My Favorite Place
Alpha aan den Rijn, Netherlands
Summer of 2006 will always be the best time of my life. While on the program, TENNIS EUROPE, I along with sixteen other teenagers traveled to numerous countries in Europe to play tennis. There was a group consensus that Alpha aan den Rijn, Netherlands was our favorite place. When it was time to go to Germany, we did not want to part from this small town. With a special charm and quaint atmosphere, Alpha aan den Rijn was full of culture, a variety of shops, restaurants, and friendly people. When my friends and I were not hitting tennis balls we were exploring the city. Everything was so convenient since our hotel was a mile away from the tournament site and a mile away from the town. Alpha aan den Rijn was the first place we traveled to that was safe enough for us to be completely independent. We got bikes and rode them everywhere, from the IMAX theatre to the supermarket since my best friend Lexi had an addiction to Nutella.
The locals loved tennis and therefore it was only common for them to be highly competitive in tournaments. To my surprise, all social functions took place at the Tennis Club. All of us Americans were welcomed with open hands to compete in these tournaments and attend these social events. Therefore, I had an opportunity to witness and participate in this lifestyle. Throughout these seven days I practiced, ate, competed, played pool, and just chilled at the tennis club. My other best friend Brittany 
and I can even be credited for starting a dance party when it seemed as though that crickets were chirping. If victorious, my friends and I all followed the tradition to buy our opponents a beverage. On the other hand, when I lost I distinctly remember always requesting a refreshing iced tea. Like Central Perk is the meeting spot on Friends, the tennis courts grew to become our home base. Although the level of tennis was intense, it did not overshadow the fun and this was something I never experienced.
On one of our last days I remember my tennis coach, Brent, suggested that we buy a soccer ball to kick around in the park. No one wanted to get it, so I finally conformed and volunteered to run into town. As I was running to buy the bright orange soccer ball, I remember feeling the most content I ever felt in my life. I sprinted passed the windmills and bike paths, knowing that surrounding people were probably wondering, “Why is that American girl running at full speed?” But the skeptical stares did not faze me, in fact nothing did during these seven days.
In Alpha aan den Rijn I was playing my favorite sport, in my favorite place, and sharing this experience with my favorite people. It will always be the closest thing to Utopia.