your plan takes a different spin.

 

"I studied my craft and my life studied me to keep throwing hip checks my way on and off the ice."

 

Kameron Taylor

CONTRIBUTOR

Edited April 16, 2016 by Kendrick

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

Nice piece. 

[FacePuncher 1,343]

Players tribune, nice!

[Kendrick 4,741]

Figured I'd try something different and bring the idea over from the real thing

[DollarAndADream 3,357]

This is pretty cool.