Thank You & What's Next

Hey Team!

I am back at work, my first trip for Count the Makes has come to an end. We raised $870 for 5 for the Fight!! How are we so awesome, I really can’t even stand it. I recorded a little video saying thank you, but in case you don’t want to watch me stammer for 5 minutes in a dimly lit room (I was going to edit it to make it brighter but you would not believe how much pain was involved in even getting this on a shareable platform), I’ll reiterate the sentiment below:

To be honest, when I started this project and as I went, I occasionally felt a little self conscious sharing what I was doing. I felt nervous asking for support. But when I take a second to look at the big picture, I think folks taking part in causes like this truly matter. Maybe ~$1000 is just a blip on the 5 for the Fight radar. Maybe giving $5 to fight cancer seems obsolete to you or nonsensical.

But even a small collection of small gestures, of putting faith in something, of putting heart and soul into something, can add up to something very powerful.

So thank you Ricky Rubio for sharing your story and bringing this organization to my attention, that small step impacted me. Thank you to 5 for the Fight for not only being a vessel for important work but for showing that a little bit goes a long way - that message has impacted me.

Thank you to everyone who has donated and supported me throughout this project, that bit of kindness has impacted me. Thank you to the folks I met along the way that pointed me in the direction of my train or shared a laugh with me, your openness has impacted me.

And thank you to everyone who has fought or is fighting cancer, your strength and courage has impacted me.

There is a lot of pain that surrounds us all, it is amazing to open your eyes and realize people all over the world are actively and radically working to counteract it.

This is just one small thing, one small step. But just the act of being a part of it has already made a large footprint on my path and as I move forward and look for more ways to contribute to this vast, gorgeous, wonderful world, I will take those lessons with me.

So thank you everyone who contributed.

If you still want to donate to 5 for the Fight you can do so at: https://www.5forthefight.org/

Stay tuned for what is next for Count the Makes. I have a lot of ideas and have a trip in the works for April-May, 2019.

Many thanks and much love,

Rae

#7 : Brussels, Belgium

Date of Shot: 1 November 2018
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Court: Le Jardin Botanique

We made it!

All the way from Lausanne to Brussels. Planes and trains and automobiles, concerts, hikes, parties, new and old friends. Both tried and empowered, we made it.

Brussels was cold. The AirBnB we stayed in was almost decidedly haunted. I was actually quite ill at this point (caught a pretty nasty cold). But with warm waffles, cold beer, and some magic cold medicine provided by the local pharmacy, Kim and I reveled in my last few nights in Europe.

We found the good chocolate, danced to Shakey Graves on halloween, and drank beer out of a horn shaped glass.

We made our way back to the Shakey Graves venue, Le Botanique, the day after the show to find the advertised basketball court that supposedly lived in the gardens. It was a short walk, but in truth I was tired. A month of running about from country to country has that effect on you, I guess.

As we rounded the corner, we came up to the court and it was perfect. The only problem: it was closed. We couldn’t find an open entrance. It looked like maybe there was some construction work underway on the playground.

I was undeterred. It was about to start raining, so now was the time. I told Kim to wait for me, and well, let’s just say we got the shot.

This project was exceptionally fulfilling. It’s amazing, the places I found and the opportunities I had to meet people just by bringing my ball along and going out to find a court. I have appreciated the support every step of the way.

I still have one more post coming to wrap up this leg of the journey.

Thank you all for following along.

Much love,

Rae

#6 : Amsterdam, Netherlands

Date of Shot: 27 October 2018
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Court: N/A - We just happened upon this one. :)

You know that feeling when you see someone you adore after an extended period of time and you just feel the need to hug that person for 30 minutes straight?

Is that just me?

Well Amsterdam is where I put my solo travel behind me and met up with one of my best friends from back home that I hadn’t seen in 10 months. It did not disappoint.

From just wandering about, the Van Gogh Museum, the best cappuccino I have ever consumed, to just hanging out and having a girl’s night in - I had the loveliest time.

Everything about Amsterdam is beautiful, so it wasn’t hard to find a nice park. We frequently passed through this one and finally one afternoon I brought my ball along for the walk. Thanks to Kim for taking on camera woman duties for the day.

In conclusion, go to Amsterdam. Find Checkpoint Charlie’s, hopefully around Halloween and dance around a bit. Preferably go with a best friend. You won’t be disappointed.

10/10.

Much love,

Rae

#5 : Paris, France

Date of Shot: 23 October 2018
Location: Paris, France
Court: Parc de Belleville

Finally getting around to sharing the rest of my trip with you all. I apologize for the break, I got back to work and started a new job and sometimes my mind runs off with me.

Luckily the trip was so impactful to me, I really can’t forget a lot of the details.

Paris was phenomenal. I really understand why people make such a fuss about making it here at some point in their lives. While I didn’t make it out to all the different sights and museums, I think I made a good start.

Spent numerous days wandering Monmartre, listening to street performers. Found myself at the Eiffel Tower at night, the Sacre Coeur. Tried Boeuf Tartare (raw meat is a little wild, especially when not expecting it, but I quite enjoyed it). Really spent a lot of time hanging out on the rooftop with a little crew of misfits, and the lovely folks of Les Piaules (my hostel) rooftop. Sometimes it’s about the people.

One slightly cold and rainy day, I ventured out to find my court. Les Piaules is in the heart of the Belleville neighborhood, and so is this lovely park. Pathways lined with rose bushes, trails branching off in different directions. Decidedly an active place to be.

Definitely got the lighting wrong in this video, but the shot goes in, so I think it’s satisfactory.

Next up: Amsterdam, Netherlands

FYI, we have closed donations, but we raised $870!! I’ll be writing a post more about that soon. :)

Thanks and much love,

Rae

#4 : Barcelona, Spain

Date of Shot: 18 October 2018
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Court: Parc de la Barceloneta

So this was possibly one of the best days of this adventure so far.

After a late Barcelona night, I woke up early, jumped on a bus, and made my way to the famous Barceloneta beach where I was told there was a basketball court waiting. I was not disappointed.

Barceloneta beach itself is a sight to behold — there were many surfers and runners and folks working out at the outdoor gym taking advantage of the slightly overcast day. I made my way to the court which was large and certainly not lacking in views.

I shot around for a while, made a few shots and was about to call it when the three guys shooting around at the other end of the court asked me if I wanted to play. What business do I have walking around with a basketball if I’m not going to play a little pickup game in Spain? I jumped in.

These guys were great and I had such an incredibly good time playing with them. After a couple of games, I decided to call it before it started raining and I asked them to snag a shot for me.

Usually I only post the one I make, but I didn’t realize until after that I had some killer commentary on this footage, and sometimes to count the makes you have to miss a few first!

Many thanks to Teo, Cesar and Tomas. This was such a fun day.

I then proceeded to walk on the beach, put my toes in the water, and get poured on heading back to the hostel.

10/10.

I waited a long while to post this, as I’ve been very caught up in the adventure of it all, but Paris will be following tomorrow. I am already in Brussels and have made my shots, now I’m just catching you all up. :)

You can still pledge here: pledgeit.org/count-the-makes

Much love and appreciation,

Rae

#3 : Marseille, France

Date of Shot: 13 October 2018
Location: Marseille, France
Court: Terrain du Vauban

I usually don’t do much research before heading out from whatever hostel or Air BnB I’m staying at with my basketball in hand, planning on finding a court to make my shot. This can lead to a lot of walking around and if the court isn’t exactly what I want I get a little bummed and go to the next closest one on the court finder app that I use.

I found this court early on my birthday, October 12th. It was a 20 minute walk from the apartment I was staying in and the moment I saw it, based at the bottom of the hill to Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde, I decided it was the court I had to use for Marseille. The only catch was it was a happening court. When I first got to it, a bunch of elementary schoolers seemed to be having basketball practice. I went up to the church, walked around the park, came back and it was still in use.

I went to Chateau D’If, spent the later afternoon in Vieux Port, came back and there were still folks playing.

Because it was my birthday, I certainly didn’t wait around. I went for a romantic dinner for one to celebrate and set myself up to wake up bright and early to get this shot.

This day was beautiful. The weather was perfect. The sun was shining. I only air balled once.

This shot is for my dear ol’ dad, who is totally fine nowadays but who has dealt with cancer and got through it. He’s literally going to live forever. :)

You can pledge here, I’ll be putting all funds to 5 for the Fight: https://pledgeit.org/count-the-makes

Next up is Barcelona, which I am currently very much enjoying!

Thanks everyone for following along!

-Rae

#2: Geneva, Switzerland

Date of Shot: 10 October 2018
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Court: Quai Wilson

I feel like the whole journey surrounding finding this court and making this shot was quite the lesson for me. By the time I arrived at the court my map was pointing me to, my legs were a little tired from walking around. As I rounded the corner to see a small caged in hoop, with some kind of plastic net, I was frustrated. This certainly wouldn’t do and I figured I’d have to walk another couple of miles to get to another court.

But, you know I tried. I shot around a bit but couldn’t get a good angle with my camera. I got a shot and figured that’d just have to do for the day.

It was when I was leaving that I noticed a bunch of people working out a little further into the park. Apparently Europe puts legitimate workout equipment in parks now!! I turn the corner and there’s bars for pull ups, a row machine, a leg press machine, an elliptical. And lo and behold, a basketball court for grown ups!!

I had stumbled into this incredibly well kept, large, lovely park with a view of Lake Geneva, grass, walking trails, massive trees to picnic under (until the bees come and crash the picnic) and my hoop!

I still had some trouble with the framing of the shot but I got it. And I ended up taking off my flowy white shirt (I had a tank top underneath, don’t you worry about me) and getting an awesome work out in too!

This shot is dedicated to my Grandma Elian, who I didn’t get to know but who I really wish I had. <3

You can jump in and pledge for each made shot here: pledgeit.org/count-the-makes

Thanks for following this, everyone. :)

Up Next: Marseille, France!

-Rae

#1 : Lausanne, Switzerland

Date of Shot: 8 October 2018
Location: Lausanne, Switzerland
Court: Stade de Vidy, Parc Louis Bourget

So this was a pretty incredible way to start out the project! This court was gorgeous, right on Lake Geneva. Surrounded by a skate park, hiking and biking trails. Folks out with families, walking their dogs, being active. Lausanne seemed like a very active city, very health-centric. The weather was perfect, the clouds had just cleared and the sun was decidedly beaming.

I was also lucky enough to have a passerby, Haiko from Germany, stop and take enough interest to cheer me on and take this video for me!

This was my view:

This being the first shot, I am dedicating it to my Grandma Ackerman.

You can join the fight and help each make have a little more impact here: https://pledgeit.org/count-the-makes

You an also reach out to me if you want a shot dedicated to someone you know who has/is fighting with cancer.

Next up: Geneva!

The Beginning!

Planning has never been my strong point. Exhibit A:

Note how I never actually give you a sneak peek at the court. Sorry about that.

Anyway, putting together an itinerary, neatly packing my things, remembering everything I need, smoothly navigating public transportation…these things rarely pull together well for me.

So I guess you might say, “so Rae, I guess traveling might not be the best activity for you?”

Sshhhh. There, there. This time is different.

But actually, so far so good. Yesterday I boarded a plane and two flights, a train ride, and a bus later I have settled in at my hostel in Lausanne, Switzerland.

My preparation for this trip has included numerous youtube videos on minimalist travel (which, being real, I ignored a little bit, as you could tell by the size of my bag), how to use Eurail passes, the dos and dont’s of first time travelers (even though this isn’t my first time) and one very secret, very deadly weapon.

You ready?

Inspirock.com.

gasp what??

But really, this website did all the organizing for me (thank God). All I had to do was get my stuff together and get here. Also to find courts, CourtsoftheWorld.com is seriously a life saver.

I don’t know how interested you guys are in what it actually took for me to plan my trip. I know that’s not the point of this project. But the point is that I made it out here, thanks to all these things.

I felt very proud of myself as I sauntered up to my hostel yesterday afternoon, following the offline google map a youtube video told me to download. I settled in, went for a walk. Did some push ups on a tree trunk (you heard me), and just took some time to reflect.

This trip is marking major shifts in my life. This project is marking a major change in attitude. I am making efforts to strengthen my individuality, my ability to be a producer of joy and comfort, in order to feel solid enough to offer it to others.

However it turns out, I am grateful for the opportunity to be here, fulfilling my dreams and developing myself through my never ending love of basketball.

Yesterday, I settled in. I hit the town, saw an incredible concert (thanks Joshua Radin and William Fitzsimmons).

Today I woke up ready for Lausanne.

I’ll be posting some more details about my time here, but I also wanted to say that I’ll probably post the videos from my shot on travel days or just on days where I have a little more down time, but they’re coming and I’m so excited to share them!

Next post will be the shot! Stay tuned and welcome to Lausanne.

-Rae