Day 1:
Our journey to Finland begins! We started our Tuesday with an awesome practice at our home rink before heading to the airport. We had a long travel day ahead of us so it was nice to get a good skate in before hand. My parents drove upstate from Albany to pick up Mervin, my coach Jason, and me and we were off to JFK airport. We were lucky to have a direct flight straight to Helsinki so we didn't have to worry about a connection. Only one little problem at security, the TSA wouldn't let Mervin's skates through! They let mine through but were being very stubborn with Mervin. He had to go back and check his skates before continuing on to our flight. After that was all taken care of we were set for the flight!
Our departure was 7pm and we were arriving at 10am in Finland. This means I needed to get some sleep on board. I am not the greatest at sleeping on airplanes so I was a bit nervous. However I was very tired and definitely wanted to sleep as soon as I boarded the aircraft. Before we even took off, I started The Lucky One movie, put my eye mask on and was ready to doze off. Just as we were taking off I fell asleep! Mission accomplished right!? Until, dinner was being served. I planned to sleep through dinner, as I ate before my flight. I was more focused on getting the sleep. The lady behind me felt she couldn't eat her dinner with my chair reclined so she decided to ask the flight attendant to wake me. The flight attendant did not want to but after 3 complaints my body was being shaken till awoken. I was not only startled, but furious. I finally fell asleep on a plane, to be woken up. After another hour of tossing and turning in my seat I was able to doze off for the remainder of the flight.
8 hours later...
We made it to Finland! As we arrive to baggage claim we meet up with good friend Jimmy Ma and his coach. We all take a shuttle from the airport to hotel to get settled in. This is where the hard part began. Staying awake. After getting some coffee and a light bite to eat, we decided to venture out to downtown Helsinki!
After exploring we came back to the hotel to meet the rest of our team and greet other skaters. We then enjoyed a nice dinner and it was finally time to go to sleep!
Day 2:
Good morning! It's Thursday morning and am happy to have a full rest. I started the day having a great breakfast in the hotel while catching up with lots of skating friends and team mates. Mervin and I don't have practice until 2:25 so we are going to the gym after breakfast to get our bodies moving for the day.
We were the only team in our practice group of 4 to show up, so Mervin and I had the ice to ourselves. It felt just like home! It was nice to get my legs going and feel the ice. We had a solid practice and then we went straight to our draw. We drew start number 7, last in the second warm up group.
Since saunas are popular here in Finland, we headed back to the hotel for a quick post practice sauna session. It was very relaxing. To finish the evening we enjoyed a delicious authentic Moroccan meal at a restaurant near the hotel. It was my first moroccan dining experience, I really liked it. Tomorrow's practice is very early, we have to catch the 6:30 am shuttle so I went to bed early to get enough sleep for competition day!
Day 3:
5:45 wake up call was the start to day three here in Finland. It was an early one, but a little coffee and light breakfast did the trick as we head to the rink for practice. We had a decent practice on the arena ice, not perfect but definitely was able to work the kinks out and get a good feel for the ice. Afterwards I returned to the hotel for breakfast and a nap. Getting ready for competition is my favorite part. I dont wear makeup everyday so to me putting my competition makeup on is kinda fun. I was a bit nervous as we took the shuttle over to the rink for competition. No matter how nervous I am though, once I start my warm up off ice my body begins to get into its routine and knows what to do. I was still nervous as I went to the locker room to get my skates on. As soon as I heard the announcer call Olivia Serafini and Mervin Tran representing the United States of America, my face lit up and I was PUMPED! It was a reminder to me that I am not at a club competition, I am at my first international as a pairs skater. Trust me, the nerves were still there but they will always be there. At this point it was about guiding my nerves in the right direction and believing in the work that we have put in at home. We skated well and were happy with our results! Time for dinner, sleep and on to the long program tomorrow!
Day 4:
Long program day! The morning was a rough start for me, I only got a couple hours of sleep during the night. I got some coffee and breakfast before practice and felt like I could get through it. We had a decent practice, but I just didn't feel my legs the way I would like. I definitely needed a nap when I got back to the hotel. I took a long nap, ate a nice lunch and it was time to get ready! I felt a lot more relaxed going into the free program and more refreshed after a good rest. When I got to the rink to start my warm up, my legs were feeling even better than I thought! I felt strong, prepared, and pumped. I was happy to get the nerves out this morning and excited to compete.
The free program was a good fight from us and we were both very pleased with our international debut. We placed 5th overall with a new personal best score. Time to celebrate!!!
Day 6:
Sunday here in Finland and we have the whole day! We decided to go to Helsinki and walk around the fish market. It was very cool to see a farmers market in another country. They had multiple tents with fresh salmon filets, reindeer burger, bear meatballs and salmon soup. I enjoyed the salmon so much, it was probably one of the freshest salmon I’ve had. I got to try Mervin’s bear meatballs and reindeer burger as well.
After exploring the market we headed back to the rink to cheer on Team USA in the ice dance and ladies event.
To finish off the trip we got some pizza and drinks and then gathered in the hotel lobby with a few friends for the last few hours before parting ways.
Day 7:
Monday morning, we are finally headed home! Im exhausted, motivated, and so incredibly grateful for the experience I had here in Finland. I’m thankful US Figure skating gave Mervin and I this opportunity! We also wouldn't be here this week without to help of our coaching team and the amazing support of my parents. Finland, thanks for a great week!
