I moved into the athlete hotel yesterday evening. It's fun to watch the athletes and staff all begin to gather in one place. The atmosphere of the World Championships really begins here in the hotels with the athletes in lounges, playing the wii, typing away on the internet, and physio in the next room. There's nothing like being with the whole team preparing for our events, watching each other race, and just experiencing the whole trip together.

I went out to the track for an easy shake-out today. I'm excited to race tomorrow but I know it's far from my specialties and it's going to hurt a lot differently then my usual events. My understanding is that it's a small meet though so the low-key atmosphere and the presence of both of my coaches should make it a fun event.

Being here in Berlin has been more interesting than I imagined. It's really an incredible city to be in and travel around. There really isn't a central part to Berlin. There are a lot of things to see and a lot of history to learn about and explore but it is spread out all over the city. I've had a lot of fun navigating the subway system with Heather and seeing a lot of the landmarks I briefly scanned in high school history books. I've been reading a little about the history of Berlin including the Prussian history, WWI and WWII, the Wall and the communisty East bloc. This place is rich with reminders and relics.

My 800 is tomorrow in the evening, 5:45 last I heard. So, send me some good vibes and I'll do my best. After that I hope to put up some stories to make you laugh. I'm usually good for a few of those. As for now, I'm about to embark on my first laundry attempt.

-Jen