Hi everyone! So Jack and I officially made it to Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. The drive from Belfast was amazing and everywhere you looked was magnificent. Our coach, Niall, and our community partner, Paul, greeted us in Letterkenny. They helped us get all settled in and luckily everything went super smooth. Our living situation is awesome. We have a house with a couple international roommates that have not arrived yet. They will be arriving in the next week or so. It will definitely be a great experience living with students from different countries. Also, the view from our house is gorgeous. I can now see why everyone I met the past few weeks have told me it’s one of the most beautiful parts of Ireland, if not the most beautiful.
Furthermore, Letterkenny is a real cozy town. I learned it was recently voted Ireland’s Tidiest Town. We were able to walk around for a little bit and at first sight it is easy to see why it received that title. The city is full of little restaurants, bars, cafes, and stores. In addition, the town is surrounded by wonderful views all around the outskirts. All of which is within a 10-minute walk from our house. I really look forward to getting to learn more about the area!
After finally getting unpacked and getting my room set up, we had our first practice with the national league team. I wasn't expecting too hard of a practice based on what Niall told us earlier. I was looking forward to meeting all the guys and his "assistant coach" Sally. However, it was not a light practice, he kicked my butt! Also, I quickly learned who "Sally" was. It’s not a person but rather a song coach plays that we do planks and push-ups too. The song goes something along the lines as “Sally up” and we plank with our arms extended. Then, the next lyrics are “Sally down” so we hold a plank at the button of a push up. I think by the end of the practice I planked for about 15 minutes…couldn't feel my arms by the end, let alone shoot a ball. (Youtube- “Bring Sally Up” and you will understand) Otherwise, it was a ton of fun to meet the guys and play the game that I love! It will definitely be a great year with a great group of guys.
The next day, Saturday, we had off. We decided it would be a smart idea to take advantage of the free time before we start getting busy with school, coaching, and playing. So we decided to take a trip down to Dublin… I'll tell you more about that in my next blog!
