No, It’s Not the Same—And That’s Okay💕

Hey guys,

I just wanted to talk a little about bowling in high school and college! So, in Australia, we really don’t have any high school sports—and we definitely don’t have college (or as we call it, uni) sports at all. Athletics in uni just isn’t a thing!

And you know who I was speaking with? Sarah Klassen! Everyone knows her from YouTube, right? You should totally check out her channel. Anyway, she’s from Canada and she actually said the same thing—that they don’t have high school or college sports either.

Which kind of blew my mind (I guess it shouldn’t have, because Australia is the same), but I always thought Canada would be pretty similar to the U.S. since they’re so close. When I moved here, people would always say things like,
"Well, it’s not much of an adjustment for you because you come from a country just like America"
or
"You’re from an English-speaking country so it’s basically the same."

I just want to come on here and say—it’s not.

And that’s not an insult or anything bad. It’s just a fact. America is in its own world. You can tell just by how people live here—they literally are in their own world 😅

But that’s also why the bowling community is so special. We’re global. We know about each other’s countries because bowling is worldwide. Bowlers are way more open, cultured, and connected with people from all around the world.

And I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again—America is better than my country for bowling dreams. It’s just the truth.
Sarah felt the same way too.

It’s really hard being away from our families (like really hard… some days are a lot tougher than others), but to live out our dream and do what we’ve worked so hard for—America is good for that.

Asia and Europe have amazing bowling programs too. When I traveled with Team Australia, we went to Singapore and got to stay at a school for athletes. It had dorms, a cafeteria, and its own bowling alley! It actually felt similar to the U.S.—except it was boiling hot, lol. The main challenge for me would be the language, which is why America was my first choice.

But honestly, when I came to the U.S., I didn’t really know anything. A school selected me, and I said yes. We didn’t do a ton of research or digging or wait around for more offers. (Well, we researched after I got the offer 😂) but we thought it was the best opportunity for me.

And it was. I had a great college experience! But looking back, we didn’t know anything about NCAA or USBC—I still have a hard time keeping up! And we didn’t know I could’ve had other offers.

If I’m being totally honest… I just really wanted to get out of Australia.
And this was my ticket. A great ticket.

I was recently inspired by one of my new ambassadors, Heiley Lennox, who shared this quote:

“More importantly, it’s good to remember that no matter the situation, you are capable of much more than you think you are. You are always allowed to change your mind, and you are never stuck.”

So much wisdom in those words. 💕
There have been many moments in my life where I’ve felt stuck. Looking back, I made the best of those situations and everything turned out fine—but I always wonder: What if I had the courage to change my mind? Would my life be totally different?

Who knows. But just like Heiley said—always choose what’s best for you. Big or small.
You won’t regret it.

Thanks for listening.
Love you guys!!!

— 💗