So Hard to Say Goodbye
Blog by Ellie Cassilly, Tory Gagliardi and Liz Grumbein

It's sad to see this amazing trip come to an end. We've had such a great time and we have all become so much closer within these past few days. We've been very fortunate to experience such a wonderful country like Argentina, and also, lucky to have been given the opportunity to interact with so many walks of life. So, we came together on this last day and thought it would be a great idea to reminisce on some of our favorite moments throughout the week.

Favorite Part of the Trip:
Abby: Community service was a huge eye opener.

Marian: The entire trip was amazing; I think my favorite part was all of the team bonding, jokes, the gaucho show, and the community service.

Pandg: I loved, LOVED, the soccer game! The culture and overwhelming hype of the fans was incredible!

Bex: Seeing the faces of the kids light up when we brought them presents.

Carley: The day at the ranch was one of the most fun days I've ever had. No one stopped laughing the entire time and the people there were amazing.

Meredith R.: Picking one favorite thing would be impossible. Every moment was amazing and the fact that I got to experience a whole new culture with the girls was a blast.

Tory: The community service project was amazing!

Kar: Being able to explore the city of Buenos Aires with the girls.

Ellie: Driving through the city in the tour bus every day was so much fun and every day's adventure brought a new level of culture shock!

Ro: Pungi punji, fist-pumps, and riding horses with the gaucho men.

Em: Watching the kids get so excited simply at the ability to use one of our cameras.

Mahoney: The soccer game was unreal! And I thought America had die-hard fans.

Kendall: Being together with everyone and bonding on all of the planned activities throughout the week. I especially loved the community service with the underprivileged.

Mulrain: Every part was my favorite, but the gaucho show was so much fun.

Burke: Being introduced to Argentine culture, meeting different players, coaches, children, sharing stories, and learning about a different way of life gave everyone a new perspective and created bonds that can never be forgotten.

Favorite Field Hockey Moment:
Abby: Being taught by an international field hockey player on the best turf ever in the coolest atmosphere.

Marian: There was a moment in the second game where I just saw a new skill being used correctly in myself and that accomplishment was so great!

Liz: Being coached by such talented field hockey players.

Pandg: Realizing that we could hold our own during the games.

Mahoney: Having Maria coach us during our trip was awesome.

Tory: Making every drill a competition made us more willing to try harder!

Mulrain: Lalo was a great coach and he taught us all so much.

Ellie: Trying new things everyday and achieving small successes on skills I didn't think I was capable of.

Favorite Quote
Pandg: "Robot, robot!"

Mulrain: "Do what is best, not what is easy." -Lalo

Final Thought:
Em: This was one of the most amazing and rewarding experiences -- to be in a foreign country to be doing the thing you love with the girls you love!

Kendall: It was such a privilege to be coached by renowned players in Argentina.

Abby: This trip was truly amazing. It was so neat to go to South America, play field hockey, and represent the Catholic University of America.

Tory: We really went to South America, Pungi Pungi!

Ro: In its entirety the trip exceeded all of my expectations and I wouldn't trade the experience and bonds that were made for anything.

Wrap Up
It's clear this has been the trip of a lifetime for everyone! Thank you to all of the coaches, parents and tour managers involved in creating this unbelievable experience! Thanks to the readers for keeping up with us as we toured fabulous historic Buenos Aires, played field hockey with world class coaches, shopped 'til we dropped, laughed until we cried, and created memories we couldn't forget if we tried. Adios!