FALL 2010

FALL 2010 has arrived! I am attending Norfolk State University on a full-ride football scholarship! I am now a Interdisciplinary Studies major and am adjusting to life at an HBCU (historically black college/university). About 95% of the school consist of black students, with the other 5% other races.

When I received the offer to come out to Virginia to play football on the 1st of August, I was forced to make a quick decision, as fall football camp was scheduled to begin August 9th. With only a few days to make a decision, my family and a couple close friends came to the conclusion that I really have nothing to lose. Although I was very timid, I packed up my bags on August 8th and left for Virginia that evening.

When I pulled up to campus in the morning on August 9th, reality began to set in and my stomach turned upside down. After signing the scholarship papers that day, I realized there was no turning back...

Fall camp began and I wasn't given any time to settle in, I just had to make the quick adjustments and run with it. My day of arrival was spent in meetings, had to get a physical, and overwhelmed with jet lag and no sleep leading up to my arrival, I had my first football practice that evening.

First Practice of Fall Camp

In a local newspaper, it was stated that "NSU finalized the signings of two players on the first day of camp. The Spartans have brought in punter Troy Muenzer, a former University of Hawaii player, and running back Marvin Ford, a two-star Rivals recruit who had signed with Colorado State but backed out after being asked to greyshirt. After watching players punt Monday night, Adrian said Muenzer will be his starter. He said Ford has the athletic ability to help immediately if he can master the playbook.

Fall camp was rather strenuous and a tough challenge to face after having had spent last semester studying abroad and the summer relaxing. About the only training I had done all year was race around Europe/Africa, stand up paddle board during the summer, as well as a few run swim runs and just a few punting sessions with ex-NFL player Michael Husted and ex-Idaho State Punter Daniel Zeidman.

With just three weeks until my very first Division 1 football game vs. Rutgers University in New Jersey, I was forced to work hard to get back into playing shape while at the same time adjust to life on the East coast living in a dorm again, but this time at a historically black university.

My first game since playing for Grossmont College as the punter and kicker in the 2009 Beach Bowl, was quite exhilarating. Within just a couple minutes of kick-off, I had to step onto the field in front of national television (ESPN3) and a sold out crowd of over 52,000 people in Rutgers Stadium!! I punted a personal game high 10 times, averaging 37.3 yards per punt and a career long 61 yard punt which was downed at the Rutgers 2 yard line. I also recovered snaps all over the place, one that was snapped very fast and skipped on the ground 3 times before reaching me. I was forced to quickly get it off, as Rutgers rushed me on every single punt, concluding in multiple deflections as my line struggled to do any blocking. On one punt that I bombed down field pinning Rutgers deep in their territory, the punt returner managed to squeak by my whole punt team, forcing me to make the tackle around mid-field as I recorded my first career solo tackle at the Division 1 level.

PUNTING @ RUTGERS UNIVERSITY in BRUNSWICK, NJ

In just my second game of the season, I was recognized as a top performer in my conference. The following was said, "Troy Muenzer (NSU) averaged 38.0 yards on three punts and landed 2-0f-3 inside the North Carolina A&T 20-yard line."

My second longest punt of the season, came in a 58 yarder from out of the end zone at two-time defending conference champion South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South Carolina.

This week I am preparing for my homecoming game vs. Florida A&M University! My parents will be coming to see me play for the first time in Dick Price Memorial Stadium. I could not be more excited to see them, as it will be 77 days since I left home. It has been a very, very long journey and quite a difficult experience overall. Life here in Virginia is miserable compared to life back home in Southern California. I can't wait to go home!!

SUMMER 2010

The Summer of 2010 was the perfect way to 'refresh' and get back into life back home in the USA! I spent the majority of the summer at home in Long Beach, California. This summer was different in the sense that the majority of my close friends from high school lived at their respective universities and I hung out more with friends I have become close to since being in college. I established the greatest set of friends and had one of the best summers yet!

HOME

My semester abroad was enough to keep me from traveling this summer, although I was able to sneak in my first trip to Las Vegas as a 21 year old in my last full weekend of summer for my friend Ryin's 21st Birthday! Ryin, Garrett, Chase H., and I spent a weekend in Vegas, as we were introduced to high profile clubs, bars, casinos, and REHAB... the greatest pool party I've ever been to, which was at the Hard Rock Hotel!

My summer home began when I returned home from Europe on May 16th. The first place I went after arriving home was a walk to 2nd street to get a haircut and a Supermex chicken burrito! MMmmm. I spent my first week home sleeping and relaxing. On May 24th, I celebrated my friend Rachel and Nick's 21st birthdays. I began the night pregaming at Nick's, then took a taxi to Rachel's house to hang out with friends, and then my wonderful cousin Dani picked up some of us to take us bar hopping on 2nd street.

Chase, Bouncer, Nick & I

In early June, I had one of the greatest summer nights as I drove up to the Santa Monica Pier with good friends Calli, Jade, Logan, Brianna, and Kara to see JACK JOHNSON perform a concern live on the pier for FREEEEE! We laid out blankets on the beach as we as food, drank wine and beer, and peacefully listened to Jack Johnson. After the concert, we went to Logan's for smores. It was the perfect way to kick-off the summer!

Kara, Me, Logan
Santa Monica Pier

I began working in no time as a Lifeguard for my 5th summer in a row at the Long Beach Yacht Club. I spent May, June, July, and the beginning of August lifeguarding. I made my first real save on the 4th of July, when a young boy was drowning in the middle of the pool, I hesitated at first, but realized I needed to jump in the water and save him from going under! It was quite an adrenaline rush.

LBYC Pool

Aside from life guarding, I enjoyed lots of stand up paddling with one of my best friends, Macaine. We often paddle boarded from my house, around the bay, and in the canals. It was the greatest way to get a good upper body work out and have fun at the same time. Now that the summer is over, stand up paddle boarding is one of things I miss the most. Macaine also challenged me to several run-swim-runs. It didn't take long for me to realize how bad of swimming shape I'm in. Macaine kicked my ass in the swims, but I would make up for it in the running! Fortunately, we both prefer running over swimming.

Macaine & I Enjoying Drinks @ LEGENDS Sports Bar on the 4th of July

I also picked golfing back up! When I was younger, I participated in the Long Beach Junior Golf Association program, but spent the most time golfing with my grandpa, Papa, who used to take me out on the courses in Palm Springs. Macaine, Erik, and I golfed several times throughout the summer. We mainly golfed at courses close to home, but took up the opportunity to golf down in San Diego at a course in Solona Beach near where Erik's girlfriend Charlotte lives! It was definitely a great time. That weekend, after a great morning of golf, Macaine and I attempted to find Macaine a place to live down in Ocean Beach, and then came back to Charlotte's for an awesome BBQ with lots of food and drinks. We had a really fun time playing pool in Charlotte's "secret" room, a room that you can only get to by pushing a mystery spot on the wall of her library book shelf. It is pretty sweet!

Golfing with Macaine...
As he was Teeing off he let go of his club and it soared into a bunch of brush! HAHA

Every Wednesday for about a month or two, Macaine got me into going to a bar/country line dancing club called Incahoots. Wednesdays were 18+ nights, and the club was always packed with new and familiar faces. I had lots of good times going there attempting to learn line dancing, but never really got the hang of it. I have something to work on for next summer now.

Makena (Macaine's sister) and I @ Incahoots!

Being the first summer legally being able to drink alcohol, I also became familiar with the local pubs and bars around Long Beach. We often went to 2nd street and became regulars at Legends Sports Bar. Many awesome nights were had that I will never forget! Some of which included smuggling Jack in the Box food, which is located next to Legends, into the bar and even into Shorehouse Cafe. The food from Jack in the Box is much cheaper, and well... after a night of drinking, food is food... it all taste the same! One morning I even had the fortune of waking up with cheeseburgers in the pockets of my pants that I fell asleep in. Another morning I woke up on the floor of my living room to see Macaine on my couch, then I proceeded to go upstairs and found Erik asleep on my bedroom floor. Apparently no one made it into a bed that night... which must mean we really had a good time.

Celebrating Sara's 21st Birthday @ Legends!

I was fortunate to get to spend time with family this summer as we celebrated some family birthdays as well as my Great Aunt Gingers alive 'wake'... there is a first time for everything!

The Fam Bam

Aunt Debi & I

Throughout the whole summer, I was lost on where I would attend college in the fall. I only applied to three schools: UCLA, University of Arizona, and University of Colorado at Boulder. Although I didn't get into UCLA for the 3rd time (6th time including appeals), I did get into Arizona and Colorado Boulder. Both of those schools are out-of-state though, so my parents hesitated on paying the hefty out-of-state tuition. My parents didn't shut down my opportunity to attend either school and offered to make a way for me to attend either school, but I held back on a decision still with hope of attaining an offer to play football somewhere. I got several offers to Division II schools, but refused to settle D-2. As August approached, I randomly received two full ride offers to play at two Divsion 1-AA universities on the East coast.

I chose to accept a full-ride offer to play at Norfolk State University just outside Virginia Beach in Norfolk, Virginia, just a few days prior to the start of fall camp. Within a few days, I committed to NSU and flew out to Virginia on a whim and moved into an on campus dorm and have now begun a new life on the East coast.

Packing Up My Room on the Day of Departure

My Last Meal Eating Out @ Home
SUSHI STUDIO & PANCHOS

STUDYING ABROAD 2010

I have begun a blog for the year 2010! It´s already mid April and I have been too busy to actually blog thus far... but will update everyone on what has happened in my life this year in a brief summary...

The year of 2010 began with a bang in San Diego, California... where I recently found I was conceived over a 1/2 liter of Sangria while having dinner with my mom just a few nights ago here in Barcelona. New Years was awesome as I got to spend it with all of my close friends from high school... and made some new friends too.

Then I spent the next week in Long Beach, California preparing for my semester abroad in Europe! I got a chance to see all my friends and family... and even had my very own ¨Botellon¨ celebration in honor of my moving to Spain.

On January 11, 2010 I headed to the Long Beach airport in the early morning to take off for what would be and still is... the adventure of a life time! I had lay overs in New York at JFK airport as well as in London at Heathrow airport. My flight to heathrow was the best... as I was able to order unlimited drinks... both alcoholic and nonalcoholic... for no extra charge the WHOLE flight! Lets just say... it was the rockiest smooth flight I had ever experienced. This cougar sitting next to me kept feeding me bottles of champagne. I´m not sure what her intention was, but it caused me to pass out cold until my arrival to El Prat airport in Barcelona, Spain!

When I arrived to the airport I was greeted by my grandmother´s neighbor´s daughter who lives nearby and offered to pick me up, take me to lunch, and show me the city. It was the perfect introduction, even though I was exhausted.

Later that evening, I went back to the airport to meet one of my new roommates, Breck... who hails from Newport Beach, California and attends school at University of California, Berkeley. Once we met, we went to our hotel, the Catalonia Plaza Hotel in Plaza Espana... where we would stay for the next 3 nights before being moved into our apartment.

We were both hungry once settling in at the hotel... so we chose to walk around to see what looked appetizing. We came across a sushi restaurant, yet the Japanese woman working at the restaurant did not understand the word sushi, they didn´t understand spanish, yet I believe they were speaking Catalan, or at least a chopped up version. It was quite a culture shock to see people of Asian descent speak a Spanish language.

The next few days, we would meet the rest of the students in our program, CEA... as we were taken on tours around the city, walked around various places, and hit up all of ¨Kyke´s Events¨ at night. My first nightclub experience in Barcelona was one to remember or not to remember I guess would be more appropriate to say.

The nightclub life in Barcelona is known around the world to be the very best... and I couldn´t agree more. The clubs here are often packed with people all hours of the night until around 5, 6, sometimes even 7 a.m.! This is where I would learn... sleep does not exist in Barcelona if you´re looking to gain the full experience. And I sure was... and still have yet to have a solid night of sleep since studying in Barcelona over the course of the past 3 months.

In the past 3 months... not only have I conquered Barcelona exploring the city, sitting on the beaches, running through the parks, eating at tapa bars, engulfing paella (most popular spanish meal), and tearing up each and every night club one bye one... but I have also traveled throughout Spain, Europe, and even Africa!

Here is the list of the following countries and cities that I have had the opportunity to visit and get to know very well....

Montserrat: one of the smaller countries in this world... an awesome monk monastery!
Calcotada: where I ate lunch after spending the morning at Montserrat and got food poisoned!
Sitges: a beach town in Spain where I went on a trip with CEA and also conquered for my first ¨Carnivale¨ experience.
Andorra: where I went HUSKY SLEDDING in the Pyrenees mountains 2km from France, for the first time in my life... my favorite small country.
ITALY: Rome, Venice, Florence, Pisa, La Spezia (Cinque Terre)
Belgium: Brussels, Bree, etc. to visit Kenneth two different times!
Netherlands/Holland: Kerkrade (where Kenneth plays professional soccer), Amsterdam (mike´s bike´s tour, Anne Frank House, Van Gough Museum, Vondell Park, Casa de Rosso (sex show), the Yellow Mellow, etc.)
Germany: where I drove with Kenneth´s teammate´s parents to and from Kenneth´s soccer game playing for Roda JC based in Kerkrade, Netherlands.
Switzerland: Geneva, Interlaken (Canyon Jumping, Balmer´s famous hostel, etc.), Grenewald (Zip Lining, Tight Rope walking, etc.)
AFRICA: Tunisia (Tunis, Nabeul - where I stayed, Sousse - where I was threatened to be beheaded atop an old fortress tower across the street from a Tunisian prison) and Morocco (Marakesh, Surf trip) - took camels, busses, louages (caravans), and taxi´s around Africa.
Ireland: Dublin (on April 22-25)
Portugal: Lisbon (on May 1-5)

Well I have to get going... I have class from 4:30-5:45 and then am rushing to the airport to catch my 7:50 flight to MOROCCO!!