SAINT GEORGE, Romania — The bus trips from city to city can take up to eight hours.

There are very few comforts of home and the language barrier can sometimes be daunting.

But to Jence Rhoads, it’s perfect.

The Slippery Rock High and Vanderbilt University graduate is used to globetrotting these days. Basketball has taken her from Iceland to China and now Romania.

“You know, it’s a dream come true,” Rhoads said. “I get to do two of my favorite things: play basketball and travel — as a job. I couldn’t be more blessed with the opportunities I’ve had.”

Last season, Rhoads played professional basketball in Iceland and was offered a contract to remain in Haukar, where she averaged 18.9 points, 7.1 assists and 6.8 rebounds per game and was named the Guard of the Year in the league.

When the chance to play in Romania came up, though, Rhoads jumped at it.

“This league is a big step up from Iceland,” Rhoads said. “My agent came to me with the offer and I decided to go for it. They were looking for young players and needed a point guard. I happened to fit the requirements.”

Rhoads is off to a good start with her team, Sepsi, which is 6-2 this season.

The point guard is averaging 11.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game.

There are four players from the United States on the roster, including Rhoads.

“We are allowed to have up to six foreign players here in Romania, where in Iceland last year, we were only allowed two,” Rhoads said. “The core part of my team here consists of four Americans, one Serbian, one Hungarian and several Romanians.”

The culture and amenities also are much different than Iceland, which was very Americanized compared to Romania.

Rhoads has struggled with the language barrier. While many people in Iceland spoke perfect English, the population in Saint George mostly speaks Hungarian.

“I don’t have a KFC or Taco Bell across the street from my apartment this year,” Rhoads said. “It’s a lot more difficult to find American products. Also, the funny thing about my town is it is about 80 percent Hungarian. They all speak Hungarian and consider themselves Hungarian. So, instead of Romanian culture, I have been experiencing a lot of Hungarian culture. It’s very interesting.”

The people of Saint George love their basketball.

Most home games are sold out.

“It’s really nice to have the support from the people here,” Rhoads said.

Road trips, though, can be arduous. The mountain terrain is difficult to navigate, as are the winding roads.

“Romania does not have any highways, so we travel on two-lane roads the entire way through the country,” Rhoads said. “It is nice that we get to see the countryside and small villages, but it is also hard to take long bus rides every other week. Most of the trips have been seven or eight hours. It’s tough.”

She has come across some familiar faces, though.

In her first game in Romania, Rhoads played against college teammates Christina Wirth and Jen Risper, who both play for Arad.

“It was really nice to see them,” Rhoads said. “It has been four years since I had seen them last.”