This past week, I was fortunate enough to have my family visit me for Thanksgiving. While I have been thoroughly enjoying my time in Ireland so far, I would be lying if I said I did not miss home or my family. It was an incredible week full of adventure, as we had the opportunity to visit many destinations I haven’t even visited yet.
My parents arrived early on a Saturday following an overnight flight from New York. I had plenty of time to show them around Cork despite them suffering from severe jet lag. Additionally, they had the opportunity to watch me coach Neptune’s U18B team for the first time. They said they were reminded of the younger days when I would play at the local recreation center back in my hometown, which is very accurate considering how similar to two gyms look. In the evening, our team had a big match against the Belfast Star. We had a dramatic 4th quarter comeback to push our record to 7-2. Despite playing one of my worst games of the season, it was great to have my parents back in the stands to support.
Later in the week, we had plenty of time to take advantage of the beautiful scenery throughout the country. My girlfriend and brother also came a few days later following my parent’s arrival, who were also eager to begin exploring. We visited many destinations including Blarney Castle, Killarney National Park, the Cliffs of Moher, Nohoval Cove, the Titanic Experience in Cobh, Kinsale, Rock of Cashel, and Dublin. It was awesome to experience all of these places with my family, and a major shoutout to last year’s Victory Scholar Tricia for all of the great recommendations.
The week ended with a National Cup quarterfinal game in Dublin versus the DCU Saints. Our team had an impressive second half which solidified our spot in the semi-finals. According to my teammates, it is a great basketball weekend in Cork since all of the Cup games are played in the city. We are stoked to be apart of the action this year and hope to keep building on our momentum. Overall, it was a great week and I cannot thank my family enough for making the trip out here!
P.S. I was definitely disappointed that I wasn’t able to make the trip up to Belfast for the SCL Thanksgiving. I am thankful for everyone who has made this program possible and can’t wait to hopefully see you all soon!
