Hi, my name is Neely Spence. I am a freshman at Shippensburg University, where I am a student athlete in both cross country and track and field.

I have competed in many national events throughout high school and into my first year of college.  Last month I competed in the US junior cross country trials where I placed first and now have the opportunity to represent my country internationally for the first time. 

The world championships are held in Amman, Jordan. This is a great honor, and the first time I have been out of the country. I left Sunday from Dulles Airport and then connected with my U.S. teammates in New York City. Our flight on the Royal Jordanian Airlines left last night at 10:30 p.m. and was 11.5 hours long!

One of the really neat aspects of being a part of the USA team is that all of our expenses are paid for. I received a lot of Nike apparel and luggage, all with USA printed across it.

I have begun the tedious job of packing, but there are many things that are different from flying nationally that I must remember. First, I have electrical converters that I am taking along because the sockets and voltage is European style. Second, I have included a scarf that women must wear while around sacred places. Third, I unpacked all my tank tops, for I cannot expose my shoulders. I also must wear skirts and pants that are below the knee. The only time the “dress code” can be broken is while in the hotel or while running (Thank God!). 

Fourth, when we first arrive we must go through customs and briefing. We are not allowed to have food that is not packaged (this means no apples) or any liquids. Lastly, I need to learn how to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius, the US dollar to the Jordanian dinar (which is 0.71 of the US dollar), and remember how to say thank you in Arabic (Shukran).

I am planning on writing almost every day, so keep checking in. I am looking forward to this adventure, but will miss all my buds here at Shippensburg University!

- Neely