BY MARY RINGWALD AND KATHRYN SCHNEIDTMILLER
Thirty hours and 11,500 miles later, Bellarmine Freshman field hockey goalkeeper Brittanny Macnab has arrived at her home away from home.
Mandura, Australia, Macnab’s hometown, takes a back seat to her second home in Louisville, Kentucky, once the school year rolls around.
Macnab has been living out a lifelong dream for the past 17 years. Playing field hockey has always been an important part of her life, so when she got the opportunity to come play at the collegiate level at Bellarmine University, it was a no-brainer.
“I don’t know what life is without it,” Macnab said.
Although the decision was easy, it hasn’t been the easiest process.
Being so far away from home, Macnab has moments where she has to find ways to get through homesickness. With a substantial time difference, Macnab plans her days around finding a time to FaceTime with family and friends back home. She also goes out of her way to speak with other international students who can relate to her situation.
When feeling down, Macnab turns to her favorite Australian song artists such as Troye Sivan and Birds of Tokyo to boost her spirits, and she tries to spend as much time outside as she can, just like she would do back home. She said she wouldn’t be able to live so far away from her native Australia without her teammates and friends she’s made at Bellarmine.
“They help me to cope,” Macnab said. “They don’t replace my family, but they are physically there for me.”
Teammates and friends often notice Macnab’s efforts to make the United States her home and they do what they can to support her. Her roommate bought her an American flag bandana that she wears every game day.
“The bandana is my way of playing with both my homes in my heart and for everyone to see.”
“I love seeing Britt rock an American flag bandana on game days,” senior captain Aimee Ilgenfritz said. “I find comfort in knowing she can call it home here.”
Macnab and her roommate take time teaching each other the current “slang” being used in both countries. This helps Macnab not feel as lost when joining in conversation with others.
“In America, the word ‘Hey’ is used in a different context than what I am used to,” Macnab said. “People also love it when I say ‘cheers’ in replace of ‘awesome or good’.”
Despite being so far from home, Macnab feels comfortable. Although it isn’t easy, she is happy with her decision. Playing field hockey makes travelling across the world and creating second home for herself worth it.
“I’m happy where I am,” Macnab said. “I know I’m here for a reason.”