Off on another adventure to the second stop of this FIVB tournament.

Ulsan.

Packed with carny folk, bright flashing lights, constant fireworks, sea life from every corner of the world crammed into buckets, and the usual local passed out on every corner, we feel right at home.

It's like 6 man in Korea.

We even passed a man proudly walking his white poodle who was flaunting his freshly dyed bright orange ears and tail.

Chelsea and I have become highly skilled at taking bird baths due to no walls or curtain in our shower.

We have become masters at the shake air dry because the Korean culture is striving to save our mother planet by limiting towel usage.

We have also trained our bodies to survive solely on coffee and nuts.

Through some improvisation, we made a bowl by cutting the bottom of a water bottle with a key which we then melted with boiling water (on accident).

We have become even closer through our nightly cuddle sessions while sharing a full bed with the luxury of just a mattress pad.

We have also decided to purchase stock in the Korean bottled water market.  We are fully supporting the sales of ICIS water and Nescafe instant coffee.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

We are ;)

When I first pictured Korea, I imagined a flat land filled with fields of rice patties that stretched out as far as you could see.  I pictured long, straight, dirt roads that were lined by the basket balancing woman heading back home from town.

Shows how naive we are.

This is my second time in Korea and I am still amazed at how incredible wrong I was.

This land is untouched compared to America.  

It is filled with lush, tree covered hills that overlook the East China Sea.  An erie smog drifting through the tops of the mountains and two lane roads cutting their way up and down the sides makes the drive to and from the tournament site enjoyable and beautiful.

Yesterday, Chelsea and I faced China.  We walked onto the court so excited to play in these perfect conditions.  No wind and sunshine always plays into our favor.
Standing at the net, waiting for the first whistle to start our match, I feel a drop on my forehead.  At first, I really thought a bird decided to drop me some luck until a giant boom of thunder decided to follow shortly after.  Within 3 minutes of the first serve, Chelsea and I were battling China in a torrential downpour frequented with high speed winds.  One second the ball would be falling perfectly onto your platform only to be three feet to your left within seconds.  The director contemplated stopping the game due to lack of visibility but we chose to battle through.
I do have to admit that it was a really awesome experience.  Regardless of the fact that we barely lost the match, playing and battling with booming thunder, relentless rain, and violet wind made our match look like something out of an action movie paired with the occasional parody of the comic Korean crowd chanting USA along with their unrecognizable banter and cheers.
Standing in the rain, congratulating China on an excellent match, the rain completely stopped and the sun slowly started to come out.
The rest of the day was gorgeous.
Just our luck

Stay tuned....

This past Friday, Chelsea and I had our first team shoot with Joel Grimes.  He is such an amazing photographer!  We worked it front of the camera for a few hours so we could capture some fun shots for our team website which will be up and running soon.

Chelsea's back hasn't been doing too well lately so after a very early morning, some hard work on set, and sore bodies, we found it to be the best idea to indulge in some R&R pool side at the Mondrian on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood.

This hotel is possibly my favorite hotel in LA.  Its casual style with that LA vintage feel really captures perfection and spreads a relaxing vibe through its simplistic design and sense of outdoor living space (especially in the hectic city of Hollywood).

For those of you who have been following both me and Chelsea know that we are adamant about keeping up with our social media and connecting with those people who are involved in our daily lives.  So clearly we tweeted @MondrianLA to thank them for their hospitality and the fabulous drink selection.

As Chelsea and I sat on the lounge beds 3rd window in, we were kindly greeted by a woman working up at the bar who then proceed to ask if we were tweeting about our cocktails.

Obviously the answer was yes, but with the possibility of being in trouble we hesitantly nodded our heads up and down with the slightest attempt to look sorry.  However, the woman actually came with two more cocktails complements of the hotel to thank us for tweeting!!!

HA!

And for all you people who don't understand what twitter is for, here is a perfect example.

So with a smile on our faces and an extra pep in our step, we ended up finishing the day off with a beach cruiser ride up the strand from Hermosa Beach to Manhattan Beach and back.

I'm so grateful for my life!

If you are ever in Hermosa Beach, you must stop by this coffee shop.

Java Man has become my office.  I spend every morning perched up at the high table looking out the window, sipping on a jumbo flavor of the day.

Today just so happens to be "Hawaiian Hazelnut."

My favorite!

It's a block away from the beach and across the street from all of the volleyball offices which makes my life so incredibly easy when in need of any retreat or advice.

The most exciting part about this little hole in the wall haven I have found is the constant rotation of a large variety of fresh muffins and pastries which change on a daily basis.

Obviously they stick to their staples like the Morning Glory Muffin and Gluten Free Banana Muffins but it's always exciting to see what sort of experimental treats are out each day.

It's been nice creating a new home in this little town.

My mom put together the most amazing little snack last night with all ingredients provided by Trader Joes.

1. Ready to heat and eat lentils

2. Bruschetta Sauce

3. Feta Cheese

A container of each and mix.

Then indulge in this protein packed, tasty little treat with the crackers of your choice.

There is one person I admire more than anyone this week.

It's my best friend Camilla.

Let me tell you, this girl is a super star.

Yeah, duh, she has all the qualities like hard working, brilliant, determined,wise, brave, creative, and ambitious.

Obviously!

Now add to that gorgeous, compassionate, an excellent listener, loyal, speaks four languages, has the best voice I have ever heard (I make her sing to me), is a witty writer, and is marrying a super star Olympic swimmer.

Clearly she is a force to be reckoned with.

This might not come as a surprise to anyone when describing a person you admire.  But all those desirable qualities are not the reasons why I admire her (this week).

When you are as awesome as her, most people get caught up in their status and their accomplishments.  They feel the need to be viewed as perfect...but not Camilla.  She is humble and true to herself and her emotions.  She doesn't try to put up that brave front. She is even more brave by allowing herself to feel her emotions, stay true to herself, break down, and then rebuild even stronger than before.  There is no problem that can't be fixed.  Her words are wise yet so simple that you feel stupid for not thinking them yourself.  Now combined that with her artistic mind and you can only imagine some of the masterpieces she has created in her life filled with passion and wisdom.

She makes me so proud to have her as my friend.

"Keep it up Killa Cam" -Lindsey Walling

You are doing beautifully brave and bold things and The Violet is just the beginning!

Can't wait for the launch of your second issue on Friday!

Happy Monday Everyone!

It's my last week here before Chelsea and I take off on our next adventure to Korea.  

We will be competing in our first international competition together under the FIVB (Fédération Internationale de Volleyball).  There will be two tournaments we will be participating in.  One in Gujora Beach and the other in Jinha Beach.  We will be facing teams from Spain, Canada, China, Netherlands, New Zealand, India, and Korea.

All events will be televised by Masam MBC.

I am beyond excited for this opportunity and to be a part of the team selected to represent the United States at these two events!

I have been working myself harder and harder every day.  I have been making connections and meeting new friends.  I have been putting my life out there in order to accomplish my dreams and I wanted to share with you some of the feedback I have been getting. 

"People who don't like dogs cannot be trusted.  Bet u liked **** two faced biatch!! Keep workin it!  The more people get to know you the more they realize what you are!"

"Do you have girl friends?  Party girl the guy like you for one thing.  "Friends" code for you are a selfish whore who will never be with them for more than a night or two!"

"People with a clean conscience don't have problems sleeping!  Justsayin"

"You will never have Chobani endorse you.  As a mother you are not a good influence!  It is a disgrace you like to party and pose rather than keep the marriage vows you took!  Matthew is better without you!"

"Maybe you can find a guy at the ESPY's.  BS him into marrying you than fuck him over too!  No good!!"

"Did u pay for ur ESPY tkts or get them on ur back?"

"How can you play volleyball and be so fat?  Your little bikini pants should be bigger.  Your ass and thighs wouldn't look so big."

"Chobani has a morals clause and looks into your past contracts and cancellations.  You will enver be hired by them."

"U fucked up Matt's life now ur tryin with ******.  Ur spoiled OC chick, no work ethic, make and cancel contracts!  U r a loser."

"#TOOMUCHPROXIDE #NOCLASSBITCH"

....and the list goes on for days.....

I am entertained by the cowards who share their opinions from behind pseudo email address and Facebook profiles.  However, I still fail to understand as to why they have chosen to attack my close friends as well with the same kind of deliberate hate to the point where they have had to change their email addresses, delete Facebook accounts, and change phone numbers.  My dedication and my desire are too strong to let this crap bring me down.  So thank you haters for keeping me motivated because clearly I am doing something right.

Keep feeding my fire!

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” -Theodore Roosevelt

I CAN AND WILL DO THIS!!

Our first ESPY event was so much fun!  Walking the red carpet is just like working a photo shoot.  

It's exhilarating.   

Chels and I threw out so much sass to the cameras and worked the angles and had a ball, laughing and smiling the whole time.  We really enjoyed the day too.  We went to get our makeup done by the amazing Tiffany Briggs and our hair done by my long time friend and hair dresser, Patricia Rodrigues.  She is the only person I will ever let touch my hair.  So with some drinks, hair spray, and blush we all indulged in some girl time and gossip.

Why are salons always such a great time for a bunch of girls?

And you boys think we are complicated?  Look how easy it is to please us!!

After the first even at Crown Bar in Hollywood, Chelsea, an anonymous friend, and I headed over to Beacher's Mad House at the Roosevelt.

We walked in to midgets flying from the ceilings dressed up as Oompa Loompas and all the dancers in an array of costumes: Gumby, cowboy on stilts, panda bears, pink gorillas, pleather uni-suits, Spiderman, and a topless amazon woman with pasties on her boobs.  Plus we were surrounded by A-list celebrities such as Bradley Cooper, Leonardo DiCaprio, Paris and Nicky Hilton and a few more.

Yes, I know, this all seems so cool, but it is definitely only something I can do every couple of months.  This crazy L.A. scene is not exactly my ideal night out.  I would much rather prefer a group of close friends, a big comfy couch, and a bottle of wine.  But that's not to say that this night was not a night to remember.

Chelsea and I had another stepping stone this weekend together as a team.  Every tournament we place higher and higher finishing with a 5th today in a pretty stacked tournament.  Needless to say we are obviously happy with how the weekend went but are biting at the chance to get back to practicing and improving some of the things we need to work on as a team.

To celebrate we decided to indulge in some relaxation time via BBQ and jacuzzi.  

We grilled up some amazing chicken which we marinated in oil and balsamic vinegar with a little paprika, orange and yellow peppers, zucchini drizzled with some balsamic vinegar, asparagus and topped it all off with some lemon and avocado.  Chels washed it all down with a couple glasses of wine and I, with a sleeve of peanut butter sandwich cookies.  

What a day!

So by Tuesday, I actually meant Thursday.

When it comes to my diet, my issue is not the moving and the shaking part.  I move plenty.  It's my eating.  Plus, it's a proven study that you will have a greater results by changing the way you eat vs. increasing your physical activity.  Obviously a combination of the two is ideal.

So here is my game plan...

It consists of many of my least favorite things....

rules.

1, water, water, water

It turns outs a lot of the time I think I am really hungry, I am actually thirsty.   And even if i'm not thirsty then pushing fluids will not only curb my hunger but will also provide other great benefits such as great skin!

2. Only eat when I'm hungry

This is going to be the hardest thing for me to do.  I would consider eating a hobby at this point.  I guess I am going to have to find things to do to keep me occupied now.

3. Eat only foods that come from the earth.

This means no more fake stuff with chemicals. I.E. fake sugar, diet products, none of it.  Increasing the intake of plant like foods.

4.  Taper my intake of calories over the course of the day.

This means eat a big breakfast, smaller lunch, and even smaller dinner.

5. Rules are made to be broken!

Enjoy a Fat Friday and treat myself to foods I try to avoid from the rest of the week.  It will be the only way to keep my sanity.

Yesterday Chelsea and I made our way up to our 3rd tournament in Santa Barbara.  

Since we are both a bit crazy, we decided it would be a brilliant idea to wake up at 4 am and grab some breakfast at the Kettle before we departed northbound on the 405.

Don't ask me why....at the time it seemed like an amazing idea.

After breakfast, with my nose running and burning (kind of like when you throw up and it comes out of your nose and it burns for hours) from the secret ingredient to my omelet being horseradish (which I didn't know nor did it state this minor detail on the menu) and Chelsea's stomach turning from a soggy batch of eggs benny, we shot over to Starbucks to look for something familiar for our stomachs.  Lucky for us, we came across a man passed out in his car with a pile of vomit outside his door.

At least we knew he sympathized with our sudden onset of nausea, first: from our breakfast and second: from him.

With an awesome start to our morning, we began the trek up to Santa Barbara.  Arriving an hour and a half early, we got to sit and chat over a red-eye coffee and relax in the early morning sun.  The day was gorgeous.  We couldn't have asked for better playing conditions.

The sun was out, the air was cool, the wind was still.

B.E.A.utiful

It made the day so enjoyable.

On top of the surroundings, Chelsea and I started to click more and more as we continued to play.  We have taken giant leaps of improvement over the past three weeks and have continued to work hard to make this dream a reality, so it was fun to show our skills and prove that we belong among the best of this sport.  Fans and followers also started to come out of the woodwork and acknowledge our dedication which was a huge source of support for us.

I have to admit, I know we can and will do much better than we have, but it has been such an amazing ride thus far.  We continue to improve and finish better and better each time we play.

I'm really excited for what more this journey has in store for us.

Dieting is never easy.  It actually really sucks.

And sometimes you look at yourself in the mirror and go "Oh, I look fine" and become totally content with where you are at until you see a picture of yourself on the beach in a bikini and want to go throw up everything you ate the past week.

Then you start to diet and you pick healthy options like a salad until you read all of the ingredients in that tasty dressing which in total makes eating a Big Mac from McDonalds better for you than this leafy meal.  Then these companies start to trick you with zero calorie sweeteners.  Not only do they taste better than the regular stuff but the package says it's better for you too!

Score!

Guess again suckers, not only does this fake sugar have deadly chemicals in them but they also cause your body to retain fat.

Double Whammy.

Well shit, where do I go from here?

Starving myself has proven to be a poor choice considering my profession.  Eating diet foods has only made me fatter.  I'm stumped.

Back to ground zero.

I'll have a game plan for you on Tuesday.

Just A Few More Pics From NYC