October has been a fantastic month. We were lucky enough to have a few days off, and some of the other scholars were able to visit Cork for a weekend. It was great to see all their smiling faces and enjoy their company for a long weekend. We went to Oktoberfest here in Cork and had a blast hanging out all weekend. It is interesting to hear about everyone’s different situations and how everyone is doing in their respective cities. Getting to see some of the scholars got me even more excited for the time we will have together in Belfast for Thanksgiving. However, Thanksgiving is going to be a bittersweet time for me, as I will be missing our family’s holiday traditions for the first time in as long as I can remember. My family spends every Thanksgiving together with the same group of family friends, and it is going to be difficult to miss this year. All the laughs and fun that we have every year during this time is something that I cherish, and will have to catch up on at Christmas. While I will miss stuffing my face in America for the holidays, I am very excited for my first Thanksgiving in Ireland at Uncle G’s house with the whole Sport Changes Life gang. Things tend to get a little crazy when all the scholars are together so I can’t wait to see what Thanksgiving has in store.
Another enjoyable experience was my first Halloween in Ireland. Cork’s nightlife did not dissapoint for this holiday, and it was cool to see all the different costumes around the town. Being a big Halloween guy, I take a lot of pride in my yearly costume selection, and pulled off a great banana suit that was well received throughout the night. The frostbite was definitely worth all the compliments of my one piece suit with scarce undergaments covering my pale frame. And while I am used to cold winters, I am still adjusting to the cold coming this early. However, all the locals keep telling me how lucky we have been with the lack of rain, and I am thoroughly enjoying a few dry weeks before the slushy, icy winter I have been warned is coming.
