Tristin’s travels

Washington High School graduate and state wrestling champion Tristin Westphal-Edwards arrived in Europe June 9 and is providing the Evening Journal with a first-person account of his days in Kosovo, where he is competing on the mat.

This is his report from the weekend.

By Tristin Westphal-Edwards

Friday was a very laid back day, which it will be as my time in Kosovo comes to an end.

We started our day with a running to the top of a mountain where we practiced at the top. It was the coolest experience to be able to run through the city of Gjakova and then practice outside in the street at the highest mountain.

After we hustled back to our hotel to get ready to head to a volleyball game, where I signed so many autographs.

We had a very good lunch, which was arranged by one of Gjakova's finest political men.

After, we headed two hours into the city of Vushtrri where we traveled the streets.

It is now 11:06 p.m. (which is 4:06 p.m. in Iowa) and we are getting ready for bed at a police academy.

Today is the morning of the 16th for me. It is 9 a.m., so I did not journal last night. It was a very late night yesterday. There was lots of festival that we were able to go to. Which was a great experience due to the fact I learned so much and I love their culture.

It was a laid back day, though we were able to go to a museum, which showed where one of the most known family's during the war were living and killed.

Fifty-nine of their 60 family members were shot and killed. The museum and park is very well laid out and a tear jerker.

After, we were able to have fun in the city and watch some volleyball.

We ate at Loni's, which is a restaurant one of the Kosovo wrestlers owns. It was outstanding and we had a huge team party.

We decided we must go into the city to meet people and be involved in the festival.

It was such an amazing experience being involved in the festival. I was picked up and carried.

(Sunday evening) As we are coming to a close in Europe, I am starting to feel all sorts of different emotions: Sad due to the fact I have grown to love it here, excited to see my beautiful family and friends back home again, anxious because I am headed to the Disney Duals (in Orlando, Florida) next.

It is such a blessing and a great opportunity to have the gifts I have been given, also the support I have received.

Today was very nice. We headed to a village which was very new. This village is one of many small villages. Villages here are still alive due to some people that just stayed in the woods and started a community even after freedom.

We were able to meet some people. Our volleyball girls had a good game with some of the girls from the villages and us guys played handball against one of their better teams in Kosovo.

I was nominated MVP by the Kosovo players.

Soon after we went on a miserable hike, which had a beautiful award at the top, which was amazing over the mountainside and a couple small villages.

We ate on the mountainside in a fantastic restaurant like most here.

Soon after we made a trip back to Prishtina, which from there became pretty laid back as we all just timed the city.