Lady Raiders Foreign Tour: Aug. 21

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MADRID, Spain -- The Texas Tech Lady Raiders completed day seven of their Foreign Tour on Sunday, the second full day of which to take place in Madrid, Spain.

For a breakdown on the day's events, here is Assistant Athletic Director & Director of Basketball Operations Melissa Maines.

Hello to all of our loyal Lady Raider fans!!! Thank y'all for checking in each day to see what amazing and exciting adventures we are having here on our trip abroad. Before I get into the INCREDIBLE day we just finished- I want to just touch briefly on this "experience". I put it in quotations because you can not sum all of this up in one or two words. We are so very thankful to Kirby Hocutt, Judi Henry and all of the athletic department for allowing each of us this opportunity. It is something we will carry with us personally forever but also more importantly- I know will spill into our season ahead and give us a jumpstart to what will be an exciting and fun season for all of the Lady Raider faithful. It is a blessing and none of us are taking this "experience" for granted.

Each day has brought its own unique adventures and we have tried to pack in as much as possible to get the most out of this trip. One could easily spend a couple weeks in each city and still not hit it all so we are taking advantage of every second.

All I can say about this day is W-O-W!!! We woke up early and first thing on the agenda was a trip to the city's flea market. We were able to experience the subway system here in Madrid to get us there. That was a lot of fun and many of our players first time on a metro car. It was very, very clean which was nice. Everyone had their Euros ready and were able to buy some cool souvenirs from the flea market. They had everything there from soccer jerseys, to purses, t-shirts, art, dishes and on and on. Miles and miles of bargains for us to dive into.

Following our time shopping we took a trip one hour south of Madrid to Toledo (not like the city in Ohio but pronounced Toe-lay-dough). Toledo is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. It is tucked in and around the Tagus River and is comprised of huge castle size buildings behind the walls of the city. Please look at the pictures from this trip because words can do it no justice. Toledo was once the capital of the Spanish empire back in the 1500's. We did a walking tour though the city, which consisted of lots of hills and cobblestone roads. The MOST fun part of Toledo (and probably a lot of our players current highlight) was an impromptu zip-lining excursion over the river and in between the hills. It was gorgeous! A lot of our players had never done this before so it was another opportunity for growth, trust, and teamwork amongst all of them that I know are going to serve as building blocks for this team.

Our final activity as a team tonight was dinner and a Flamenco show. Talk about some impressive footwork!! Those dancers were amazing and we all loved sitting front and center watching them pour everything into their art. The food was amazing but the company even better!! I love our staff and team so these are all special times for us.

On the way back to our hotel- Coach Matt, Coach Brandi, Tyson, Meghan and some of our fans stopped at the BEST chocolate shop in Madrid. They serve churros and hot chocolate sauce. We indulged in some of everything along with some of their signature STRONG coffee :)

We are having the greatest time making memories, growing as a program and preparing for greatness. I am thankful to be a part of the culture and team being built here. I used to sit in the stands as a 12 year old dreaming of being a part of this program and to be able to continually live out my dream is a blessing still 28 years later!! As I sign off- I want to thank all of you again!! We love y'all and are excited to have you on this journey with us!! My alarm is set for 4:00 am and we head next to Barcelona. Have a great Monday!!

Guns Up!

Texas Tech University Athletics

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